The story is told in flashback. American Al Colby (Glenn Ford) is in hot water with the Mexican government, and tries to set the record straight by telling his strange tale to an American Consul agent (Douglass Dumbrille). Some weeks before, in Havana, a destitute Colby is propositioned by Anna Luz (Patricia Medina), a supposedly wealthy woman anxious to have an extra-marital affair with the American drifter. "You know," he says, "I never thought I'd end up a gigolo, but why not?"

They go to her house, only to find Fat Man Thomas Berrien (Francis L. Sullivan), a wheelchair-bound black market antiquities dealer awaiting their return. He offers Colby $1,000 to smuggle a small package into Mexico and return it to him after they've passed through customs. Colby agrees, but en route to Mexico aboard a small freighter, other mysterious types become involved, including Berrien's arch-rival, Jefferson (Sean McClory), a bleached-blond Irishman who looks like a cross between Peter Lorre's O'Hara in Beat the Devil and Robert Shaw's SMERSH agent in From Russia with Love. Also somehow entangled in all this is tramp (read: whore) Julie (a miscast Diana Lynn, weakly emulating Gloria Grahame) and her companion, Raul (Eduardo Noriega).

Colby eventually opens the package and examines its contents: three pages of ancient parchment and a carved jade disc. What does it mean? Will it lead Colby to some long-lost treasure? Can he find it before the others kill him? Who can he trust?

Pulp novelist Jonathan Latimer's screenplay (from David Dodge's novel) is ultimately quite unsatisfying, with Colby's actions at the climax unmotivated and unexplained, and other character relationships foggy or illogical. The character Julie's function in the story is especially unclear: she seems totally unnecessary to the plot and all but disappears without explanation in the final reels anyway.

On the plus side, it's refreshing to see all-American good guy Glenn play such a scummy, unscrupulous and hard-boiled character ("I"ll bet you beat women," Julie says. Colby's cooly casual answer: "When they need it."), and Ford is extremely good, nicely underplaying throughout. He's believably unfazed by the violence and unscrupulousness around him, and some of the film's best scenes detail his shrewdness in staying one step ahead of Jefferson and the others coveting those ancient parchment pages.

The supporting cast is also well above average. Francis L. Sullivan (Great Expectations) is excellent in the Sidney Greenstreet part, and Sean McClory, soon to be saddled with that terrible dialogue on Ring of Fear, gets to play a much more subtly menacing character here.

Director John Farrow and Mexican-based American DP Jack Draper lend the film some marvelous and authentic atmosphere, both in its bustling city scenes as well as the striking and vividly isolated archeological sites of Mitla and Monte Alban. The entire film was shot there and on stages at Churubusco Studios, and the film crew appears to have been given unlimited access to the ruins.

Video & Audio

Paramount's DVD of Plunder of the Sun is a solid full frame transfer of this black and white production, shot in late 1952 just prior to the advent of new widescreen technologies. The blacks are quite solid and even the Original Trailer, included as an extra and which features a William Castle-like introduction by Ford, looks almost brand-new. The original Warner Bros. logo is thankfully retained. The mono audio sounds just fine, though only English subtitles are included, nor French or - significantly - Spanish, a glaring omission.

Extra Features

Supplements include a informal and not very organized but enjoyable Audio Commentary featuring Peter Ford, son of the film's star, and writer-historian Frank Thompson. On Location with Glenn Ford is a brief series of photos accompanied by Peter Ford's reading of a letter his father wrote to his grandmother while on location.

Plundering History is an excellent, multi-part documentary concentrating on the archeological sites seen in the film. Often such things are unimaginatively produced with no enthusiasm and dull as dishwater, but these featurettes really are entertaining and very informative.

Finally, there's another warm portrait in Batjac's unusually good series The John Wayne Stock Company, this one a 13-minute mini-documentary about longtime character player Sean McClory.

Parting Thoughts

Plunder of the Sun is definitely a mixed-bag, but worth a look for its good use of Mexican locations, atmosphere, and a very good performance from star Glenn Ford.

Stuart Galbraith IV talks about Invasion of Astro-Monster in an audio commentary track that's just one part of Classic Media's upcoming Godzilla Classic Collector's Edition. Visit Stuart's Cine Blogarama here.