Manfish (1956) User Reviews

Manfish (1956) **

[JoeKarlosi · 5/10 · 17 May 2006]

Supposedly based on two of Edgar Allan Poe's stories ("The Gold Bug" and "The Tell-Tale Heart") this is not a horror movie but a seldom-seen adventure film of particular interest to movie buffs largely because of Lon Chaney, Jr.'s presence as yet another dimwitted "Lenny-esque" character. He plays a lumbering and gullible first mate nicknamed "Swede" to the mean and unlikeable Captain Brannigan (John Bromfield). Taking place in exotic Jamaican locations, these two sailors board their ship, christened the Manfish, and search the waters of the Caribbean for a buried treasure. They gain an unwelcome partner when they cross paths with a cunning professor (Victor Jory, who tends to go off the deep end now and then) who happens to hold part of the key to their fortune.

At first it's evident that MANFISH is not only rather cheap, but also not all that well directed, but much to its credit things gradually escalate to a satisfying and intense last act as murder and foul play kick into gear. If not for the fact that two of its main characters are so despicable (the captain and the professor) this could have been more potent. As it stands, Lon Chaney is the only likable member of the cast and while his old Lenny routine may be very familiar, at least it adds something light to an otherwise loathsome crew. This is definitely worth watching, though it may be hard to come by. Retromedia DVD has helped make it easier with their 16mm print featured on their own LON CHANEY COLLECTION disc. Curiously, the copy I screened was in black and white although the end credits clearly proclaim, "Color by DeLuxe". ** out of ****

"Someday my friend, I'm gonna kill you."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 13 September 2006]

Based on two of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories, "The Gold Bug" and "The Tell Tale Heart", I found the story to more closely resemble a reworking of "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre" set on the ocean. It's three 'prospectors' are portrayed by John Bromfield, Lon Chaney Jr. and Victor Jory in a pirate style adventure that ends in murder and a somewhat forced slide into paranoia on the part of the Professor (Jory).

For it's premise, the story turns out to be fairly mundane, though with a few neat touches. The underwater skeleton holding the first clue to a hidden treasure was a nice flourish, and having the Professor memorize details of a treasure map only to burn it to insure his safety was brilliant. Jory's character maintains a running feud with his younger partner Brannigan (Bromfield), presumably over Brannigan's initial dust off by the Prof's comely island girl Alita (Tessa Prendergast). After that, Alita never convinces as an ally of Brannigan or the Professor, but jeez, what did she see in the Professor in the first place?

Was it just me, or didn't Victor Jory look a bit like a zoned out Spencer Tracy? Clearly the stunt double used when The Professor attempted to spear Brannigan underwater in an early scene was about twenty years younger. And how about the Swede, Lon Chaney Jr. Didn't he look really old here? Granted, he was fifty at the time of the picture, but he looked about seventy.

Rounding out, and I do mean rounding out, the main cast is Barbara Nichols as Brannigan's floozy girl friend Mimi. It wouldn't be too far wrong to say that her best scene was played completely on her back. I'm wondering now why she wasn't on the boat for the main adventure.

If you haven't seen it yet, the title "Manfish" derives from the name of Brannigan's fishing boat out of Port Royal, Jamaica. Director Wilder seemed to have a penchant for a rapid fire panning technique in the movie that makes you dizzy after awhile, especially since it serves no practical purpose. Modern viewers might be perplexed by the ending credits that state the film's color was by DeLuxe, since the only existing version is in black and white; another reviewer's post answers the question adequately.

I can't imagine this film being on anyone's must see list, but fans of Lon Chaney will probably want to give it a try. For those who venture forward, you might take the example of anyone in the film presented with a vexing problem, always best solved with a handy bottle of rum.

worth watching for Chaney

[cinefool · 5/10 · 5 August 2006]

"Manfish" contains one of the most glaring continuity errors I've ever seen in a "professional" motion picture, where John Bromfield's shirt magically transforms from a dark t-shirt to a lighter button-down one during his battle with Victor Jory. That's hard to overcome, though I try to see the worth in every film I watch. Therefore, I try to forget that Bromfield is passable at best, and that Jory, a good actor, is inconsistent, and he, IMO, botches his scenes of becoming unhinged late in the film.

