Contains spoilers I have never forgotten this movie although I was just a kid when it came out and it probably hasn't been shown again in years. You'd think with the "Survivor" craze, perahps this movie could be resurrected.
Lloyd Bridges is the captain of an airliner that crashes during a storm in the Pacific. The passengers and crew are able to get to life rafts and reach safety on a deserted island. No "Gilligan's Island" here though but an adult version of "Lord of the Flies."
Ralph Meeker plays a domineering businessman who immediately starts questioning Bridges' authority. "I don't remember anyone making you king of this island" he sneers at Bridges. But Bridges asserts his authority under maritime law---he is the captain and responsible for the safety of everyone on the plane. Plus, Bridges has the only gun.
Andrew Prine is a sleazy con man who is constantly hitting up on one of attractive women. Ann Francis is Bridges' love interest except that up until the crash she had been Meeker's girlfriend. A young Billy Dee Williams is the only black amongst the survivors and a Marine sergeant. Bridges turns to Williams for help since Williams is the only survivor who seems to have any training or skills on living off the land. He makes several deadfalls and snares to catch what game is on the island. The girl that Prine is hot on is meanwhile friendly with Williams---a rather daring hinting of an interracial relationship which was very daring for 1969.
Prine aligns himself with Meeker and soon enough there is a power struggle on the island. Prine already hates Williams after Williams saves him from eating something poisonous. The racist Prine cannot bear that a black man has shown him up and he makes a bigger mistake when he tries to fight Williams. Why he thinks he can beat a combat veteran Marine sergeant, who knows? Williams easily kicks Prine's butt with a few hand-to-hand combat moves only to have several white men grab him and beat him up. Bridges finally stops the lynching by threatening them with his pistol. But the lines are now drawn.
Still pursuing the girl, Prine tries to force her to have sex with him and when she won't go along, he pushes her off a cliff. Thinking that he's killed her, Prine accuses Williams of killing her. By this Prine has also been able to steal Bridges' pistol. The mob sets off after Williams and he is shot by Prine. Bridges gets to him first and refuses to turn Williams over to the mob for execution. Finally the non-committed survivors line up with Bridges and they force the Meeker/Prine faction to stand down. In a turnaround, the girl has survived and is able to tell the others that Prine is the one that really attacked her. Off the mob goes again, chasing Prine who has the bad luck to run into one of Williams' tiger traps and is killed. In a final act of symbolism Bridges throws the pistol off a cliff an into the ocean.
A good movie and I wish they would show it again.
Lloyd Bridges is the captain of an airliner that crashes during a storm in the Pacific. The passengers and crew are able to get to life rafts and reach safety on a deserted island. No "Gilligan's Island" here though but an adult version of "Lord of the Flies."
Ralph Meeker plays a domineering businessman who immediately starts questioning Bridges' authority. "I don't remember anyone making you king of this island" he sneers at Bridges. But Bridges asserts his authority under maritime law---he is the captain and responsible for the safety of everyone on the plane. Plus, Bridges has the only gun.
Andrew Prine is a sleazy con man who is constantly hitting up on one of attractive women. Ann Francis is Bridges' love interest except that up until the crash she had been Meeker's girlfriend. A young Billy Dee Williams is the only black amongst the survivors and a Marine sergeant. Bridges turns to Williams for help since Williams is the only survivor who seems to have any training or skills on living off the land. He makes several deadfalls and snares to catch what game is on the island. The girl that Prine is hot on is meanwhile friendly with Williams---a rather daring hinting of an interracial relationship which was very daring for 1969.
Prine aligns himself with Meeker and soon enough there is a power struggle on the island. Prine already hates Williams after Williams saves him from eating something poisonous. The racist Prine cannot bear that a black man has shown him up and he makes a bigger mistake when he tries to fight Williams. Why he thinks he can beat a combat veteran Marine sergeant, who knows? Williams easily kicks Prine's butt with a few hand-to-hand combat moves only to have several white men grab him and beat him up. Bridges finally stops the lynching by threatening them with his pistol. But the lines are now drawn.
Still pursuing the girl, Prine tries to force her to have sex with him and when she won't go along, he pushes her off a cliff. Thinking that he's killed her, Prine accuses Williams of killing her. By this Prine has also been able to steal Bridges' pistol. The mob sets off after Williams and he is shot by Prine. Bridges gets to him first and refuses to turn Williams over to the mob for execution. Finally the non-committed survivors line up with Bridges and they force the Meeker/Prine faction to stand down. In a turnaround, the girl has survived and is able to tell the others that Prine is the one that really attacked her. Off the mob goes again, chasing Prine who has the bad luck to run into one of Williams' tiger traps and is killed. In a final act of symbolism Bridges throws the pistol off a cliff an into the ocean.
A good movie and I wish they would show it again.