Captain Blackjack

2075. CAPTAIN BLACKJACK (1951-USA-France). With george sanders, HERBERT marshall, patricia roc, agnes moorehead, marcel dalio. Lush Mediterranean settings and a gallery Of Euro-trash characters make this mystery-adventure most entertaining. The narrative centers around the fate Of a “derelict ship with her cargo Of derelict souls.” It is a refugee ship in search Of a port, a “shipload Of humanity displaced by war and now faced with oblivion.” The ship is captained by a slimy worm Of a man who is ever-willing to barter those in his charge for a quick prOfit. He sells the ship to dapper smuggler Mike Alexander (a role George Sanders was born to play). However, Alexander does not count on the strange deaths Of all those on board. Add to the intrigue a trio Of characters who are not what they seem: a beautiful and mysterious younger woman with a checkered past (whom you know is destined to be linked romantically with Alexander); a flighty older woman (impeccably played by Agnes Moorehead) with a hidden agenda who would work with the devil to get what she wants; and Alexander’s wartime compatriot, a scientist desperate to raise the cash that will enable him to continue his research. It is great fun to try to distinguish between the good guys and bad guys, and wait to see whose souls will be redeemed. Also note in the opening credits that the “jewels” in the film were provided by Jolie Gabor, mother Of Zsa Zsa (one Of whose many husbands was George Sanders). 92 minutes. Drama