Two things save the movie; the authentic Jamacian locations, and the sappy but benevolent performance of Lon Chaney Jr. Chaney is forced, probably by director W. Lee Wilder, to trot out his 'Lenny' persona again, but in this case it's something of a relief, because almost everyone around him is treacherous, venal, hard-hearted, or a combination of the three. It feels nice to see Chaney, whose character is the only heart and soul this dreary tale can boast of, end the film in an uplifting way. It is Chaney who offers the most steadfast presence in this minor film, and he deserves accolades for it.

Many thanks to the previous poster who explained why this color film has been re-issued in black and white; I've seen this with other films before and always wondered why. I hope one day a color print emerges, because it could only enhance a borderline production like this one.

TV Print

[bettertv · 4/10 · 26 May 2006]

The reason the DVD releases of this film are in black and white is because nobody can get their hands on a color print of this public domain film, a modest sea story at best.

Distributed for television thru Allied Artists, DVD's (or VHS) on the market at this time for this title are all coming from the same 16MM television print. Films distributed for television prior to 1963 were often distributed in b/w prints, because the bulk of viewers did not have color sets anyway. Striking b/w prints for television was also cheaper, as it often involved quite a few prints to cover all stations running a film on a syndicated basis.

Cheap sea adventure, not without interest

[Red-Barracuda · 4/10 · 2 June 2011]

It seems pretty likely to me that this film was given the title Manfish to try and hook in the horror audience. Those who have seen the film of course know that the 'Manfish' is in actual fact the name of the boat owned by a couple of treasure hunters. This was initially disappointing to me as I was expecting a schlocky 50's monster movie, however, the film actually turned out to be alright all things considered.

The story in summary is about an unpleasant captain who is forced to join forces with an unpleasant professor in order to locate a horde of buried pirate treasure. This situation becomes a game of cat and mouse that ends very badly.

Bizarrely, this non-horror film is based on two Edgar Allan Poe stories, 'The Gold Bug' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. They are surprisingly well integrated into the plot-line all-in-all. In the main the film is a sea adventure but it turns into a tense thriller for the final third. It has some pleasing Jamaican on-location photography too, with some good underwater scenes. Although, it is a pretty cheap film in other regards, with a definite low-budget feel.

Lon Chaney is the top billed act, although he plays second fiddle to John Bromfield as Captain Brannigan and Victor Jory as the Professor. These two are the brawn and the brains, and they fight with each other continually. They were an impressively immoral pair to base the film around, and they were a lot of fun to watch. Chaney is the lumbering simple-minded but good-hearted ship's mate, and I suppose he provides the heart.

Manfish is certainly a minor film. But not bad as these types of films go.

MANFISH {Black-And-White Version} (W. Lee Wilder, 1956) **

[Bunuel1976 · 5/10 · 2 November 2013]

