{{short description|1952 film by Gordon Douglas}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = Mara Maru | image = File:Mara Maru - Poster.jpg | caption = 1952 Theatrical Poster | director = Gordon Douglas | producer = David Weisbart | writer = N. Richard Nash | story = Phillip Yordan<br />Sidney Harmon<br />Hollister Noble | narrator = | starring = Errol Flynn<br />Ruth Roman <br> Raymond Burr | music = Max Steiner | cinematography = Robert Burks | editing = Robert L. Swanson | studio = Warner Bros. Pictures | distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures | released = {{Film date|1952|04|23|ref1=<ref>{{cite news|title=Of Local Origin|work=New York Times |date=23 Apr 1952|page=25}}</ref>}} | runtime = 98 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = $1.5 million (US & Canada rentals)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/stream/variety189-1953-01#page/n60/mode/1up/search/%22against+all+flags%22|title=Top Box-Office Hits of 1952|website=Variety|date=January 7, 1953|page=61}}</ref><br />970,719 admissions (France)<ref>[http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com.au&sl=fr&u=http://www.boxofficestory.com/france-1952-c22749575/3&usg=ALkJrhjs3kp0hd9zTVia7nBiUfk8m-rt8w 1952 French box office figures] at Box Office Story</ref> }} '''''Mara Maru''''' is a 1952 American noir action film starring Errol Flynn, Ruth Roman and Raymond Burr.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/mara-maru-v101578|title = Mara Maru (1952) - Gordon Douglas | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie}}</ref><ref>Bosley Crowther, [https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C04EFDD133BE23BBC4C51DFB2668389649EDE 'Mara Maru'], ''New York Times'', April 24, 1952, accessed July 7, 1952</ref> Directed by Gordon Douglas, it was the last movie Flynn made for Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio where he started in Hollywood in 1935.
Flynn went on to appear in a British film, ''The Master of Ballantrae'', which was released by Warners, and returned to make ''Too Much, Too Soon'' in which he played his friend John Barrymore.<ref>{{cite news|title=Drama: MGM Gives Big Boost to Total Output; Errol Flynn Ends Warner Pact|author=Schallert, Edwin|work=Los Angeles Times |date=22 Mar 1954|page=B7}}</ref>
==Plot== Gregory Mason (Errol Flynn) and Andy Callahan (Richard Webb) are partners in a post-World War II salvage business in Manila. Callahan is murdered after some drunken talk about sunken treasure. Mason is suspected by Lt. Zuenon of the local police, both because of Callahan's public threat to kill Mason made earlier that day in a bar and his intense jealousy over a relationship Mason had had with Callahan's wife, Stella (Ruth Roman), before the couple were married. Stella had remained in love with Mason, but he had respected the union.
Mason is arrested but released after Steven Ranier (Paul Picerni), a private investigator who had been working for Callahan, comes forward and clears him, saying he witnessed Callahan's murder. Mason hires him, both for protection from whoever had killed Callahan and help finding his partner's killer.
Ranier introduces Mason to Brock Benedict (Raymond Burr), a prosperous local tropical fish dealer who wants Mason to find and recover a reputed million dollars' worth of diamonds that had gone down off the Philippine coast during the War. Benedict has discovered it had been aboard a PT boat Mason had commanded, with Callahan serving as his executive officer. Benedict offers to split the proceeds equally with Mason and Stella, whom Benedict is romantically pursuing.
Benedict outfits an oceangoing craft suitable for salvage work, the ''Mara Maru'', persuading Mason to join him. Both Ranier and Stella come along, with Stella appearing to be playing both sides against the middle until she discovers Benedict is planning to kill Mason as soon as the treasure is found. Still carrying a torch, she tells Mason and begs him again to give up the expedition and return with her to a normal life in the United States; once again he opts for money, pursued at any cost.
Mason finds the box containing the treasure and brings it aboard. It turns out to be a diamond encrusted crucifix from a Catholic cathedral in Manila that has played a significant role in the movie, both spiritual and as part of the mystery of the trail of murders leading towards the treasure. Benedict seizes it, and he and Ranier, who have been collaborating all along, agree to throw Mason overboard. Mason announces he has smashed the ship's compass, forcing the pair to relent.
