Two radio operators on different cruise ships, Lloyd Nolan (Ray) and Robert Preston (Robertson), fight over the same girl whenever they arrive in port. This behaviour is noted and as a consequence, they are given new orders which puts them both together on a scaled down freighter cruise with a handful of passengers headed for the Panama Canal. Unbeknown to them, an escaped prisoner from Alcatraz - J Carroll Naish (Murkil) - boards this ship disguised as an old lady and he has friends on board as well as a plan. Unfortunately, he has overlooked one point - the usefulness of a radio operator as it is an important job that you need a skilled engineer for.
The film's title is misleading as it has nothing to do with Alcatraz or being a king of Alcatraz. There are a few outrageously stupid sequences, eg, the beginning with all the rivalry and fighting over a girl who doesn't seem to show any respect to either of them, the terrible old lady disguise of the bad guy, the operation carried out via wireless communication, and the unreal ending with Nolan, Preston and nurse Gail Patrick (Dale).
However, the film has an interesting setting, ie, on board a ship, an interesting story which keeps you watching and the acting is ok. It also focuses on the role of the radio operator and educates as we are also introduced to the old-school spark method of ship communication. The story unfolds at a good pace and J Carroll Naish gets a memorable scene with someone he thinks has double-crossed him.
I think it would be very useful to put Morse Code on the educational curriculum. I remember seeing a Morse Code book when I was about 9 or 10 years old and we started learning bits and bobs. God knows where the book came from but why not teach it as another language option? It might encourage more people to join the Navy, and after all, this planet is more water than land.
The film's title is misleading as it has nothing to do with Alcatraz or being a king of Alcatraz. There are a few outrageously stupid sequences, eg, the beginning with all the rivalry and fighting over a girl who doesn't seem to show any respect to either of them, the terrible old lady disguise of the bad guy, the operation carried out via wireless communication, and the unreal ending with Nolan, Preston and nurse Gail Patrick (Dale).
However, the film has an interesting setting, ie, on board a ship, an interesting story which keeps you watching and the acting is ok. It also focuses on the role of the radio operator and educates as we are also introduced to the old-school spark method of ship communication. The story unfolds at a good pace and J Carroll Naish gets a memorable scene with someone he thinks has double-crossed him.
I think it would be very useful to put Morse Code on the educational curriculum. I remember seeing a Morse Code book when I was about 9 or 10 years old and we started learning bits and bobs. God knows where the book came from but why not teach it as another language option? It might encourage more people to join the Navy, and after all, this planet is more water than land.