Although its title would lead one to expect a poor man's CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954), the uninitiated could not be blamed for refuting this film's claim as Horror; however, they only have to look at the source of the script – two tales by Edgar Allan Poe, namely "The Gold Bug" and "The Tell-Tale Heart"; it is a decidedly clever blending of, frankly, highly disparate narratives and one that – on paper, at least – works better than it ought to! The fact that the end result is not so great, then, reflects more on the film-makers' talent (or lack thereof) in putting the various elements together; one wonders just what the director's more famous brother, Billy, would have crafted out of it! The first storyline, dealing with the hunt for pirate treasure, is adequately delineated – accentuated by ample underwater footage that, rather squeamishly, involves the capture of large sea turtles (years before CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST {1980}!); the second – relegated to the last 10 minutes or so – picks up after the two main characters have a definite falling-out and one is haunted by the 'noisy' ripples in the water directly above the spot where the other lays buried! Would-be ladies' man John Bromfield makes for a thoroughly unsympathetic lead, while Victor Jory – growing progressively more intense – is suitably sinister as the loot-mad Professor; Lon Chaney Jr. as "Swede" competently recreates his famous Lennie persona from OF MICE AND MEN (1939), which he could practically do in his sleep by then, and he does come off as grating eventually – but he manages a hilarious moment when he forces his contemptuous captain to wipe a gob of spit with his own foot off the floor of the titular rickety vessel, which the burly and fading genre star venerates as if it were a woman! Though the Caribbean locale allows for adequate locale colour, this is over-emphasized throughout via a number of resistible exotic tunes – which, along with Bromfield's equally unappetizing romantic dallying – definitely proves the film's low point! By the way, though the end credits clearly state this to have been shot in the DeLuxe colour process, apparently all surviving copies are in black-and-white!

Lon Chaney and Victor Jory

[kevinolzak · 5/10 · 12 November 2023]

1955's "Manfish" is sometimes thought of as a horror film due to its title, the presence of second billed Lon Chaney, and the fact that not one but two Edgar Allan Poe stories were combined for the script, "The Gold Bug" and "The Tell-Tale Heart." As things go, it's one of the few decent efforts by the resolutely dull director W. Lee Wilder (Billy's elder brother), and his 4th of seven films written by his son Myles Wilder (the shooting title was "The Menfish"). 'Manfish' is actually the name of the Jamaican boat captained by John Bromfield's Brannigan, Chaney his first mate 'Swede,' in danger of losing their beloved vessel due to outstanding debts brought on by Brannigan's gambling. The pair earn their keep diving for sea turtles, one day discovering a skeleton on the bottom of the sea bed, still holding a map contained inside a bottle, revealing the hidden location of a French pirate's treasure chest. This brings them into contact with another greedy soul, Victor Jory's 'Professor,' forcing Brannigan's hand by memorizing the map's contents before burning it. They find the trinkets soon enough, heading back to port to finalize payment on their boat, but a second treasure map spells doom for those most desirous of instant wealth. In the end, the lone survivor is the one whose love for the sea proves to be his salvation. Nearly an hour goes by before the treasure is found, then "The Gold Bug" finally gives way to "The Tell-Tale Heart" in its depiction of a crazed killer desperately trying to cover up his crime by hiding the corpse in the drink, tied down by an oxygen tank that continuously gives way to bubbles that make it look like the dead is still struggling for air. Lon Chaney had worked on a previous Wilder title (1950's "Once a Thief..."), and continues to excel in sympathetic mode despite often being cast as wicked henchmen; it's another simple minded character like Lennie in "Of Mice and Men," but a sailor who genuinely cares about his vessel and the divers he employs (he had just finished Jack Palance's "I Died a Thousand Times," moving on to Kirk Douglas' "The Indian Fighter").

Poor

[Michael_Elliott · 11 March 2008]

Manfish (1956)

* (out of 4)

Incredibly boring film from director W. Lee Wilder who also gave us equally bad films like Killers from Space, The Snow Creature and The Man Without a Body. Based loosely on two stories by Poe, a Captain goes out searching for a sunken treasure but this leads to murder. The underwater scenes are nicely done but everything else is downright boring without the least bit of life in it. At one point I thought I was at least an hour into the film so I checked my counter and it was just the twenty-minute mark. Lon Chaney, Jr. co-stars but doesn't have much to do. The underwater scenes are nice but that's about it.

The Tell-Tale Heart Adrift

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 20 July 2009]

"A trio of treasure hunters is searching the West Indies for a hidden fortune. The lure of gold makes for a rise in tension as the men come closer to the treasure's location. The deep-sea divers hope to track down the gold, but find that greed and hatred leads to murder," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis. "Manfish" is the name of their boat, not a monster. The skeleton who gives muscular Captain John Bromfield (as Brannigan) his half of the treasure map is very good. Old salt Victor Jory (as Professor) provides the other half of the map. First mate Lon Chaney Jr. (as Swede) plays dumb, and sexy Tessa Prendergast (as Alita) guards the rum (not very well, obviously). Serious editing and continuity problems mar the picture, which otherwise might have amounted to something.

