Krakatoa: East of Java (1968)

In 1883, ship captain Hanson plans a shipwreck salvage mission in The Dutch East Indies to retrieve a cargo of pearls but an unexpected volcano eruption and a state-ordered transport of convicts upset his plans.

Director:

Bernard L. Kowalski

Writers:

Cliff Gould (as Clifford Newton Gould), Bernard Gordon

Stars:

Maximilian Schell, Diane Baker, Brian Keith

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maximilian Schell	...	Captain Hanson
Diane Baker	...	Laura
Brian Keith	...	Connerly
Barbara Werle	...	Charley
Sal Mineo	...	Leoncavallo
Rossano Brazzi	...	Giovanni
John Leyton	...	Rigby
J.D. Cannon	...	Danzig (as J. D. Cannon)
Jacqueline Chan	...	Toshi (as Jacqui Chan)
Robert Hall	...	Guard (as Robert Hall/Rob't Hall)
Victoria Young	...	Kiko
Marc Lawrence	...	Jacobs
Midori	...	Midori (as Midori Arimoto)
Niall MacGinnis	...	Harbor Master (as Niall Macginnis)
Joseph Hann	...	Kuan

Storyline

The Dutch East Indies, in the late 19th century. Capt. Hanson of the "Batavia Queen" is preparing to embark on a salvage expedition. His mistress, Laura, knows the location of a ship belonging to her late husband, a shipwreck concealing a cargo of rare pearls. A diver and a diving bell are aboard ship. But a government agent coerces Hanson into accepting a shipment of convicts for the ship's hold. The wreck lies dangerously close to the erupting volcano on the island of Krakatoa, where Laura's young son attends the convent school...

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Plot Keywords:

place name in title | goof in title | ship | convict | pearl | 

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Taglines:

The Incredible Day That Shook The Earth To Its Core!

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | History | Romance

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Certificate:

G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 May 1969 (USA)

Also Known As:

Volcano

Filming Locations:

Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cinerama Productions Corp., Security Pictures, American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min 147 min (BBFC submission before censorship)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor) (as Technicolor®)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the early phases of production there was no script, but they knew what special effects sequences were needed and special effects creator Eugène Lourié shot many of the miniature sequences before the writing was complete.

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Goofs

When Laura spots Peter through the telescope, Peter is looking off at an angle as if he is waving and smiling at a second ship that is present.

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Crazy Credits

This film was shot using Super Panavision 70 and Todd-AO formats for presentation in single-strip Cinerama. The opening title sequence has the image devided into three frames just like the original three-strip Cinerama.

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Alternate Versions

Instead of using the original Cinerama version, the MGM DVD used a 35mm version that was restored to 131 minutes. This version has been cropped at the top and bottom of the frame to create the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. this version is also missing the overture, intermission and exit music.

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Connections

Referenced in Seinfeld: The Truth (1991)

User Reviews

Not a bad film, but it's a bit slow and talky!

Krackatoa, East of Java is a fictional story set against the backdrop of the infamous eruption of Krackatoa in 1883 that triggered huge Tsunamis. This movie involves a ship captain and his crew on a voyage to a ship wreck site close to the shores of Krackatoa where the 200 year dormant Volcano begins waking up in search of treasure. This movie does have excitement but you have to wait through awhile to get the excitement. Most of the action is on the ship. Although intrigueing things happen on the way, like dead fish in the water and unexplained explosions, the action is still too slow. However the special effects were good for a movie this old (1969). I thought the eruption and Tidal wave sequences were well done. 6/10