STRANGE CARGO (1929)
Article 3943 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 5-29-2012
Posting Date: 5-31-2012
Directed by Benjamin Glazer and Arthur Gregor
Featuring Lee Patrick, June Nash, George Barraud
Country: USA
What it is: Old dark yacht movie

People attending a party aboard a yacht become suspected of murder when the host mysteriously vanishes when the light goes out.

This movie has nothing in common with the Clark Gable/Joan Crawford movie from 1940; instead, it’s an “old dark house” mystery, transferred to a yacht. It’s main problem is that it’s an early talkie, which means it’s static and very creaky. It’s also given to some silly melodramatics at time. There’s mysticism, telepathy, and hypnotism as the fantastic elements, though some of these may be faked; the final moments of the movie are a bit obscure due to the quality of my print. There’s a seance in a crow’s nest, an odd assortment of characters, and an ending that is fairly unbelievable. Still, if you can get past the creakiness, it’s entertaining in its own way.