Rio

CinemaSerf 1/4/2025 9:30:37AM 8.4

"Reynard" (Basil Rathbone) is quite an unscrupulous business man who comes a cropper when it turns out that quite a lot of his collateral for huge great loans - well, the ink is still wet! It's only a matter of time before he's caught and punished, and so is promptly sent off to the infamous Devil's Island prison to rot. Meantime, his loving wife (Sigrid Gurie) thinks he's dead and gets on with her life with "Bill" (Robert Cummings). When her letters stop coming, he reckons on the worst and so "Reynard" determines to escape and make it back home - except, well he's not ready for the shock awaiting him nor she for his reaction. Victor McLaglen takes up a supporting role as his best pal "Dirk", but he isn't really used enough to make too much difference to what is really a rather unremarkable melodrama until the last fifteen minutes when we reach a denouement that's a bit rushed, but allows Rathbone to use his menacing voice to create just an hint of tenseness. I'm not too sure the island jungle looked terribly realistic, and he must have been a really good swimmer - but those are technicalities for this enjoyable, but forgettable, drama.