Thunder Island (1963)

Set in Puerto Rico, a professional hit man (Gene Nelson, OKLAHOMA!) is hired by a woman (Miriam Colon, SCARFACE), who represents an underground political group, to assassinate a former dictator (Jose De San Anton). An ex advertising executive (Brian Kelly, TV's FLIPPER), who now charters his boat to tourists, is forced to help the hit man to protect his wife (Fay Spain). This little "B" movie is unexpectedly well done for the most part. Taut and lean, it wastes no time in getting down to business. Based on a screenplay co-written by a young Jack Nicholson (yes, the actor), the director Jack Leewood (normally a producer of "B" movies like THE ALLIGATOR PEOPLE) efficiently prods the movie along while keeping us absorbed in the story. Alas, the film goes flat in the last ten minutes or so as Kelly runs around an island chasing Nelson. The CinemaScope lensing by John M. Nickolaus Jr. is polished though the B&W cinematography doesn't do justice to the lush Puerto Rican locations. With Art Bedard and Evelyn Kaufman.