Killer Shark (1950)

Killer Shark gets a lot of flack from the general public but I can't really figure out exactly why. It has a good cast, generally good acting from everyone in it, and a decent story line. Sure it's got a couple of gaps in the plot, but remember this is a Poverty Row B movie we're talking about here. We shouldn't expect a masterpiece. That being said, I found it to be a very enjoyable film that held my interest from beginning to end. Roddy McDowall was a delight in the film, and he made the movie quite funny in some places (specifically his first night in the sleeping quarters having to endure the loud snores and dangling arms of one of the crew members!) The film touches on coming of age, and reuniting a broken family, making new friends and finding love and responsibility at a young age, and drives its messages home. Overall I feel it deserves more credit than it gets, and is definitely worth seeing for fans of Roddy McDowall.

Don't let the title fool you. If you're tuning in expecting something on the order of a warm-up for "Jaws" you'll be greatly disappointed. Most of the 'killer shark' footage is stock film, and the single incident that comes close to being a nail biter is that scene where a hungry great white chomps on the legs of Captain Jeff White (Roland Winters) and a crewman (Edward Norris) tries to pull him out of the ocean.What the story is about has to do with a young college grad, Ted White (Roddy McDowall) hooking up with his seaman father after a dozen year absence. Together they hit the open ocean with a Mexican crew to hunt shark for their liver, which is packed into tin cans after the fish are gutted. There's no mention of what happens to the rest of the shark, and it would have been a shame if they weren't turned into steaks or some other commodity of commercial value.McDowall had a significant career as a child actor and young adult following his American debut in 1941's "How Green Was My Valley", and he still looks incredibly young here. Doing a cheapo production for Monogram was probably as close to a low career point as one would imagine, but it paid the bills for folks like Roland Winters who had a six picture stint with them as Oriental Detective Charlie Chan.What held my attention most in the picture were the actual scenes of the fishermen pulling in their catch. Sharks were being hauled aboard the Sunrays left and right using all manner of nets and hooks, but I suspect a lot of that was stock footage as well. As far as the story goes, one could make the case that this was a B Western plot that was simply moved to a different venue. It had the returning son (Westerns used nephews and nieces a lot), a pretty female romantic lead (Laurette Luez), and a host of good guys and bad guys who mix it up in a saloon brawl to close out the story. The one thing different when it was all over, McDowall's character was ready to head off into the sunset all by himself.

This little cheapo used to turn up regularly on late night LA TV, much to McDowell's chagrin, I expect. After all, from glossy MGM to miserly Monogram represents quite a tumble. Actually, the movie's not so bad, except for some of the acting that appears at times by the numbers. I just wish someone had put a cork in Galindo's (Maestro) mouth since he appears to confuse shrill giggling with acting. Young Ted (McDowell) strives manfully to redeem himself after causing a fishing boat mishap injuring his dad and a deck hand. You know he's in trouble when he hires veteran bad guy Fowley (Bracado) to boss a new crew of cutthroats. At the same time, Laurette Luez, of the notorious Prehistoric Women (1950), drifts around the edges as eye candy.What the production does best is approximate a seedy Mexican waterfront. It must have been done in LA since I can't imagine Monogram actually popping for location filming. The shipboard and shark scenes are occasionally interesting, causing me to wonder whether old movie freak Steven Spielberg saw A-picture possibilities in this little Monogram programmer. After all, stranger things have happened.

Taking a break from college, snobby Roddy McDowall (as Ted White) goes down to Mexico and reconnects with his shark-hunting father, wizened Roland Winters (as Jeff). After not seeing each other for a dozen years, the two have a major culture clash. When his father is injured, young McDowall takes control of the "Sunrays". This angers the crew, who decide to jump ship. Out to prove his mettle, McDowall assembles another crew, but they take advantage of their inexperienced young boss...After his successful child star years, McDowall found himself a Monogram Pictures player for a couple of these low budget films, before moving on to television appearances. Interestingly, you can spot white-capped Dickie Moore (as Jonesy) in the bar and on the second crew. McDowall and Moore were on the same career trajectory. Note, there is no "Killer Shark" in the story; instead, footage of some men fishing for small sharks is inserted. The cast and crew do their best with the time and money.**** Killer Shark (3/19/50) Budd Boetticher ~ Roddy McDowall, Roland Winters, Dickie Moore, Douglas Fowley