*** Manfish (2/56) W. Lee Wilder ~ John Bromfield, Victor Jory, Lon Chaney Jr.

Manfish is Not a Man-Fish

[brucerussellmyers · 7/10 · 28 February 2010]

As I popped the popcorn, poured the crème brulee beer, and put a feather pillow under my feet, I thought I was prepared to watch a horror movie. It purportedly starred Lon Chaney Jr. and it was called Manfish. The DVD was taken from one of those 50-Pack Horror Movies you get at Best Buy, so I fantasized about what lied ahead. Lon Chaney would swallow one too many goldfish and slowly turn into a gruesome manfish devouring all plankton and small children who got in his way. Or perhaps Lon Chaney was already a manfish and lurked beneath the blue Caribbean waters pulling down unsuspecting tourists until a pack of alpha-males sought revenge, not for revenge's sake, but because they were running out of dates and were unwilling to court each other.

Alas, I was not even close to the mark. There is a category in Beyond Balderdash in which one must predict the plot of the movie based on the title, and I "epically failed" in this regard. The Manfish of my mind was not even close to the Manfish of Manfish.

What Manfish is actually about is a delicately woven moral tale that presents several familiar themes: the perils of greed, who wins between brains and brawn, and can one develop a conscience after committing a horrific act? Director W. Lee Wilder sets his story on a boat called the Manfish and borrows from two Edgar Allen Poe plot lines: The Gold Bug and The Telltale Heart. The Gold Bug is generally controlling in the movie while the Telltale Heart portion seems slightly misguided.

The Gold Bug concerns a character who is obsessed with finding treasure and boasts he can solve any cryptogram. The Gold Bug is substituted with a pair of rings that set this story in motion. The plot of Manfish centers around two men who have two halves of a cryptogrammic treasure map and an unquenchable thirst for gold. They hate each other and make several attempts to kill each other before discovering a significant amount of treasure on an abandoned island (20,000 British Pounds). But the treasure has a new map that could lead to millions and the fable of greed continues.

What is most enjoyable about the film is the contrast of the two men: The Professor (who has brains) and Brannigan (who is really stupid but very strong). The Professor plays cat and mouse with Brannigan over the treasure while Brannigan plays birds and bees with the Professor's well-built, and stereotypically irrelevant woman. Brannigan is thoroughly dislikable, but one cannot help but enjoy the Professor's coyness as he destroys the treasure maps as insurance for his own life. "It's all up here Brannigan! You can't kill me because I have the map and code memorized up here" (pointing to his head).

Lon Chaney is the title lead of this movie, yet he is neither the Professor nor Brannigan. He is Swede, a simple man who cares only about the Manfish. His obsession with the boat parallels the duo's obsession with treasure, as he gets in Brannigan's face about spitting on the deck of the boat. "Clean it up Brannigan!" He also concedes at one point during the movie that the Manfish is the only woman he's ever had. Swede provides some moral center to the film, but it all falls within the context of his love for the Manfish.

The women in the movie are Mimi and Alita. Mimi is a transplanted New Yorker who performs for the islanders and has an inexplicable crush on Brannigan – although he is an attractive oaf. She serves no purpose except to establish what a narcissistic mess Brannigan is and barely shows jealousy when Brannigan makes his not-so-subtle plays for the affections of Alita. Alita, to her credit, seems to be watching the game between Brannigan and the Professor for her own purposes. She is alcoholic and understands she is a minor trophy to the winner – she even considers making a play for Swede, who is confused by such flirting.

