Fair Wind to Java (1953)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Barnstorming South Seas hokum in chewy Trucolor of the type Republic Picture was churning out by the yard at this time, full of plot elements that had earlier done service in their westerns & serials, such as diamonds being sought by a plummy-voiced villain in a carnival mask, endless fisticuffs, and of course Vera Hruba Ralston, wife of the president of Republic, Herbert J.Yates. On this occasion she pays Kim Kim, a dusky Eurasion exotic dancer with extraordinary eyebrows whose mere presence aboard McMurray's rigger the 'Gerrymander' soon has men fighting over her, and is later flogged to reveal the location of the diamonds. The phoniness of the studio scenes on board the deck of the 'Gerrymander' is complimented by the usual overacting by Republic stalwarts Victor McLaglen and Paul Fix; in marked contrast to superb model work by the Lydecker brothers depicting the 'Gerrymander' battling pirates at sea and climaxing in the 1883 eruption of the volcano Krakatau and the resulting tidal wave.

As I began watching the movie, it seemed to have a Saturday matinée feel to it-- not that I know entirely what that is, but I'll take the idea and run with it. Filmed with the studio's Trucolor process, it overflows with bright green, blue, red and orange. The script is very sharply written, and we learn a lot about what makes these sailors behave as they do. We're given the backstory of MacMurray's character, how he ascended the ranks and was given a ship of his own; how it led to the sea near Java. He meets Ralston's character as the movies gets underway, and he frees her from slavery. Yes, it is one of those kinds of love stories. Several things impress me about FAIR WIND TO JAVA. First, the supporting cast couldn't be better-- Victor McLaglen, Claude Jarman Jr. and John Russell are all men under MacMurray's command; while Robert Douglas plays a rival treasure seeker. Also, the music is grand-- sweeping and romantic each time it comes up on the soundtrack. So much that honestly one can't tell if the sea is supposed to be just as romantic in this tale as the relationship between MacMurray and Ralston. And then there is all the boisterous action.What's a good swashbuckler adventure story without rousing fights on board the ship, or a hunt for diamonds on land that is soon obscured by debris from a very active volcano? And speaking of the volcanic eruption that occurs near the end (perhaps symbolizing the passion shared by the main characters), Herbert Yates-- Republic's boss and Miss Ralston's husband- - has gone all out to present the most spectacular special effects you could ever imagine. Yes. It's worth more than all the diamonds in Java.

Republic Pictures knew how to do two things really well—action and special effects. Both are on showcase display in this south seas epic. Okay, no one expects deep think or character development from the studio of the matinée western, and this 90-minutes doesn't disappoint. For Republic, story was just an excuse to stage barroom brawls and shootouts, anyway. The plot here appears a cut-and-paste job from one of their many Saturday afternoon serials (e.g. a masked mastermind), while the characters seldom rise above stereotype. Still, studio honcho Yates spent what for them was a bundle. He even went out and hired A- list Fred MacMurray to pair up with his hapless sweetie Vera Hruba Ralston. MacMurray, always the professional, gives his sea captain his all, while native girl Ralston has little more to do than get dragged around. I'm still puzzled, however, by handsome John Russell's presence in what seems a tacked-on role. Maybe it was something of a screen test for bigger and better things.Anyway, the Trucolor is gorgeous, the action fast and furious if often mindless, while Krakatoa blows up real good. So, if you want your eyes entertained at the same time your brain takes a rest, be sure to tune in.

A sort of mini-De Mille picture from Republic studios, A Fair Wind To Java is a fast-moving adventure story set in the south seas. Fred MacMurray is excellent as the hero, really quite at home in the sort of costume picture role one wouldn't expect to find him in. What absurdities there are in the story are offset to a large degree by the actor's surprising moral authority as the humane captain. Vera Ralston is lovely if unexceptional as the heroine. The supporting cast is fine and energetic. As always, the Lydecker brothers provide superb special effects on a limited budget. Overall, a watchable, old-fashioned movie, if a tad anachronistic for the fifties. The ending provides genuine spectacle, and is well worth the wait.