White Woman Reviews

"Woman Hunger. Crazed Men Who Lived Without Love--Sly Whispers?" read the ads for this ridiculous "adults only" feature of the early 1930s that comes off today as great camp. Laughton, fresh from his role in ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, is the cruel head of a Malaysian rubber plantation. He marries Lombard, a singer about to be deported. Her life with Laughton provides little happiness until Taylor, a plantation worker, comes along to relieve her loneliness. Laughton becomes jealous and sends Taylor off to headhunter country. The plantation owner considers Taylor a coward and is surprised when the man returns unharmed. Later there's a native revolt and Bickford, an escaped convict working for Laughton, helps Lombard and Taylor to safety. Knowing they're bound to die soon, Laughton and Bickford play poker. Laughton draws a great hand but becomes furious when Bickford is speared to death before they show their cards. Talk about sore winners? Perhaps they continue the game at that Great Card Table in the Sky, for Laughton is struck dead moments later. Laughton probably felt right at home in this film, as it employed sets from ISLAND OF LOST SOULS. The story is overblown hokum and unintentionally hysterical. Lombard, soon to emerge as the queen of screwball comedy, was cast here simply as a contractual obligation. At this point in her career she was merely a filler actress for parts the bigger names wouldn't take.