SEA SPOILERS – 1937
This one plays out as a western set on the sea. The story is by veteran western writer, Dorrell McGowan. McGowan pumped out stories or screenplays for 50 plus dusters between 1936 and 1950. These were mostly low budget fare for Gene Autry and Roy Rogers programmers. They all followed the same formula, with a good guy getting mixed up with a bad guy, and a damsel in distress somewhere in the tale. In this one, screenwriter George Waggner takes one of McGowan's standard tales and transfers it to the sea. Instead of rustlers stealing cattle, we have the villains poaching seals. The Coast Guard stands in for the US Cavalry. It was also the first of a six picture deal Universal Pictures signed with the then, 30 year old John Wayne.
Wayne is a Coast Guard officer in temporary command of a large Cutter. He receives a radio message to report to his Commanding officer, George Irving. Wayne assumes the meeting is to give him full command of the ship. Not so, Irving assigns his own son, William Bakewell to command, with Wayne as second in command.
While in port, Wayne pays a visit to his girl, Nan Grey. Grey is a popular up and coming singer at the better clubs. Wayne is called back to the ship as orders to leave port have arrived. At the same time, Miss Grey is doing a gig on-board a yacht. This turns out to be for Miss Grey, the wrong place at the wrong time.
The yacht has been used to smuggle seal-skins out of Alaska. The owner had been duped by the villain of the piece, Russell Hicks. Hicks now kills the yacht's owner, kidnaps Miss Grey, then beats a hasty retreat before the Coast Guard shows. (The story here could have been better) Anyways, Hicks and his mob sneak back to Alaska to hide out taking Grey as a hostage. They have a large cash business in poached seal-skins to run. One lost load is not the end of the world. Wayne of course is rather distraught over the kidnapping of his lady fair.
Wayne and the cutter, now under Bakewell's command, are soon in Alaska waters searching fishing boats etc for seal. One of the native fishermen, Chester Gan, shows them a small island where the local seal population has been slaughtered. During the landing on the island, Bakewell messes up and the small boat is swamped. It is only the swift action of Wayne that saves the day.
It now turns out that Bakewell is not all that keen with being on the water. He only accepted a waterborne assignment to please his father. He is really a pilot by training. When back at port, Bakewell is transferred to the air patrol branch of the Coast Guard.
Wayne is offered command of the cutter. He declines and asks to go undercover to try and find the seal poachers. And of course look for his girl, Grey at the same time. He is given the okay by Irving to try. Wayne, along with Fuzzy Knight, take, a small fishing trawler through all the towns along the coast looking for clues.
Several weeks go by with no luck. Then they catch a break when young Bakewell's sea plane is forced down with engine trouble. Wayne and Knight happen to be close and race to the location. No aircraft or wreckage is found, but there is a small out of the way hamlet nearby.
Needless to say this turns out to be the hideaway for the sealskin smuggling racket. Wayne and Knight try to bluff their way into the gang but are recognized. They are tossed in a locked room where they find Bakewell. The pilot and his plane had been collared by the poachers. Of course the damsel in distress, Grey, is also in the village.
Wayne manages to get a radio signal off and the cavalry, er, I mean, the Coast Guard are soon on the scene. There is a full-fledged gun battle between the poachers and the Coast Guard before the former are beaten. Villain, Hicks, is good enough to have himself blown up in the battle. Wayne and Miss Grey are united and the surviving bad types tossed in the ship's brig.
The film overcomes the less than stellar story by McGowan, and sloppy screenplay from George Waggner. Waggner was capable of better work. Still, with only a 62 minute runtime it speeds by and is entertaining enough. Waggner would score a big hit with THE WOLF MAN in 1941. He would also direct John Wayne in several late 40's features. The film's director, Frank Strayer was best known as the helmsman on a dozen or so of the very popular Blondie and Dagwood films. Future Oscar winner Archie Stout handles the cinematography duties.
Fuzzy Knight was known as the ultimate cowboy sidekick. He appeared with Gene Autry, Russell Hayden Tex Ritter, Johnny Mack Brown and others in dozens of low budget westerns. Nan Grey was out of films by 1941. She would later become the wife of singer Frankie (Rawhide) Laine. Also in the film with a small part, is the drop dead gorgeous, Lotus Long.