A storm hits and the three men fight over the crucifix while Mason's dive assistant Manuelo beaches the ship at his direction. Mason wrests it, and he, Stella, and Manuelo flee to shore, pursued by the others. Benedict fatally shoots the mercenary Ranier, and is joined by his bodyguard in chasing the threesome through the jungle. In a confrontation between Mason and Manuelo over the religious artifact, Mason's greed causes him to beat the young man when the devout Catholic insists the cross be returned. When Stella upbraids Mason for his actions, Manuelo disappears with the icon.
Exhausted from his flight, he is caught near the church steps by Senor Ortega, the brother of the man aboard the PT boat who had originally taken the cross for safekeeping from the invading Japanese. The next morning Mason appears at the church and wrests the cross from Ortega, shortly pursued by Benedict and his henchman. Ortega begs Mason to return the cross, and is slain by Benedict while seeking hold off the assailants. Mason and Benedict have a brutal hand-to-hand showdown, with Mason prevailing. Police arrive to round up Benedict and his gunsel. With the prospect of a reunion with Stella and return to the States at hand, he hands the cross over to Manuelo and he and Stella are united.
==Cast== * Errol Flynn as Gregory Mason * Ruth Roman as Stella Callahan * Raymond Burr as Brock Benedict * Paul Picerni as Steven Ranier * Richard Webb as Andy Callahan * Dan Seymour as Lt. Zuenon * Georges Renavent as Ortega * Robert Cabal as Manuelo * Henry Marco as Perol * Don C. Harvey as Larry * Nestor Paiva as Captain Van Hoten
==Production== ===Development=== Warner Bros. announced in January 1950 that they had bought the film's story from Philip Yordan, Sidney Harmon and Hollister Noble.<ref>{{cite news|title=Drama: Garbo Picture All Set; Douglas Subject Bought; U-I on Headline Trail|author=Schallert, Edwin|work=Los Angeles Times|date=16 Jan 1950|page=23}}</ref> Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts were originally reported as working on the script, which was described as about five war veterans who buy a Japanese war boat and set about salvaging a sunken war vessel.<ref>{{cite news|title=METRO PLANS FILM OF 'AFTER ALL I DID': GREER GARSON CONSIDERED FOR LEAD--BOGART'S ASSIGNMENT IN 'PROJECT NO. 7' CONFIRMED CARNOVSKY ENGAGED FOR "CYRANO"|author=THOMAS F. BRADY |work=New York Times |date=29 May 1950|page=22}}</ref> Everett Freeman was assigned to produce.<ref>{{cite news|title=FILMLAND BRIEFS|work=Los Angeles Times |date=5 June 1950|page=B12}}</ref> In July 1950 Warners announced it for the coming year.<ref>{{cite news|title=JACK WARNER INDICATES NO TV FILMS PLANNED|work=Los Angeles Times |date=14 July 1950|page=22}}</ref>
In May of the following year David Weisbart was announced as producer.<ref>{{cite news|title=Warner Bros. Lists 52 Films on Schedule|work=Los Angeles Times|date=30 May 1951|page=A3}}</ref> In September, Warners said that Errol Flynn would star and Gordon Douglas would direct<ref>{{cite news|title=Drama: Errol Flynn Will Star in 'Mara Maru'|work=Los Angeles Times|date=19 Sep 1951|page=B8}}</ref> Richard Nash had written the script.<ref>{{cite news|title=ERROL FLYNN GETS LEAD IN SEA STORY: Actor Will Star for Warners in 'Mara Maru,' Dealing With Search for Lost Bullion Leonard Gets Assignment|author=THOMAS M. PRYOR|work=New York Times |date=19 Sep 1951|page=36}}</ref>
Ruth Roman and Raymond Burr were brought on board to support Flynn.<ref>{{cite news|title=Drama: 'Desert Rats' Follows 'Desert Fox;' Unusual 'Napoleon' Film Slated|author=Schallert, Edwin|work=Los Angeles Times |date=23 Oct 1951|page=B7}}</ref> (Burr's weight had gone down from 300 to 185 pounds.<ref>{{cite news|title=Drama: Eileen Christy Lead With Bill Shirley|work=Los Angeles Times |date=30 Nov 1951|page=26}}</ref>)
Flynn made the film after an extensive period of travelling.<ref>Hedda Hopper, 'Errol Flynn Halts Travels; Will Make Adventure Movie: Looking at Hollywood. ... ', ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' 19 Sep 1951: a2.</ref>
