This early Hellman feature (shot back-to-back with BACK DOOR TO HELL in the Philippines, with a local crew) is an odd but entertaining b/w multi-genre programmer. It begins in Manila with star Dewey Martin bedding a girl who ends up dead. We know that it was the friendly-seeming Nicholson (with a moustache) who did it. They both end up on s small passenger plane with other characters (including gangster Vic Diaz, who's very good, and Fay Spain as his bored moll). The long section onboard the plane is not really necessary, but charming character stuff (the original release cut was just an hour, while this 1966 re-issue runs 72 mins. There might have been an 80 min. version too). Then the plane crashes in the jungle and it becomes a survival adventure, and there's stolen diamonds involved too. With Joseph Estrada. Nicholson had previously co-written an obscurity called THUNDER ISLAND (also with Spain) the previous year (future scripts from him include THE TRIP and HEAD). Lippert produced both this and BACK DOOR..., but this was released by Feature Film Corp. of America (they also put out CYBORG 2087, among others). Hellman and Nicholson next made another couple back-to-back, the westerns RIDE IN THE WHIRLWIND and THE SHOOTING.
Movie reviews at: spinegrinderweb.com
Movie reviews at: spinegrinderweb.com