Pearl Of The South Pacific (1955)

Three con artists (Virginia Mayo, Dennis Morgan, David Farrar) arrive at a secluded island intent on stealing black pearls from the island's lagoon. Directed by the veteran Allan Dwan, whose career goes all the way back to the silent era and who's done much better. This south seas adventure is a Saturday matinee potboiler set on a sound stage desert island with a rubber giant squid in a stage bound lagoon. Virginia Mayo masquerades as a missionary and I love the way the film has her clothes stolen so she can wander around preaching Jesus in a sarong! Dennis Morgan provides minimal romantic interest and David Farrar is a cardboard villain. Basil Ruysdael is the white man who lords over the natives and is justifiably suspicious of his shady visitors. It's all pretty hokey and must have seemed so even in 1955. With Lance Fuller, Lisa Montell and Murvyn Vye.