So what happens? Plot spoiler to those of you actually considering watching this nautical adventure. The Professor, through trickery, kills the professor, ties him to an oxygen tank, and throws him overboard. He receives many visitors on the Manfish who are looking for Brannigan (a lot of them are owed money). The Professor notices the oxygen tank is producing bubbles and starts to go insane, a la the main character from the Telltale Heart. My question is this: is he afraid of getting caught or does he realize that his murder was wrong. The movie clearly answers this question by the end so I won't give that away too.

In the end I would have to give movie two and a half men, and three fish. Just don't expect some awesomely cool creature to occupy your nightmares for weeks to come. I guess you could say Manfish is about obsession and we all have our own Manfish to overcome. For some people, their Manfish is greed while other's Manfish is DVRing three sitcoms every night. In our case, Manfish is a big boat that leads to treasure and murder. Enjoy.

Leave it to the Aussies to shoot a color movie . . .

[oscaralbert · 5/10 · 12 February 2016]

. . . in black & white, but such is the case with MANFISH. With its frequent swims through coral reefs, strolls across jungle waterfalls, and openings of supposedly gold-laden treasure chests, it's obvious that MANFISH requires color when color is readily available. But apparently the MANFISH movie makers put black & white film in their cameras by mistake, since that's what we see during every tediously monochrome minute of this drab tale. However, no one told the end titles typist about this snafu, so the final three words of the MANFISH credits are "Color by Deluxe." In the movie itself, Lon Chaney, Jr., plays "Swede," a character ALMOST as simple-minded as the MANFISH filmmakers. A first mate from the Fletcher Christian ship officer school, Swede comes out of these events smelling like a mackerel despite assaulting his captain. Though the credits don't actually say that MANFISH is based upon two Edgar Allan Poe stories--"Silar Marner" and "Gilligan's Island"--THAT would have been no less inaccurate than what they actually do make out.

A Seaworthy Adventure

[Rainey-Dawn · 8/10 · 10 October 2015]

Manfish is based on two entwined Edgar Allan Poe stories: 'The Gold Bug' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart'. It's an eerie seaworthy treasure seeking adventure film with a quite a few thrills that kept me glued to the screen.

Captain Brannigan (John Bromfield) of the ship named Manfish - is a man who becomes obsessed with finding treasures of gold. While Swede (Lon Chaney Jr.) is a man with a heart-of-gold and loves his only home "The Manfish". The two sets sail on an adventure that leads them into a world of treachery, murder and gold - lots of gold.

The movie is not actually classified as a horror film but it is a film that some of the fans of horror might enjoy - especially if they like Lon Chaney, Jr.

8/10

Fishman.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 6/10 · 23 June 2019]

After some difficult days I decided to get back into movie viewing. Picking up a Mill Creek set fellow IMDber Red-Barracuda kindly gave me,I spotted a fun-sounding title,which led to me getting on the Manfish.

View on film:

Whilst focusing a little too much on the scuba diving footage, director W. Lee Wilder & cinematographer Scotty Welbourne display a good level of ambition in getting the Manfish to sail above the low-budgets waters,in using wide-shots of the cast searching for lost treasure near waterfalls,and hoisting the adventure all together with a eerie final set in the deadly silent ocean.

Looking for treasure round Jamaica,the writers keep a respectful tone for the locals, who enjoying hanging out/playing catching Calypso tunes,and are kept away from any link to the evil greed which drives the main trio. Taking Edgar Allan Poe's The Gold Bug" and "The Tell-Tale Heart stories into Adventure mode,the screenplay by Myles Wilder and Joel Murcott make it work by scattering Poe's unsettling Horror mood into the greed and mistrusts which grips Brannigan/Professor and The Swede. Joined by a lively John Bromfield and Lon Chaney Jr. as Brannigan and Swede, Victor Jory steals the gold as ,by keeping 'Professor',by keeping him dripping with sweat and wide-eyed to paranoia on the Manfish.

Jory And Welbourne Keep This Afloat

[boblipton · 5/10 · 26 December 2023]

John Bromfield is the busted skipper of the ship, with Lon Chaney Jr. His dull but amiable crew. . He finds a map to a pirate treasure, but can't make heads nor tails of it. Beachcomber Victor Jory can, and offers to split. But neither he nor Bromfield figure on splitting with a partner, and dead men tell no tales.

