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Botany Bay

1953, Movie, NR, 93 mins

Botany Bay: Review

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Ladd, an American medical student studying in England during the 1780s, is swindled out of his tuition money by an unscrupulous accountant. When he tries to get the money back, he's accused of robbery and sentenced to join a group of prisoners sailing to a work colony in New South Wales, part of the recently acquired land of Australia. Mason, the evil captain of the prison ship, takes an immediate dislike to the proud, hotheaded Ladd, and the hatred builds when Mason discovers that lovely Medina has fallen for Ladd and not him. The angry captain is informed of a pardon that has been granted to Ladd but refuses to turn the ship around for just one man. Ladd tries to escape but is captured and sadistically punished by Mason. Upon arrival in Australia, Ladd is greeted with open arms by the colony's governor, Hardwicke, who is in desperate need of a doctor for the colony's sick. Mason, however, insists that Ladd be taken back to mother England and tried for mutiny. Ladd again plots an escape, and Mason's attempt to capture the fugitive doctor is interrupted by a group of frightened aborigines who kill Mason. Ladd is granted a full pardon and chooses to remain in the colony with Medina at his side, finally overcoming his hesitancy about her morals. Ladd's final film for Paramount is a rather typical period adventure film in which the star can't seem to wait for the cameras to stop rolling. Medina is appealing in her minor role, but Mason steals the film with his powerful portrayal of the ruthless captain. A forceful presence that can still maintain a certain vulnerability, Mason makes others pale by comparison. leave a comment
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