East of Sumatra *** (1953 Jeff Chandler, Marilyn Maxwell, Anthony Quinn, Suzan Ball) – Classic Movie Review 10,773

‘For her savage kisses… he plundered the last forgotten corner of the earth!’

Westerns director Budd Boetticher makes an effective job of a run-of-the-mill action yarn about tough tin-miner Duke Mullane (Jeff Chandler) clashing with villainous South Seas ruler Chief Kiang (Anthony Quinn) and aiming to foil a revolt on his island.

The 1953 Technicolor adventure film East of Sumatra is well cast, and features colourful acting from the two male stars and attractive romance from Marilyn Maxwell, a blonde American radio singer who might have had a better career if she had stuck to her real first name of Marvel. Here she plays alluring dancer Lory Hale. Suzan Ball also  stars as Minyora, in one of the eight films she made before her untimely death.

East of Sumatra is entertaining in its Fifties, mindless escapist way. Everything is quick moving and jolly in a short running time of just 82 minutes.

Frank Gill Jr’s screenplay is taken from the story by Louis L’Amour and Jack Natteford.

Suzan Ball (1934–1955).

Also in the cast are Suzan Ball, John Sutton, Jay C Flippen, Scatman Crothers, Peter Graves, James Craven, Earl Holliman, John Warburton, Eugene Iglesias, Anthony Eustrel, Aram Katcher, and Charles Horvath.

East of Sumatra is directed by Budd Boetticher, runs 82 minutes, is made by Universal International Pictures, is released by Universal, is written by Frank Gill Jr, is shot in Technicolor by Clifford Stine, is produced by Albert J Cohen and is scored by Joseph Gershenson (musical director), with Art Direction by Robert F Boyle and Bernard Herzbrun.

It is shot at Universal Studios, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California.

Suzan Ball, a second cousin of Lucille Ball, died of cancer only six months after her 21st birthday on 5 August 1955.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 10,773

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