It's another B movie directed by W. Lee Wilder, whom brother Billy called "A dull son of a b***h. Fortunately he has a good underwater cameraman in Scotty Welbourne, who shoots Jamaica footage well, and his wife, Tessa Prendergast, even better. Jory acts up a storm, and that keeps the second half of this movie going.

There are more sharks than what you see in the sea.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 22 September 2015]

The handsome and young John Bromfield goes up against the aging but evil Victor Jory in this sea faring drama about the search for a treasure found from a map in a skeleton's hand at the bottom of the sea. It turns out that Jory has the other half of the map and after forcing Bromfield to become his partner, burns his half after memorizing it, thus forcing Bromfield to help him find the treasure after which he plans on the betraying Bromfield.

Along for the ride is a slow moving and equally slow talking Lon Chaney Jr, playing a variation of roles he had been playing since "Of Mice and Men". At least in the superb cinema version of that John Steinbeck classic, Chaney had audience sympathy even though his character was dangerously psychotic. But as he aged, Chaney seemed to be lazy in his performances, basically playing variations of characters that he had played many times over and over, and this film is one of them. Jory is extremely convincing as the notoriously nefarious captain who has a cunning method to make Bromfield feel under his thumb.

As much as he hates him, Jory seems to need Bromfield even though it is obvious that he intends to murder Bromfield as soon as he reaches his goals. This leads to a fairly exciting but often predictable drama, which audiences of the 1950s had already seen in many classic including "All the Brothers were Valiant", "Underwater", and "Beneath the 12 Mile Reef". The handsome Bromfield makes for an engaging hero, and it is obvious that in the battle between the muscular Bromfield and the weakening Jory, who will come out the victor. The film gives credit as the film debut of Barbara Nichols, the buxom blonde who appeared in great roles in such films as " Pajama Game" and "Pal Joey". In this film, she wears a dark wig, throws in a couple of wise cracks, and while sober manages to sing a song or two.

While the color is slightly faded and the blue of the sea and the sky seem to blend together, it is still a lot of fun and fun to look at but it is obvious that makes it worth checking out. This is obviously a ship of fools, and that it will end in disaster for one of the two parties at war with the other. A disturbing scene has Bromfield screw going after giant sea turtles which they obviously pkan to turn into soup. In spite of that the underwater photography is fascinating to look at as is the way that they did hear a shark from attacking the divers wrestling with these innocent turtles. this is mid-1950s silliness at its most fun, and it obviously appeals to young boys over mainstream audiences. Today it comes office rather dated, but there are still moments that will draw your attention into the story.

A film about an unholy partnership...not some sort of weird monster!

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 1 October 2016]

With a title like "Manfish" you might expect this to be some schlocky 1950s horror film...I sure know that's what I expected. Instead, it's a low- budget film about treasure and treasure hunters! As for the title, "Manfish" is the name of the boat they use to find the gold. What is odd about the film is that at the beginning it says it's based on the Poe stories "The Gold Bug" as well as "The Tell-Tale Heart". While it clearly is inspired by them, it's also a very interesting film with a lot of originality.

When the film begins, a man arrives in Jamaica from Scotland Yard to take possession of a prisoner, a guy known to the locals as 'The Professor'. However, the constable cannot release the man and then explains why...and what follows is the story.

The film centers initially on Captain Brannigan (John Bromfield). Although he is billed first, I think the film is much more a vehicle for the Professor (Victor Jory) and the Swede (Lon Chaney Jr.). As for the Captain, he's pretty much a jerk who loves to gamble, womanize and treat those around him like dirt. The only reason Swede sticks with him is that he inexplicably loves the Manfish. But someone who does NOT love the Captain is the Professor...and considering how the Captain treats him, it's hard to blame him!!

