The Decks Ran Red (1958)

The first mate (James Mason) on a luxury liner leaves his position to take command, his first as a Captain, of a New Zealand freighter. But his first command turns disastrous when a psychopathic crew member (Broderick Crawford) and his cohort (Stuart Whitman) start killing everyone on board. Allegedly based on an actual incident, the film's plot seems rather far fetched but that doesn't stop director Andrew L. Stone from creating a tension filled nail biter not unlike his THE LAST VOYAGE also set on an ill fated ship. It's not as good as THE LAST VOYAGE for several reasons, most notably because its ending is rather anti-climatic but the film benefits from a rather unpolished look to it. Mason seems a bit ill at ease as an action hero though Crawford is easily convincing as the murderous crewman. Dorothy Dandridge (CARMEN JONES) as the cook's sexy wife doesn't have much to do as a conventional heroine in distress but she looks fantastic. There's no film score but this is one film that could have used one to add a little needed flavor to the doings. With Jack Kruschen, Katharine Bard and Joel Fluellen.