Cinema: Down to Davy Jones

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Morituri starts off promising something nautical but nice. Tough British Agent Trevor Howard smoothly snares German Deserter Marlon Brando into agreeing to a perilous bit of World War II secret agentry. He must find and disarm the demolition charges placed on a German freighter, so that in the event of Allied capture, the Germans will not be able to scuttle their precious rubber cargo. Equipped with forged Nazi credentials and the suavest German accent since Erich von Stroheim. Brando climbs aboard the freighter, captained by Yul Brynner, and loses no time in going on the prowl.

Then begins a long slide down to that part of Davy Jones's locker reserved for murkily motivated seagoing films. The arrival of some American prisoners, including the film's one girl, just weighs the boat down more. There is a lot of whispering and barking orders and dashing around the deck. But the trilling wire of suspense is missing. Zo, zometimes, iss Prando's peautiful aczent.