On one of their turtle fishing trips, the Captain finds a body which supposedly has been underwater for nearly 200 years. This is utterly ridiculous as the skeleton is STILL fully articulated and is clutching a message in a bottle. The message turns out to be part of a treasure map...and eventually the slime-bag Captain learns that the other half is in the possession of the Professor. Together they form an unholy and unlikely alliance, though the Captain tries to kill him and threatens to do the same. The Professor also threatens to do the same. What happens next is what makes this cheapie worth seeing. Despite the stupid skeleton and the worst scuba diving you could imagine (as the guys flail about like stuck pigs), the story is very clever and the payoff exceptional. Who would have guessed that a crappy little film isn't so crappy after all?!

A good adventure film

[johnc2141 · 8/10 · 1 June 2010]

I recently seen manfish on retrovision theater(internet movie archives)and i was confused that it was in black and white.now that i read a IMDb review for manfish i can understand why.it was sold to TV back in the late 50s early 60s,before the color sets came out.but who cares about the color it was a very good movie and a great performance by the late great Lon Chaney Jr.who plays a good guy for a change,also stars;Victor Jory,Barbara Nichols,and John Bromfield.the story is based on Edgar Allen Poes the gold bug.underwater treasure,greed,sharks,and lots of action.it takes place in the Caribbean,my guess Trinidad Tobago.the title is a little misleading,some people will think its a monster movie about a manfish because of the cast.but the title is the name of the boat that Lon Chaney and John Bromfield sail on,capturing sea turtles something that just isn't done nowadays.but this was 1956.Victor Jory plays a lecherous nasty villain named the professor.but then again Bromfields character is no saint either.there's a little treasure of sierra mad re plot too thrown in.but i would really like to see a color version of manfish.maybe someone can restore it,or its locked up in a vault somewhere.but manfish is non the less a good movie from allied artists(formally monogram pictures)8 out of 10.

Men's Adventure meets Gothic Poe in the Seedy Caribbean!

[Atomic_Brain · 10/10 · 15 October 2020]

Manfish is an extraordinary South Seas melodrama, a wild and visceral evocation of a lurid "Men's Adventure" pulp magazine tale of scoundrels and pirates and treasure maps and brawling alcoholic seamen. This tired plotline is ingeniously energized by shoehorning in the major plot points of two Edgar Allen Poe stories, The Gold Bug and The Tell-Tale Heart, and surprisingly, these tiny bursts of Gothic horror in this most unlikely setting work well.

Filmed entirely in the Caribbean, Manfish is simply dripping with a grungy seaside atmosphere, diluted only somewhat by trendy Calypso scenes which include a silly song called "Beware the Caribbean." The photography, considering it was all done on location in what was surely a rushed shooting schedule, is good, with a few notably arty shots, and some adorable super-fast swish pans. There is some very strong imagery, including grimacing underwater skeletons and waterlogged corpses.

Lon Chaney Jr. is astounding as Swede, a dumb but lovable goon whose essential decency is rewarded by film's end. Chaney overemotes horribly, but when you hired Chaney, that's what you paid for, and that's what you got. Actually, Chaney was not a good actor, but a bigger-than-life one whose presence in any movie gave it a sort of roughshod cache well in keeping with the general atmosphere, and this is certainly true for Manfish. Victor Jory, on the other hand, is incredible as a fatally compromised Professor whose conniving greed makes him more than a match for his rival, a violent but dim-witted sea captain; Jory was an amazing actor, one who gave bravura performances even in lowly vehicles such as this. As might be expected, considering this is essentially a male fantasy. Animals are also treated badly, an accurate if unfortunate indictment of male culture at the time.

Life is cheap in these lurid pulp fiction stories, and equally as cheap in Manfish. As The Professor unceremoniously harpoons his rival with a speargun, his gleeful demeanor depicts both the man's accruing madness, and his moral depravity. Too soon, however, the Professor discovers what all would-be murderers learn: killing is easy, but hiding the evidence is not, and subduing one's subconscious guilt - which will undermine you every time - is virtually impossible.

