She Gods of Shark Reef
| She Gods of Shark Reef | |
|---|---|
|
Theatrical release poster with artwork by Reynold Brown | |
| Directed by | Roger Corman |
| Produced by | Ludwig H. Gerber |
| Screenplay by |
Robert Hill Victor Stoloff |
| Starring |
Bill Cord Don Durant Lisa Montell Jeanne Gerson |
| Music by | Ronald Stein |
| Cinematography | Floyd Crosby |
| Edited by | Frank Sullivan |
Production company |
Ludwig H. Gerber Productions |
| Distributed by | American International Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 63 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $50,000 (estimated) |
She Gods of Shark Reef is a 1958 B-adventure film directed by Roger Corman that was filmed on location in Kaua'i back to back with Thunder over Hawaii in 1956.[1][2] The film was distributed by American International Pictures as a double feature with Night of the Blood Beast.
Plot
A young and reckless criminal, Jim (Don Durant), stows away on his brother Chris Johnston's (Bill Cord) boat after killing two men interrupting his gun running. As they sail out to the Sulu Sea they are caught in a terrible storm and are shipwrecked off a beautiful island that is inhabited by a secretive village of pearl divers. Though the lonely and beautiful women of the island are friendly and flirtatious with the two brothers (the only remaining survivors), the village elder Queen Pua (Jeanne Gearson) is cautious and hostile, wanting the two off the island as soon as possible. Chris falls in love with one of the island beauties, Mahia (Lisa Montell), while Jim, being a wanted man, seeks to escape before the naval ship sent to rescue them arrives. Terrified of being recognized and executed for his crimes, Jim fixes one of the islanders' broken boats and lets his brother and his forbidden love in on his plan. But before they can leave, the black-hearted criminal is overcome by greed and steals the islanders' precious pearls, injuring a native in the process. Once out to sea Chris discovers what his sibling has done and tries to stop him in a fight on some jagged rocks. Jim tries to get away, but he gets tangled in the boats ropes and falls to the sea, where the shark kills him, finally punishing him for his crimes.
Cast
- Bill Cord as Chris, alias Christy Johnston
- Don Durant as Jim, alias Lee Johnston
- Lisa Montell as Mahia
- Jeanne Gerson as Queen Pua
- Carol Lindsay as One of the Hula Dancers
- Ed Nelson as Guard
- Beverly Rivera as Island Girl
Production
The film was originally entitled Shark Reef, with the "She-Gods" added at the insistence of American International Pictures, who picked it up for distribution. It was shot in two weeks back to back with Naked Paradise, with Corman only taking one day off in between. Corman says the experience was his most enjoyable one making movies to date.[3]
The film was made for an independent, Ludwig H. Gerber, who was hoping for the film to be picked up and released by a major studio. This did not happen. The film was instead sold to AIP, who released it.
See also
References
- ↑ She Gods of Shark Reef at the Internet Movie Database
- ↑ Corman, Roger. She Gods of Shark Reef at Trailers From Hell. Accessed: August 4, 2013.
- ↑ Corman, Roger. Ibid. Accessed: August 4, 2013.
External links
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: She Gods of Shark Reef |
- She Gods of Shark Reef at the Internet Movie Database
- She Gods of Shark Reef at AllMovie
- She Gods of Shark Reef at the TCM Movie Database
- She Gods of Shark Reef is available for free download at the Internet Archive
- She Gods of Shark Reef commentary by Roger Corman
- She Gods of Shark Reef complete film on YouTube (public domain)