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Images courtesy Derek Dubery |
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by the police before Mason can contact them.
Mara Maru
Gregory Mason runs a salvaging company with his partner Andy Callahan in post WWII Manilla. It starts out with a mysterious call to the boat for Mason to fetch his drunk partner from a bar. In the next few hours, his home is ransacked and his partner is murdered, with calls made to the police in advance each time. It doesn't look good for Mason, until a suspicious fire destroys his boat and livelihood, and kills his servant Manuelo's little brother Perol.
His partner apparently knew something to get himself killed, and it becomes apparent that he had hired a bodyguard by the name of Ranier. Ranier admits to making the phonecalls. He arranges a meeting between Mason and Brock Benedict, a man with whom Callahan had discussed business prior to his untimely demise. Benedict (Raymond Burr) is a local big shot, who offers Mason good money to take him to a sunken boat, the location of which only Mason and his partner knew. The purpose: a million dollars in diamonds.
Thing is, someone else is also after the alleged treasure: the brother of the man who had possession of the goods when the boat went down. Mason inherits an unlikely assistant in Ranier, another whose true intentions come into question.
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Mason, Manuelo, Ranier, and his partner's widow Stella (Ruth Roman), travel with Benedict's party out to sea. Mason bides his time, knowing the moment the treasure comes into Benedict's hands, Mason and his acquaintances are to be killed (not Stella of course; Benedict admires her walk).
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The sunken vessel is found, and the item recovered: the Cross of Santa María, a replica of which resides in the church back in Manilla. Benedict attempts to carry out his plan. But the stormy marine turf is Mason's, and his party excape into the choppy seas and make it safely to shore.
It then becomes a question as to what is to be done with the cross. Mason alienates Manuelo & Stella to lay claim to what is rightfully his in the salvage of the gem-encrusted icon. He has a change of heart when he realises how many people died trying to recover it to return it to the church.
This isn't by far the best Flynn movie, although it isn't the worst either. It might be a bit silly (although not as silly as - say - Istanbul), but it's not boring. And it does get engrossing in places. The score by Max Steiner helps it along. I'd recommend you see it for yourself and decide.
Mara Maru is not available on video at this time. However, it does see occasional broadcast in the United States on the cable channel American Movie Classics. Keep your eyes trained on the Flynn Watch page.
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what he has to do.
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