This one plays out as a western set on the sea. The story is by veteran western writer, Dorrell McGowan. McGowan pumped out stories or screenplays for 50 plus dusters between 1936 and 1950. These were mostly low budget fare for Gene Autry and Roy Rogers programmers. They all followed the same formula, with a good guy getting mixed up with a bad guy, and a damsel in distress somewhere in the tale. In this one, screenwriter George Waggner takes one of McGowan's standard tales and transfers it to the sea. Instead of rustlers stealing cattle, we have the villains poaching seals. The Coast Guard stands in for the US Cavalry. It was also the first of a six picture deal Universal Pictures signed with the then, 30 year old John Wayne.
Wayne is a Coast Guard officer in temporary command of a large Cutter. He receives a radio message to report to his Commanding officer, George Irving. Wayne assumes the meeting is to give him full command of the ship. Not so, Irving assigns his own son, William Bakewell to command, with Wayne as second in command.
While in port, Wayne pays a visit to his girl, Nan Grey. Grey is a popular up and coming singer at the better clubs. Wayne is called back to the ship as orders to leave port have arrived. At the same time, Miss Grey is doing a gig on-board a yacht. This turns out to be for Miss Grey, the wrong place at the wrong time.
The yacht has been used to smuggle seal-skins out of Alaska. The owner had been duped by the villain of the piece, Russell Hicks. Hicks now kills the yacht's owner, kidnaps Miss Grey, then beats a hasty retreat before the Coast Guard shows. (The story here could have been better) Anyways, Hicks and his mob sneak back to Alaska to hide out taking Grey as a hostage. They have a large cash business in poached seal-skins to run. One lost load is not the end of the world. Wayne of course is rather distraught over the kidnapping of his lady fair.
Wayne and the cutter, now under Bakewell's command, are soon in Alaska waters searching fishing boats etc for seal. One of the native fishermen, Chester Gan, shows them a small island where the local seal population has been slaughtered. During the landing on the island, Bakewell messes up and the small boat is swamped. It is only the swift action of Wayne that saves the day.
It now turns out that Bakewell is not all that keen with being on the water. He only accepted a waterborne assignment to please his father. He is really a pilot by training. When back at port, Bakewell is transferred to the air patrol branch of the Coast Guard.
Wayne is offered command of the cutter. He declines and asks to go undercover to try and find the seal poachers. And of course look for his girl, Grey at the same time. He is given the okay by Irving to try. Wayne, along with Fuzzy Knight, take, a small fishing trawler through all the towns along the coast looking for clues.
Several weeks go by with no luck. Then they catch a break when young Bakewell's sea plane is forced down with engine trouble. Wayne and Knight happen to be close and race to the location. No aircraft or wreckage is found, but there is a small out of the way hamlet nearby.
Needless to say this turns out to be the hideaway for the sealskin smuggling racket. Wayne and Knight try to bluff their way into the gang but are recognized. They are tossed in a locked room where they find Bakewell. The pilot and his plane had been collared by the poachers. Of course the damsel in distress, Grey, is also in the village.
Wayne manages to get a radio signal off and the cavalry, er, I mean, the Coast Guard are soon on the scene. There is a full-fledged gun battle between the poachers and the Coast Guard before the former are beaten. Villain, Hicks, is good enough to have himself blown up in the battle. Wayne and Miss Grey are united and the surviving bad types tossed in the ship's brig.
The film overcomes the less than stellar story by McGowan, and sloppy screenplay from George Waggner. Waggner was capable of better work. Still, with only a 62 minute runtime it speeds by and is entertaining enough. Waggner would score a big hit with THE WOLF MAN in 1941. He would also direct John Wayne in several late 40's features. The film's director, Frank Strayer was best known as the helmsman on a dozen or so of the very popular Blondie and Dagwood films. Future Oscar winner Archie Stout handles the cinematography duties.
Fuzzy Knight was known as the ultimate cowboy sidekick. He appeared with Gene Autry, Russell Hayden Tex Ritter, Johnny Mack Brown and others in dozens of low budget westerns. Nan Grey was out of films by 1941. She would later become the wife of singer Frankie (Rawhide) Laine. Also in the film with a small part, is the drop dead gorgeous, Lotus Long.