===Shooting=== The film was shot at Warner Bros. and on location at Newport Harbor, Balboa Island,<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/27256/mara-maru#articles-reviews|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140925001152/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/27256/Mara-Maru/#articles-reviews|url-status= dead|archive-date= September 25, 2014|title=Articles & Reviews|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=November 26, 2024}}</ref> Los Angeles harbor, Catalina Island and the San Fernando Mission (doubling for a Manila Cathedral).<ref name="films">Tony Thomas, Rudy Behlmer & Clifford McCarty, ''The Films of Errol Flynn'', Citadel Press, 1969 p 177</ref>
Director Gordon Douglas later recalled Flynn "was great up until three o'clock in the afternoon. Shooting a scene about 2:30 he'd be fine. I'd go to his dressing room and we'd talk and he'd have what I thought was a glass of water. It was straight up gin or vodka. Then he'd go on set and be stoned. He'd start hamming it up. I'd yell 'Cut' and tell him 'You're really eating scenery, man.' He'd say 'No, I was fine.' I'd have the shot printed early and the next morning he'd be horrified when he saw the rushes. 'Get rid of that film!' he'd say. Errol was a nice person but unfortunately a terrible drinker. Believe me he would have died at twenty two if he'd done all the things he was credited for doing."<ref name="davis">{{cite book|page=[https://archive.org/details/justmakingmovies00davi/page/197 197]|title=Just making movies|url=https://archive.org/details/justmakingmovies00davi|url-access=registration|first=Ronald L.|last= Davis|year=2005|publisher=University Press of Mississippi|isbn=9781578066902}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Critical=== According to ''The New York Times''
<blockquote>The gobbledegookish title of Warner's ''Mara Maru'' is not the only obscure and unexciting thing about this stale adventure film. Its wholly improbable build-up of a criss-cross of rivalries ... is bleakly confused and grossly tiresome, and when the action does finally get around to the business of diving for the treasure it is hackneyed and cheaply emotionalized. Even Errol Flynn and Ruth Roman as the working stars in its cast give the impression of being bored and indifferent toward it all.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9C04EFDD133BE23BBC4C51DFB2668389649EDE Review of film] at New York Times</ref></blockquote>
The ''Los Angeles Times'' said that "while its scenes of physical action are scarcely original ... they keep one's eyes on the screen with a fair amount of absorption. What ails the overall production is that its performers talk too darn much."<ref>{{cite news|title=Flynn Finds Drama on Ocean Floor|author=Scheuer, Philip K|work=Los Angeles Times |date=3 May 1952|page=12}}</ref>
The ''Chicago Daily Tribune'' called it a "preposterous affair" with "a boringly complicated plot ... poor."<ref>{{cite news|title=Flynn Is Rugged Deep Sea Diver in This Movie: "MARA MARU"|author=Tinee, Mae|work=Chicago Daily Tribune |date=8 May 1952|page=c5}}</ref>
''Filmink'' later wrote that the film was a "soggy melodrama" which was "a throwback to the sort of thing Humphrey Bogart used to make – a tale of double-crossing and dirty dealings in an exotic port" with "too much talk, flabby handling, and a star off form."<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Stephen|last=Vagg|magazine=FilmInk|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/films-errol-flynn-5/|title=The Films of Errol Flynn A series: Part 5 – On the Bum, 1950-1955|date=November 30, 2019}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|0044884}} * {{TCMDb title|27256}} * {{AFI film|50567}}
{{Gordon Douglas}}
Category:1952 films Category:1952 adventure films Category:American adventure films Category:Films directed by Gordon Douglas Category:Films scored by Max Steiner Category:Films set in the Philippines Category:Films about treasure hunting Category:Underwater action films Category:American black-and-white films Category:1952 English-language films Category:1952 American films Category:Warner Bros. films Category:English-language adventure films