Main Cast: Alan Ladd, James Mason, Patricia Medina, Cedric Hardwicke, Murray Matheson
Release Year: 1953
Country: US
Run Time: 99 minutes
Plot
Framed for robbery, 18th century medical student Alan Ladd is sentenced to a New South Wales penal colony. En route to the prison, Ladd is tormented by sadistic ship's captain James Mason, while Mason's beloved Patricia Medina takes a fancy to the new prisoner. Once at the colony, Ladd is befriended by governor Sir Cedric Hardwicke, since the populace is in desperate need of a qualified physician. Mason's efforts to continue persecuting Ladd are foiled when Mason is killed by a group of disgruntled aborigines. Though it sounds a lot like Captain Blood, Botany Bay was based on a novel by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall (of Mutiny on the Bounty fame). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
A ripping yarn that never quite rips as much as it wants to (and needs to), Botany Bay is a decent seafaring adventure film. Botany invites comparison with Mutiny on the Bounty and other better films, and it cannot stand up to such comparison, but on its own terms, it's satisfying (if flawed). Chief among its flaws is its leading man, Alan Ladd, who finished up his contract with Paramount with this film, and who often seems to be counting the minutes until that contract is up. His performance is capable, but it lacks the fire and sparkle that the part calls for, leaving the film without a solid anchor at its center. The severe, if understandable, reliance on soundstage shooting is also damaging, especially to modern audiences accustomed to genuine location shooting or at least CGI effects. John Farrow's steady and skillful direction helps to make up for these defects and finds the strengths in the serviceable but uninspired screenplay; however, the film's biggest asset is the commanding performance of James Mason. Exuding the power and charisma that Ladd lacks, Mason steals the movie with his ruthless portrayal of the captain, managing to make a despicable character intriguing and, at times, almost sympathetic. When Mason is onscreen, there's a turbulence to Botany that makes the film worth watching. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Dorothy Patten - Mrs. Nellie Garth; John Hardy - Nat Garth; Hugh Pryse - Ned Inching; Malcolm Lee Beggs - Nick Sabb; Anita Bolster - Moll Cudlip; Jonathan Harris - Tom Oakly; Alec Harford - Jenkins; Noel Drayton - 3rd Mate Spencer; Branden Toomey - Guard; Ben Wright - lst Mate Green; Patrick Aherne - Bo's'n's Mate; Harry Martin - Sailor; Bruce Payne - Doctor
Credit
John Farrow - Director, Alma Macrorie - Editor, Franz Waxman - Composer (Music Score), John F. Seitz - Cinematographer, Joseph Sistrom - Producer, Gordon Jennings - Special Effects, W. Wallace Kelley - Special Effects, Jonathan Latimer - Screenwriter, James Norman Hall - Book Author, Charles Nordhoff - Book Author
