Mara Marú

Gregory (Errol Flynn) has received word from his partner to return. But when he arrives, his partner isn't waiting for him but is out getting drunk. Not only that, the man is surly and threatens Gregory. What gives? Obviously the partner did NOT contact him but someone else. But who and why? Well, before these questions can be answered, all sorts of stuff happens to poor Gregory. First, his partner is found dead and he is accused of the killing. Second, someone lights Gregory's boat ablaze...killing a young mate in the process. Soon, all sorts of disreputable characters show up and want Gregory to help them with a treasure hunt...but it seems very, very likely that they mean to do him harm.

This is a decent noir-like film. My only gripes are that it enjoyable but should have been more enjoyable given the plot. And, the ending to me felt like a movie ending...but not necessarily a believable one. Worth seeing but easy to miss as well.

Mara Maru came in Errol Flynn's career at a time when Warner Brothers and the rest of Hollywood for the most part was trying to divest itself of its big name stars and the salaries they commanded. It's the kind of a film that studios were giving stars to satisfy whatever commitments were still under contract. They did not think this was worth going to the Phillipines to shoot even.

In plot it's similar to a Glenn Ford film The Green Glove where another war veteran is searching for an object that's both valuable in monetary terms and has great religious significance. In tone Mara Maru looks like something that might have been meant for another Bogey and Bacall teaming.

Flynn plays a part of a World War II veteran who is a charter boat captain out of the Phillipines who knows the location of a jeweled cross taken from a church with the coming of the Japanese and sunk somewhere in the seas off Luzon. So does his partner Richard Webb who talks a little too much in a Manila bar and winds up dead.

Which doesn't concern Webb's wife Ruth Roman who is doing a Lauren Bacall knockoff of a performance. She's got a thing for Flynn in any event. Of course master villain Raymond Burr is behind a whole lot of things that befall Flynn until Flynn uses his boat to take him to the lost cross. It's an uneasy type alliance as you can gather. In the mix is Paul Picerni playing a Peter Lorre type part. Picerni is a man of very shifting loyalties and his part is terribly underwritten.

Some underwater sequences could have used some color to appreciate them better, something Jack Warner wasn't about to splurge for in this potboiler. Mara Maru is not a bad film, but it's certainly nothing that any of Errol Flynn's fans would put at the top five for him.

I don't know if I can call myself an admirer of Errol Flynn's work, but it would be a mistake not to recognize his merit as one of the most remarkable and outstanding actors of his time. As the heartthrob of several adventure films, he continues to mark the collective memory as a pirate, adventurer and heartbreaker. It is still easy to find, on specialty TV channels, several of his films such as "Captain Blood", "Against All Flags", "Robin Hood" or "Don Juan"..., but this is not one of those iconic films that almost every we've already seen... quite the opposite.

I'm certainly not the best person to assess the reasons why "Mara Maru" fell by the wayside and became an obscure film in the lives of everyone involved. What I do know, and I can say, is that Errol Flynn was already in clear degradation due to his problems with alcohol and that, during the film, I felt the actor was quite uncommitted to the role. Another problem is the story of the film, with a far-fetched script where, in the wake of a crime that is never quite clarified (although the film, between the lines, indicates the murderer), everyone sets off on a brief treasure hunt that turns out not to be the focus of action. What really makes the film work is the dramatic relationship between characters, in addition to the protagonist's struggle with himself, torn between good and evil.

In fact, Flynn plays a frankly unsympathetic character in this film, we could even consider him an antihero, in part. He is a rude man, who is not necessarily mean, but he often acts in the worst possible way. A division that helps to understand why he became the lover of the friend's wife with whom he had a business partnership, and that explains the greed with which he craves treasure and his difficulty in giving up gain, after a certain point. The actor is good, but I've seen him in better shape in other works. Raymond Burr, Richard Webb and Paul Picerni make a very pleasant contribution, each in his own way. Ruth Roman stands out less... the actress is good and does what she can, but she was given very poor material and the character's character is unpleasant, indecisive to the point of seeming bipolar and quite one-dimensional.

Gordon Douglas does a decent job of directing, although at times I feel that the film lacks the resolution of some loose ends. The film is not always happy with the construction and handling of suspense, and there is some predictability in the action scenes, but these are flaws that I felt were of little relevance. The cinematography is quite satisfying, and the scenes at sea or underwater are particularly well done. The sets and costumes are good, and the whole Manila environment looks good enough, albeit with perhaps few visible references to the eastern universe. The soundtrack, signed by Max Steiner, is quite good.

There are some movies that simply qualify as afternoon entertainment. Mara Maru fits the bill as an adventurous romp with a cast led by Erroll Flynn and Raymond Burr.

Although this is not Flynn's best performance I would argue with those who have written demeaning his work. There are definitely moments throughout the movie where you see the sparkle of Robin Hood coming through.

It is always challenging to determine whether to blame the directing or the acting when actors look stiff or over exaggerate. Mara Maru has examples of both.

All that being said, I found myself following the intrigue, attempting to predict what would happen next, and actually enjoying a Sunday afternoon movie in the air conditioning.

I read one review that mentioned it would have been a much better movie in color and I would agree because the sea scenes in black and white just can't carry the same quality as a color film.

So, If you are looking to hunt down a treasure like the characters in this movie please understand that this is not a diamond in the rough but perhaps it's a gemstone that will make your day.

Errol Flynn plays "Mason" co-owner of a salvage operstion based in Manila.His partner ,Callahan ,is a drunk who claims that he has the key to a fortune in lost diamonds ,sunk on board a vessel fleeing Manila before the Japanese occupation.When he is murdered suspicion falls on Mason especially when it becomes clear there is a mutual attraction between him and Callahan's widow (Ruth Roman ).Cleared of murder by the testimony of a private eye ,Ranier (well played by Paul Picerni)he is hired by the wealthy Benedict (Raymond Burr )to track down the treasure. The scene is set for betrayal ,shipwreck and a lively climax in the catacombs under Manila Cathedral. The movie sags a little in the underwater scenes which are murky and uninvolving but overall its a lively if minor thriller albeit one in which the ravages of the star's off screen debauchery are reflected in Flynn's appearance and slightly weary performance.Burr is admirable as the heavy and Roman is fine like most of the cast while the Max Steiner score is a big bonus.

Good time passer but a long way from the stars glory days.