Apart from Richard Denning, of whom I have not seen very much anyway, I know nobody in this obviously amateurish cast orchestrated by Mr Pine, a complete unknown as a director who, on the strength of this work, really should consider some other profession for a living.
Two Hitchcock films come to mind as the film opens: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) and LIFEBOAT (1944). Of course, unless you mistake the forest for the tree, Mr Pine is unable to even slightly imitate the plane crash into the ocean in FOREIGN, and he certainly cannot keep dialogue flowing in the lifeboat, besides a sad inbility to extract decent acting from the players.
With cinematography typical of C, at best a B production, it is the script that really sends this film down the chutes: a Japanese Army colonel is being taken WITHOUT so much as handcuffs clapped on him to a trial for war crimes in Manila, the Philippines. Needless to say, the Japanese officer is no dimwit and has nothing to lose, so he grabs his watcher's gun, takes over the aircraft and forces it to change course until brave Denning dives into the sea with his arms around his head for protection.
Before that, we learn of the completely unnecessary presence of an amnesiac. That amnesia is recognized by his wife (small world and even smaller lifeboat!) and he leaves a written message which somehow survives the lifeboat's capsizing. Most curious of all, Catherine Craig leaves her hubby-to-be on land and starts having the hots for Captain Denning, who first gets a bandage over his left eye, then is blinded by sun glare in his right eye, but somehow knows the course thanks to the stars. Craig French-kisses him when they are back on land, under the watchful eye of hubby-to-be. Her explanation: she wants kids with the cuckold.
I caught myself wondering about such trivial things as how did the lifeboat occupants get rid of their excretions? Back in WWII, it was poor form for women to do it in public.
It was commendable that the Japanese colonel was kept alive but he just disappears from the narrative when the rescue happens, and whether or not he reached Manila and paid for his evil doings we will never know. And, frankly, I could not care.
Total waste of 71 minutes in one's life. 3/10.
