JohnHowardReid Copyright 1957 by Regal Films, Inc. Released through 20th Century- Fox Film Corp. No New York opening. U.S. release: October 1957. U.K. release: No recorded release date. Reviewed in the Monthly Film Bulletin: February 1958. Australian release: 24 April 1958. 6,875 feet. 76 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A TV adventurer searches for hidden treasure off the coast of South America.NOTES: The dean of American film editors, Merrill G. White was known by his peers as "The Wizard of the Cutting-Room".COMMENT: Despite the credits announcement that this Regal effort was co-written and directed by none other than Merrill G. White, this is a most disappointing support. To my utmost surprise, "the wizard of the cutting-room" (as he was often titled) betrays not the slightest hint of talent in any of his writing, directing and editing capacities (except for one single, totally irrelevant shot in a swimming pool with the camera half-submerged beneath the water).However, there is an unconscionable amount of aimless threshing about in the studio tank. 2nd unit director Paul Stader's instructions doubtless included such items as: Ten shots of a man diving overboard from the rigging of a skiff.Something might have been made of the ghost diver, but the directors approach even this incident not only with a conspicuous lack of imagination, but even of elementary know-how.

dbborroughs TV Adventure show host goes to South America to recover a lost native treasure after an stone guardian turns up. Hooking up with local native (who we know is a bad guy because he killed the diver who found the statue so he could sell it himself), the host, his son and secretary end up in the middle of an adventure closely akin to film noir.Picked up on a whim at a nostalgia show this is actually a very good adventure film. Decidedly low budget, there are six characters and very few sets (and a great deal of underwater photography), which is fine since this is a small scale story.The story moves along at a good clip with not a great many twists or turns. Its the sort of film that used to play late at night before cable gave us 500 channels of infomercials. If the film has any real flaws its that some of the underwater sequences can get a bit confusing as to who is doing what. The film is also probably over long at 77 minutes since the film doesn't have enough plot to cover it all.Worth a look see if you run across it, especially if its at say 2am and you have insomnia. (Oh how I miss those days)