Maracaibo ** (1958, Cornel Wilde, Jean Wallace, Abbe Lane, Francis Lederer, Michael Landon, Joe E Ross) – Classic Movie Review 12,726

‘Just a Drum Beat Away From the Savage Jungle… A Billion Dollar Lake of Oil Explodes in Flames!’

Producer/ director/ star Cornel Wilde’s ambitious 1958 low-budget romantic adventure film Maracaibo stars Cornel Wilde and Jean Wallace, and is based on a novel by Stirling Silliphant, who called it ‘a perfectly dreadful, stinking film’.

Wilde directs himself and his wife Wallace in this busy but not particularly special action thriller about vacationing Texas oilman fire expert Vic Scott (Wilde) tackling a huge offshore oil-well blaze on a busman’s holiday, while romancing visiting New York novel writer Laura Kingsley (Wallace) and catching up with previous lover Elena Holbrook (Abbe Lane).

The Venezuelan scenery, including a blazing office and underwater scenes, are the best of it, along with the Technicolor cinematography by Ellsworth Fredericks. But the acting, story and screenplay (by Ted Sherdeman) and production (by the stars’ company Theodora Productions) are entirely adequate. However, the long pauses for romance really get in the way of the action.

Also in the cast are Abbe Lane, Francis Lederer, Michael Landon, Joe E Ross, Jack Kosslyn, Lillian Buyeff, Amapola Del Vando, George Navarro, and Frank Leyva.

The film was released by Paramount Pictures on 21 May 1958.

Stirling Silliphant, who wrote the novel while staying in Cuba, called Maracaibo ‘a perfectly dreadful, stinking film, with a screenplay that must have been written in the men’s room of the Hollywood Knickerbocker.’

Jean Wallace sings ‘Maracaibo Moon’, written by Laurindo Almeida and Cornel Wilde (under the pseudonym of Jefferson Pascal).

Release date: May 21, 1958.

Running time: 88 minutes.

Maracaibo is a city and municipality in north-western Venezuela.

Wilde signed Michael Landon to a three-picture contract after seeing him on American TV.

The cast are Cornel Wilde as Vic Scott, Jean Wallace as Laura Kingsley, Abbe Lane as Elena Holbrook, Francis Lederer as Miguel Orlando, Michael Landon as Lago Orlando, Joe E Ross as Milt Karger, Jack Kosslyn as Raoul Palma, Lillian Buyeff as Mrs Felicia Montera, George Ramsey as Mr Ricardo Montera, Martín Vargas as Flamenco Dancer, Maruja as Cabaret Dancer, Carmen D’Antonio as Cabaret Dancer, Amapola Del Vando as Amelia, George Navarro as Waiter, and Frank Leyva as Bartender.

Films directed by Cornel Wilde: Storm Fear (1955), The Devil’s Hairpin (1957), Maracaibo (1958), Lancelot and Guinevere (1963), The Naked Prey (1965), Beach Red (1967), No Blade of Grass (1970), and Sharks’ Treasure (1975).

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,726

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com