Mutiny in the Arctic
Cast & Crew
John Rawlins
Richard Arlen
Andy Devine
Anne Nagel
Addison Richards
Don Terry
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Engaged explorers Dick Barclay and Gloria Adams return from an Arctic expedition with valuable aerial maps. They are met in San Francisco by Gloria's brother Andy, who, much to the chagrin of Dick, prefers to do his exploring in books. Dick discovers that they have photographed a radium deposit near an old mine owned by Gloria and Andy's father. Upon the advice of promoter Ferguson, the trio charters the vessel Astoria from Captain Morrissey, whom they offer a twenty percent partnership in the radium mine. Morrissey, however, refuses to sail with Gloria aboard, saying that women are bad luck, so she is forced to remain behind in San Francisco. Unknown to the new partners, Ferguson has hired one of the crew members, first mate Cole, to sabotage the voyage. Along the way, Cole sends crew member Harmon to search for the map to the radium mine, and he knocks Andy out when he is nearly discovered in the explorer's cabin. Later, Cole discovers Morrissey with the map and steals it from the captain's desk. Fog sets in, so Morrissey orders the ship to drop anchor. A mess boy, having seen Cole steal the map, goes to Ferguson, who stops him from reporting it to the captain. Harmon then kills the mess boy and tosses his body overboard. The murderer later tricks Morrissey into going down to the engine room, then kills him as well. Cole takes over the ship and falsely accuses Dick, Andy and Ferguson of mutiny. Cole orders the ship ahead, threatening to kill any crew member who refuses to follow his orders. When the ship rams into an iceberg, Cole orders the ship abandoned. While Cole and his crew escape on a lifeboat, Dick, Andy and Ferguson break out of their locked cabin, and, along with the ship's cook and dog, climb aboard the iceberg as the ship sinks. Gloria learns of the ship's distress signal in San Francisco and leaves to attempt an air rescue. The stranded men then hop aboard an ice floe in hopes of finding land. After being forced aboard another iceberg, they take shelter in a cave. Gloria begins her aerial search of the region, but upon her arrival at the Eskimo village near her father's mine, she finds only Cole and his crew. As the ice around them begins to break, Ferguson confesses all. Back at the village, Gloria leaves to continue her search, unaware of Cole's treachery. When Gloria's plane flies overhead, Dick and the others send her a distress signal by setting their tent afire. She attempts to land her plane, only to crash into another iceberg. Meanwhile, Cole and Harmon plan their expedition to the mine, despite warnings from the Eskimo chief about the dangers of the winter thaw. A desperate Ferguson attempts to kill a polar bear for food, but is killed himself by a second bear. When Andy tells Dick that they have drifted within four miles of the Eskimo village, he takes it upon himself to go for help. With the help of the Eskimos and their canoes, Dick manages to save Andy and the others just as their iceberg falls apart. Cole returns to the village, and after he attempts to kill Dick in his sleep, the explorer captures the crooked sailor with the help of the Eskimo chief. Returning to San Francisco, Andy is proclaimed a hero for his navigational expertise, and Dick and Gloria make plans to settle down, along with the ship's dog and its litter of new puppies.
Director
John Rawlins
Cast
Richard Arlen
Andy Devine
Anne Nagel
Addison Richards
Don Terry
Oscar O'shea
Harry Cording
Jeff Corey
Harry Strang
John Rogers
Dave Wengren
Gibson Gowland
Charles Sullivan
Jack Roper
John Bagni
William Moore
Eddie Dew
Stanley Blystone
Sam Adams
David Sharpe
Leo Abbey
Crew
John W. Boyle
Bernard B. Brown
Ed Curtiss
Ralph M. Delacy
R. A. Gausman
Paul Huston
Victor Mcleod
Jack Otterson
Ben Pivar
Robert Pritchard
H. J. Salter
Maurice Tombragel
Edwin Tyler
Vera West
Maurice Wright
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The working title of this film was Northern Lights. According to the Hollywood Reporter review, this film made extensive use of stock footage of the arctic regions, including icebergs and Eskimo villages, compiled from the 1933 Universal film White Hell of Pitz Palu (see AFI Catalog of Feature Films, 1931-40; F3.5456) and the 1929 German silent film S.O.S. Iceberg.
