South of Suez

GEORGE BRENT was never more stoic in giving a wooden performance than he is in this programmer in which he and BRENDA MARSHALL have almost no chemistry together. Marshall is a strictly by-the-numbers sort of actress with severe limitations and never made it to full-fledged stardom. See her in this one and you'll understand why.

Surprisingly, the most vivid performance in the film is given by LEE PATRICK as the wife of greedy gold-miner owner (GEORGE TOBIAS) who sets Brent up for the murder of a fellow miner who discovered a diamond Tobias covets. Her courtroom scene toward the end gives her a chance to emote in Ida Lupino style. Only eight years later she would be one of the almost unrecognizable inmates of THE SNAKE PIT.

All of the sets look like leftovers from THE LETTER which took place on a rubber plantation. Still, for all its faults, this little programmer delivers some interesting melodramatic moments.

And a scene-stealing monkey supplies some much needed humorous moments.