Manfish opens with a flashback framing device which is not resolved at film's end, a curious editorial faux-pas which does not diminish the power of the story one whit; indeed, one forgets this introductory passage as soon as it passes. Supposedly this film was shot in color, but the creepy and tragic story works much better in the grim monochrome of extant TV prints.

Producer-Director Wilhelm Lee Wilder was far more interesting than his full of himself Hollywood brother Billy; his grungy little noir thrillers and gee-whiz sci-fi potboilers captured the zeitgeist of the seedy underbelly of the 1950s far better than brother Billy's fake and sterile depiction of same: I'll give you ten Some Like It Hot's for one Manfish any day of the week.

funny

[kairingler · 8/10 · 3 March 2014]

Lon Chaney Jr. is a hoot in this one, this time not really the major character, he rather just blends in. 3 treasure hunter in the West Indies are in pursuit of some gold and other treasure,, there is you're map which of course is ripped , and in 2 pieces which requires an unwilling alliance between the ship's captain,, and the professor,, and then you have Swede , played by Lon Chaney Jr. who is loyal to the captain,, throw in a beautiful blonde bombshell and you have a pretty darn decent movie. The allure of the treasure though does get the best of the men as greed takes over instead of common sense,, and one of them wants to try and kill the other,, meanwhile Swede is taking it all in and hoping that the boat named Manfish will one day be his,, there is lot's of comedy in this movie,, to much to write in this short review,, but I found this film very lovable...

exciting

[Cristi_Ciopron · 8/10 · 7 December 2015]

Jory makes a masterful role as a scoundrel, and he's given the 'Heart' plot. Jory plays a treasure hunter who has already spent several yrs in Jamaica, hoping to find a ring and the 2nd half of a map, and it's actually a leading role; Jory receives the last 3rd of the movie for his performance alone, the quirk of the missing tank …. This exciting yarn is quirky, mostly fun, surprisingly enjoyable, rather unlike the adventure movies of the '50s, very unsentimental about the characters, Brannigan scores as a mean jerk (much more of a scoundrel than the captain from 'Adventure Island', but his sidekick, the 1st mate, is likable); the cast can boast Jory, who seems very at ease, and Chaney, again as a kind drunkard, there are some nice songs. It has an untraditional irony, which conveys something of the tales' author's wit.

'Manfish' is very well played by the two veterans (and the two girls also deserve some sympathy), nicely scored, and has the liveliness, freshness and feel of a few other '50s independent movies; it's a romp W. L. W. could be proud of, and so can you for liking it, if you do.

'Manfish' and 'Adventure Island' both had three male main characters, but in the 1st movie the oldster is both Herrick and the crazy governor of the 2nd.

This is one of the scarier movies you will see.

[jacobjohntaylor1 · 9/10 · 26 October 2018]

This is a great movie. It has a great story line. It also has great acting., It also has great special effects. It is very scary. It is one of the scariest movies I have seen. It is scarier then A Nightmare on elm street.

Yo-Ho!...

[azathothpwiggins · 22 July 2021]

Captain Brannigan (John Bromfield) and Swede (Lon Chaney Jr.) come across a skeleton on the sea bottom. In its bony hand is a bottle containing half a map. They quickly set sail in search of the other half.

Things get complicated when Brannigan discovers that he needs a mysterious figure known as "The Professor" (Victor Jory) to decipher the map's cryptic language.

Greed, treachery, and death ensue.

MANFISH is loosely based on both The Gold Bug and The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe. It's a well-made reimagining of these tales, with lots of drama, tension, and loads of fantastic island scenery!

There are some nice twists along the way as well. The Tell-Tale Heart is presented in an unexpected, downright ingenious, nautical form.

Though his part is rather small, Chaney Jr. Makes it memorable, with one of his best performances.

Plus, this movie features the stunning island girl, Alita (Tessa Prendergast) to brighten up every scene she's in!

Highly recommended...