this film be pure hollywood hokum . it be base upon a novel call not too narrow not too deep by richard sale and which may or may not have be interest while it would take research to find out . the story in the film take for grant many incident and much background which obviously exist in the novel but be nowhere to be see in the film and so either the film be savagely cut or the screenplay be a mess from the start . there be not one millisecond in this film which be remotely realistic and either in term of event or character . it be pure hollywood fantasy in every respect . two well know actor and paul lukas and peter lorre and be so under use and waste that there be no point in their be in the film at all . they must have be throw into the mix in the manner in which one add a sprinkling of chopped chive to an omelette and hoping that the flavour will be enhance . the film be a ponderous attempt at produce a amorality tale and and be so corny that it be laughable . the story concern some harden criminal imprison in french guiana who want to escape from their french colonial prison through a jungle ( very much a hollywood set jungle and with a rubber snake ) . naturally there have to be a woman in the story and so joan crawford ham it up a a down on her luck tramp who for some reason become irresistible to clark gable and one of the escaped criminal . crawford in escape through the jungle wear high heel shoe and keep her makeup fresh . gable flirt and grimace and make mawkish expression and crinkle his brow a be his wont and smirking and look suggestively at everybody and which be his manner of act . it be hard to treat such a character a a hardened criminal when he be always try so hard to be clark gable that surely he hasn not any time leave to be a thief . ( attention seeker be by definition too busy to steal and unsuited to a task which require that people not see them . ) the whole escapade be so ridiculous that it can only be regard a light entertainment . an attempt at religiosity and wouldepth be make by inject into the story a mysterious angel of mercy who voluntarily walk into the prison and pretend to be an inmate . he help in the escape and accompany all the criminal and minister to their various death and help them to find peace in their last gasp . this character be play very well by ian hunter and who retain throughout a convincing air of secret knowledge and smile enigmatically and make cryptic prophetic remark and and have a small spot train on his face to give him a heavenly glow . the theme be mean to be redemption . you might call it the donald duck version of hollywood go moral and get heavy . for real depth and hitchcock i confess of 1953 show how it should really be do . by contrast and this piece of trivial nonsense show just how bare the cupboard of mean be in tinsel town and and that when they go rummage for something that might mean something and all they could come up with be and you guess it and more tinsel .