DESPERATE CARGO (1941) Ralph Byrd, Carol Hughes & Jack Mulhall | Crime, Romance | Colorized

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Desperate Cargo is a 1941 American crime drama film directed by William Beaudine and starring Ralph Byrd, Carol Hughes, Julie Duncan and Jack Mulhall. It was made by the low-budget independent Producers Releasing Corporation. It is based on the 1937 Argosy magazine serial Loot Below by Eustace Lane Adams.

Synopsis

On the Caribbean island of Puerto Nueva, a disparate group of individuals await a Boeing 314 Clipper, the Caribbean Clipper that will take them to Miami. Tony Bronson is the new purser for the flight who disrupts the robbery of New York journalist Jim Halsey at their hotel.

Halsey is a passenger on the same flight, flying to the U.S. to begin an assignment for his newspaper that will ultimately have him stationed in the Orient. Having some money left, Halsey arranges a double date for Tony with two entertainers in a sister act, Ann Howard and Peggy Morton. The women have learned that their show in New York has been canceled and are stranded in Puerto Nueva without the fare to leave. Ann tries to manipulate Tony into arranging free passage for them on the Clipper. Tony falls in love with Ann and Jim proposes to Peggy.

Among the other passengers are Madden, Ryan, Desser and Professor Carter, their ringleader and a former pilot who flew Clippers for the airline. Their plan is to hijack the aircraft in mid-air, rob the passengers and steal a shipment of $500,000 from the plane's safe. Carter will then land in a remote area of the Caribbean Sea, where the gang and their loot will be collected.

When they take over the aircraft by killing the navigator and copilot, Carter locks the passengers in their quarters and the crew in the cargo compartment. After landing, although the gang has the money stolen from their captives, the safe is locked and only Tony can open it. Ryan is ordered to force the purser to open the safe, but in a struggle for Ryan's gun, Tony shoots him and escapes, jumping from the aircraft. Swimming over to the cargo hold, he frees pilot Hank MacFarland and the rest of the crew, then returns to the cockpit where Carter threatens to burn the Clipper. Tony overpowers him, and holding the rest of the gang at gunpoint, he allows MacFarland to regain control of the aircraft. Jim and Tony are finally reunited with their sweethearts as the Clipper heads to Miami, where the police are waiting to apprehend the gang.

Cast & Crew

Ralph Byrd as Tony Bronson
Julie Duncan as Ann Howard
Carol Hughes as Peggy Morton
Jack Mulhall as Jim Halsey
I. Stanford Jolley as "Professor" Carter
Kenneth Harlan as Capt. Hank MacFarland
Richard Clarke as Henchman Ryan
Johnstone White as Madden, a valet/henchman
Paul Bryar as Henchman Desser
Thornton Edwards as Manuelo
Don Forrest as Navigator Williams
Loretta Russell as Mrs. Pettingill, a passenger
Rick Vallin as Radioman Stevens
Harry Depp as Crouse, a small passenger

Director: William Beaudine
Writers: Morgan Cox (screenplay), John T. Coyle (screenplay)
Based on: "Loot Below" by Eustace L. Adams
Producer: John T. Coyle
Cinematography: Jack Greenhalgh
Editor: Guy V. Thayer Jr.
Music: Whitey Jowett
Production Company: Producers Releasing Corporation
Distributor: Producers Releasing Corporation
Release Date: July 4, 1941
Running Time: 67 minutes (71 minutes in Ontario, Canada)
Country: United States
Language: English