SERPENT ISLAND

Mary Munday and Sonny Tufts

SERPENT ISLAND (1954). Written and directed by Tom Gries. Produced,  photographed, and edited by Bert I. Gordon. 

Pete Mason (Sonny Tufts) is a laid-back sailor who knows a lot about Haiti, and is importuned to sign on as a crew member for the dyspeptic Kirk Ellis (Tom Monroe). He is doing this at the request of Ricki Andre (Mary Munday), who insists that there is a treasure in Haiti that belongs to her family  -- all somebody has to do is find it. The three set sail and have a number of arguments, even as different people keep trying to steal a letter that has clues to the treasure's location. Pete suggests that the treasure is not on Haiti, but on a nearby island, where he re-encounters a woman named Ann Christoff (Rosalind Hayes) and her sinister, machete-wielding companion Jacques (Don Blackman). But then there's also a malevolent boa constrictor to deal with.

Ricki "struggles" with a boa constrictor

Be forewarned that the above synopsis makes Serpent Island sound more interesting than it actually is. In fact for most of its length it's an indifferently photographed (by Bert I. Gordon) travelogue with scenes of supposed Haitian ceremonies that seem to go on forever. The sequence when Ricki wrestles with a large boa is unintentionally hysterical. The acting is actually okay, with a feisty Munday going on to have many more credits. Don Blackman has a striking presence and also had several future credits. Tufts, who became better-known for his off-screen drunken shenanigans than for his acting, is perfectly convincing as the laconic Pete. Bert I. Gordon switched from photography to directing and helmed quite a few movies that are much more entertaining than this. Munday and director Gries were married after filming. 

Verdict: A real stink bomb. *.