Tiger Shark (1932)

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Edward G. Robinson (Mike), Richard Arlen (Pipes Boley), Zita Johann (Quita Silva), Vince Barnett (Fishbone), William Ricciardi (Manuel Silva), J. Carroll Naish (Tony), Leila Bennett (Muggsey), Maurice Black (Fernandez), Sheila Bromley (Red), Edwin Maxwell (doctor), Toshia Mori (lady barber), Henry Otho, Harry Semels, Pedro Regas, Hector Sarno (crewmen), Inez Palange (Mike's neighbor). Director: HOWARD HAWKS. Screenplay: Wells Root. Based on the story, "Tuna", by Houston Branch. Photography: Tony Gaudio. Film editor: Thomas Pratt. Art director: Jack Okey. Costumes designed by Orry- Kelly. Music: Bernhard Kaun. Music director: Leo F. Forbstein, conducting The Vitaphone Orchestra. Marine supervisor: Captain Guy Silva. Stills: Mac Julian. Assistant cameraman: Carl E. Guthrie. Assistant director: Richard Rosson. Sound recording: C.A. Riggs and A.D. Mair. Associate producer: Bryan Foy. Copyright 3 September 1932 by First National Pictures, Inc. Released through Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. New York opening at the Winter Garden: 22 September 1932. U.K. release: 4 March 1933. 8 reels. 77 minutes.SYNOPSIS: A triangle love story between the boastful skipper of a tuna boat, the daughter of a deceased crewman, and a sailor whom the skipper has rescued from the sea at the cost of his left hand. COMMENT: Here's Edward G. Robinson hamming it up for all he's worth in this awful fishing yarn which is not only a waste of time, but unduly gruesome and cruel to boot. I beg pardon. There is one redeeming feature. Her name is Zita Johann, the exotic heroine of one of my favorite cult films, The Mummy (1932). In fact, The Mummy was Miss Johann's very next movie, but what a contrast to her role in this time-wasting tosh. True, she does what she can with this poorly-written cliché of a role, but she'so hemmed in by loud-talking Robinson, nondescript Arlen and unfunny funnyman Barnett, she's given little chance to make any but the most superficial impression. Hawks's disinterested direction doesn't help. At times, he even forgets the story entirely and turns the movie into a boring (and often hideous) documentary about tuna fishing. As for Robinson, this is undoubtedly his worst performance ever. His constant attempts at a funny accent are never less than appalling.I repeat: If it were not for Zita Johann, this movie would be qualified for instant dismissal in the nearest trash bin.

The plot of this film is nothing to write home about. Other reviewers have aptly summed it up as the quintessential love triangle. There are two things that make this film rise above 4 or 5 stars out of ten.The first is the great footage of commercial fishing as it was practiced circa 1930. It really was man versus the sea back in those days. There is also some footage of how the fish is delivered and then processed once the fishing boat docks.The second thing that makes this an interesting film is the odd combination of Edward G. Robinson on the way up, Richard Arlen on the way down, and Zita Johann in one of her few film appearances before she shrugged her shoulders and walked away from film after she decided she didn't need all the irritation she had to deal with as a Hollywood star.Edward G. Robinson was a newcomer to talking films, having only one credited film appearance in silents, that being in 1916. Not a classicly good-looking man, he was fascinating to watch in almost any role because of his talent for drama as well as comedy. Richard Arlen was a great leading man over at Paramount, and even retained his position at that studio for a few years after sound came in. He had the looks, he had the voice, but his popularity fizzled nonetheless. Zita Johann does not have, as others have mentioned, a thick accent. Her diction is perfect, and she has exotic looks that can only be compared to Kay Francis.Thus these three are thrown together in this film in exactly the way you'd believe them to be. Robinson as the likable fisherman, Mike, with a big heart who can't get a girl to love him because he is missing a hand that was taken by a shark. Zita Johann is the daughter of a fisherman on Mike's boat who falls overboard and is killed by a shark. Mike nurses her back to health - she is ill at the time her father dies - and takes care of her in general so that she feels beholden to marry him, plus she thinks she is through with love and feels that Mike will do as well as any man. Finally there is Arlen as Pipes, handsome friend of Mike. He and Mike's new wife fall in love but do not want to hurt someone that they feel has been very good to them.There are two big problems with this plot. In execution, the problem is that we don't see any relationship build between Mike's wife and Pipes. She just announces to Pipes one night that she loves him and that is that. I realize there is not much room for character development in a 75 minute film, but they could have let this build a little bit. In concept, the whole fact that someone as likable as Mike would not be able to attract a woman just because he is missing a hand is a bit much. Women have not now nor have they ever been attracted to men just because of looks. Character counts a good deal more. This is a case of a man writing about women as though they were men.In summary, if you run across this one it is always worthwhile to see Edward G. Robinson in action, but don't lose any sleep if it never comes your way.

This film is essentially the same movie that was remade MANY times in the 1930s and 40s. While the setting has changed, the essential plot elements were used again and again in such films as MANPOWER (1941) and DANGER LIGHTS (1930). For a really good discussion of this, try reading the review by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre ([email protected]). While he says that TIGER SHARK was the first of these types of films and I think it the earlier film DANGER LIGHTS (and perhaps some even earlier ones), his analysis of the genre is very insightful and so I don't want to just rehash what he wrote.The movie seems in the 21st century to be a very predictable relic and nothing more. While it is mildly entertaining, the plot itself just seems silly and over-the-top in many ways--especially in how it portrays tiger sharks as the impossible to stop killing machines! As far as the acting goes, it's a one man show--with Edward G. Robinson dominating all the scenes as a Portuguese-born fisherman. At times this portrayal is pretty good but at other times the character just seemed histrionic and overplayed. Robinson fans certainly won't remember this as one of his better films.My advice is if you are a huge fan of Warner Brothers or Edward G. Robinson films, certainly you should watch this movie. Otherwise, it's very skip-able and one that might provide a few unintended laughs.

Exciting film about a love triangle on the Monterey coast with Edward G. Robinson and Richard Arlen best friends and tuna fishermen. Robinson falls for bad girl Zita Johann who of course falls for handsome Arlen. Familiar storyline but Robinson is excellent as the Portuguese fisherman who battles the sea and the sharks to make a living. Arlen was a so-so actor but very handsome, and Johann had a strange exotic look. She's best remembered for The Mummy with Boris Karloff. Vince Barnett is funny and J. Carroll Naish has one scene. Leila Bennett plays a barber for some reason with pretty Toshio Mori as her assistant. Inez Palange plays a neighbor. Good film all around. But the highpoint is the truly remarkable footage of tuna fishing in a stormy sea.