Shark! (1969)

An American gunrunner (Burt Reynolds), stranded in North Africa, accepts a job offer from a mysterious woman (Silvia Pinal, Bunuel's VIRIDIANA) to assist a scientist (Barry Sullivan) in his undersea research. He soon discovers that it's just a cover for raiding a sunken ship of treasure. Directed by the great Samuel Fuller but you'd never know it if his name wasn't on the credits. It's easily the career low point for the maverick director, horribly inept and sloppily made. To be fair though, the editing was taken away from Fuller and he asked to have his name removed from the film but the producers refused. Still, from what remains I can't imagine anything worthwhile to be gleaned from the ashes. The film dedicated the film to its stuntmen which seems self serving since a stuntman was killed by a shark during the filming. Mexico does a credible job of standing in for North Africa though, not surprisingly, all the Arabs look Mexican! The film's ironic finale is pretty terrific actually. Pity it's wasted on an inferior film. Fuller completists might find some interest in it but it lacks Fuller's primitive pulpy trademark style. With Arthur Kennedy as an alcoholic doctor and Carlos Barry as an Arab street kid who Reynolds takes under his wing and is meant to be adorable but is just annoying.