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Thanks for the memories!

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This is one of my favorite movies from the '40s. It's such a strange film for the time. Clark Gable and some other convicts escape from a Devil's Island-type penal colony. They are joined by a convict (Ian Hunter) none of them seem to know but who has a strange way about him. Gable also brings along a prostitute (Joan Crawford) who turned him in on his last escape attempt. The convicts and Joan embark on a dangerous journey to escape the island. Along the way they begin to suspect there is something almost supernatural about Hunter's character. As a matter of fact, he is heavily implied to be Jesus Christ! This sounds like something prime for mockery but it actually works really well.Clark Gable is just great in this, from a pure entertainment perspective. He spends the whole movie barking at people and being a tough guy. I especially love all of his scenes with Joan Crawford, saying things like "come here baby" and planting one on her. It's a macho cheesy role for Gable but I loved every minute of it. Crawford turns in an underrated performance and looks absolutely stunning. I don't think Joan would ever look this pretty on screen again. The best thing about it is she looks relatively plain here. No shoulder pads, no Groucho Marx eyebrows, no heavy makeup or matronly hairstyles. She's positively radiant.The cast is amazing. In addition to Gable and Crawford, there's Ian Hunter's brilliantly enigmatic turn as Cambreau. Paul Lukas and Albert Dekker turn in two of the best performances of their careers. Peter Lorre plays the creepy Pig who has eyes on Joan. John Arledge is nicely sympathetic as Dekker's "friend." There's certainly some room for interpretation with that part of the movie. It's a good-looking film. Director Frank Borzage never made an ugly movie that I'm aware of. He epitomized MGM glamour. Great Franx Waxman score, too. Just a phenomenal movie. Deserves much wider recognition than it has received.

When I first began watching this film I almost turned if off. The idea of a less than prim woman meeting a man in a penal colony just seemed so outlandish. Fortunately, I stuck with it, and it turns out to be a very good film that is far more complex that one might first imagine. The Joan Crawford angle remains, but that doesn't detract from a more realistic prison escape tale.There are actually 3 different stories being told here: Gable and the other escapees, Crawford and her exodus, and what is between Gable and Crawford. And for much of the movie, the 3 tales are separate, making each more interesting. And then there's the allegorical figure of Cambreau, brilliantly played by Ian Hunter in one of his very best roles.There are some wonderful scenes here, including Gable falling into quicksand and great special effects during the storms at sea...for starters. And, thankfully the print being shown on TCM is extremely crisp and clean.The cast here really is quite good. Joan Crawford doesn't overact here...really conducts herself quite well...appears very plain and nearly without makeup most of the movie. Gable is Gable, which is enough in any movie, but here it's interesting to note that this is such a very different film and character from the little flick he made just before this one -- "Gone With The Wind". Incidentally, it's interesting that Crawford got top billing here over Gable! As mentioned, Ian Hunter has one of his very best roles in this film. Peter Lorre has an interesting character...sleazy...essential at the beginning and ending of the film. Paul Lukas is an actor I am often impressed with, though not so much here...not bad, but not outstanding as he often was. Albert Dekker is believable and restrained as the most evil among the prisoners escaping; I wondered if there was the implication of homosexuality in his character and his relationship with a younger prisoner. J. Edward Bromberg has an interesting little role as a sniveling prisoner, although his importance wanes through much of the film. Eduardo Ciannelli is one of those character actors who was always so good, and is here. John Arledge is rather forgettable. Frederick Worlock is convincing as the warden.The role of Ian Hunter...hmmmm...was he Christ? I think the answer is yes. Note in particular when he is floundering in the sea...he holds onto the piece of wood almost as if it is the cross. Very interesting.Highly recommended!

Strange Cargo sports an excellent cast and they all do a good job with their roles.But the story is a supernatural one so it does not have to conform with reality; anything goes in the plot.The central theme is about man's free will--the ability to choose a path for himself. Each character is given the opportunity to choose between good and evil, altruism and greed, the commandments and sin.And there is one character who represents goodness. He seems to facilitate their choices, but mostly he just watches them makes their choices. He is a witness, a representation of someone's concept of an all-seeing being. What is nonsensical is his apparent ability to predict future happenings. This is a representation of an all-knowing being. Without intending it, the author of this plot has created an irreconcilable dichotomy--how does man possess free will if an omniscient being knows what he will do before he does it?The end result is a plot that defies logic. One might ask how the message or story might be changed if the Cambreau (witness) character were deleted. The other characters could make the same choices without a character predicting their actions. I believe the plot would be even stronger, because the witness is merely a distraction. However, those who like supernatural stories might prefer the movie as it was filmed.Unfortunately, the studio revised the film when pressured by "decency" groups. So we can not be sure what the studio originally intended.As someone who views every film as s glimpses into the art of its time and the community psyche, I won't rate this film too lowly. Technically, it has much to recommend it. And I can forgive the few scenes where the heavy-handed religious symbolism is distracting.

This is one of the strangest mainstream movies of its time. That's because the film about escapees from Devil's Island is also an odd religious allegory where Ian Hunter plays a Christ-like being who tries to guide each of the escapees to righteousness before their ultimate demise. At times, the film seems pretty heavy-handed and silly but there is also an odd fascination about the film that keeps you watching.Despite Hunter's odd character, the leads are Clark Gable and Joan Crawford in their final film pairing. She plays a floozy of sorts and Clark plays a variation on the exact same character he often plays--the cynical anti-hero who isn't really evil but is skirting the edges of the law. Unfortunately, his part isn't new and if he hadn't done so many similar parts, his character would have been a lot more interesting.Overall, the direction and acting are fine, but the often predictability and sappiness of the script (despite the Hunter character) prevent this from being a better picture.FYI--Another film about escapees from Devil's Island that was made only a few years later was Bogart's PASSAGE TO MARSEILLES. Interestingly enough, Peter Lorre and Eduardo Ciannelli appear in both films. Of the two, PASSAGE TO MAREILLES is a slightly better picture.