Lovers and Luggers
| Lovers and Luggers | |
|---|---|
Flyer for theatrical release
|
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| Directed by | Ken G. Hall |
| Produced by | Ken G. Hall |
| Written by |
Frank Harvey Edmund Barclay |
| Based on | novel by Gurney Slade |
| Starring |
Lloyd Hughes Shirley Ann Richards |
| Music by | Hamilton Webber |
| Cinematography |
Frank Hurley George Heath |
| Edited by | William Shepherd |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by |
British Empire Films (Aust) Paramount Pictures (UK)Astor Pictures (USA) |
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Release date
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31 December 1937 (Australia) 1940 (USA) |
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Running time
|
99 mins (Australia) 65 mins (USA) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ₤24,000 |
| Author | Gurney Slade, |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | adventure |
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Publication date
|
1928 |
Lovers and Luggers is a 1937 Australian film directed by Ken G. Hall. It is an adventure melodrama about a pianist (Lloyd Hughes) who goes to Thursday Island to retrieve a valuable pearl.
It was retitled Vengeance of the Deep in the USA and United Kingdom.
In London, concert pianist Daubenny Carshott is feeling dissatisfied with his life and wanting a masculine adventure; he also desires the beautiful Stella Raff. Stella agrees to marry him if he brings back a large pearl with his own hands from Thursday Island. Daubenny notes a painting in Stella's apartment from "Craig Henderson" but when asked Stella is evasive about the artist.
Daubenny travels to Thursday Island where he buys a lugger and a house from the villainous Mendoza. He makes friends on the island, including another diver, Craig Henderson, the drunken duo of McTavish and Dorner, and the boisterous Captain Quidley. He also meets Quidley's daughter, the beautiful Lorna, who likes to dress in men's clothing so she can walk around on her own at night. Lorna and Daubenny become friends and she secretly falls in love with him but Daubenny assumes she is in love with Craig.
Captain Quidley, teaches Daubenny to dive. Quidley, Lorna, Daubenny and Mendoza all go out diving for pearls. Daubenny finds a pearl, to the fury of Mendoza, who believes since Daubenny used his lugger that Mendoza should have a share. Daubenny disagrees and the two men fight on board the lugger, causing the pearl to drop over the side.
Both men get in their diving suits and go down to retrieve the pearl. Mendoza dies and Daubenny is trapped. Bill Craig risks his life to rescue Daubenny.
Back on Thursday Island, Stella has arrived, accompanied by an aristocratic friend, Archie. Daubenny discovers that Bill Craig is Craig Henderson, and was also in love with Stella, and sent on a similar mission to find a pearl. Daubenny and Craig both reject Stella.
Daubenny decides to leave Thursday Island on his boat. Lorna reveals she is in love with him, not Craig and the two kiss and decide to get married. They sail off into the sunset with Captain Quidley.
The script was based on a 1928 novel by Gurney Slade, from whom Cinesound obtained the film rights in late 1936. In the novel, Daubenny travels to "Lorne" (Broome, thinly-disguised) rather than Thursday Island. Lorna is not related to Captain Quid, but actually is Stella's half-sister. There are two other British expatriates diving for pearls in addition to Craig, Chillon and Major Rawlings. Daubney does not romance Lorna and is reunited with a reformed Stella at the end. Lorna winds up with Craig.
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Wikipedia