You'd think a movie about the founding of Botany Bay would be really interesting, but this 1952 "swashbuckling adventure" was incredibly tedious. A bunch of convicts, with Alan Ladd, Patricia Medina, Murray Matheson, and Anita Sharp-Bolster as the featured leads, are sent to sail from England to New South Wales in the 1700s. Of course, since Alan Ladd can't put on a British accent, his character is written to be an American; and of course, even though she's one of very few women on board, already has a bad reputation, and walks around with her dress perpetually falling off her shoulders, no one takes advantage of Patricia Medina. Besides the unrealistic aspects of the story-no one would survive the punishments Alan Ladd endured-it still isn't very good. James Mason is the tough-as-nails sea captain, thinly veiled as another Captain Bligh. This movie is so closely a remake of Mutiny on the Bounty, it's as if James Mason got upset that no one wanted to redo the story in the 1950s so Hollywood appeased him with this. While I'm on the subject, I don't know why he wasn't cast in the 1962 remake; he could easily played any number of villains, like Captain Bligh, Inspector Javert, and Messala. And yes, James looks handsome in his captain's uniform, but unless you want to see him ordering fifty lashes and keel-hauling as if he's merely asking someone to refill his martini, feel free to skip this one. He looks handsome in almost every other movie he made, so you can sit through one of those.

Ship Captain James Mason smartly makes beautiful prisoner Patricia Medina his lady while the rest of the cargo of convicts shivers in damp cells.Alan Ladd is a doctor who supposedly has a pardon from this wretched existence, but Mason will have none of that as he gets his vessel under-way while concomitantly questioning the verisimilitude of the various scumbags on board who claim to be "innocent". Fun escapist film with the fine acting of James Mason and pretty Patricia Medina keeping this viewer from dozing off on the couch... at least during the first time I saw it. Now, I use the movie as a sleep aid, though it's still one of my favorite adventure films. I'd be just like Captain Mason.... Captain Capitano (me) would let gorgeous Patricia move into my cabin.... including my sleeping quarters. Excellent actor Skelton Knaggs makes an uncredited appearance during the first few minutes of the film as a convict reading a posting that lists the names of fellow convicts scheduled to be shipped to Botany Bay.

This is a rather ordinary and amazingly listless film considering the subject matter. You'd think that a movie about prisoners being transported to the British colony in New South Wales (Australia) would be pretty gritty and exciting. Well, despite the topic, the film just seemed very low-key and low-energy---with little to distinguish it from any other film. Ironically, this film came out the same year as "Shane"--a much better film that also starred Alan Ladd.Ladd stars as an American who gets into trouble in England and is being transported to the penal colony. However, he gets word that he's received a pardon and things look wonderful. The problem, however, is that the ship's Captain (James Mason) is a real wiener and won't hear of waiting or getting verification of the pardon and simply sails with Ladd and the rest of them! Nice guy, huh? Throughout the cruise, Mason is a real taskmaster and jerk--though this sort of rigidity was not that unusual for a British naval officer of this period. Lots of things happen aboard, including an attempted escape, but I won't go into the details in case you wish to see the film. However, by the time they arrive in the colony, Mason is determined to take Ladd back to Old Blighty for a trial...and hanging. What is Ladd to do?! Will our stalwart hero manage to somehow survive his wretched ordeal? As I said, this was very low energy. Ladd was capable of some nice performances and I like him as an actor, but he was also capable of listless performances as well. This one was one of his less distinguished and less interesting ones--and would have benefited from him injecting a bit more machismo and energy into this acting. A bit predictable, as well, by the way.

Other reviewers of Botany Bay have complained about the lack of location shooting in this film. Two very good reasons for Paramount's decision to opt for the back lot. First it was expensive to go to Australia for an American company. I'm sure that there are Aussie films that deal with this particular portion of their history far better than Botany Bay.But secondly this was the last picture on Alan Ladd's Paramount contract. He and his agent/wife Sue Carol made a decision to move to Warner Brothers so Paramount was getting rid of the last film on his contract. They were not about to spend big bucks promoting a star who wasn't going to be bringing in more box office for them.Having said that Botany Bay is not a bad film and it certainly did give American audiences some idea about the founding of Australia as a haven for convict prisoners. One of our original 13 colonies, Georgia, was founded for just that reason also, but here a whole continent was devoted to same.Ladd plays an American accused of being a highwayman in Great Britain. The fact he was an American probably played some role in his conviction so shortly after the American Revolution in the 1780s. He's saved from the hangman by this offer of pardon to go to Australia and he travels on a crowded ship, skippered by a sadistic captain.Who is played by James Mason who basically steals the film. The novel on which this is based is by Nordhoff and Hall who wrote Mutiny on the Bounty and there's a whole lot of Captain Bligh in Mason. We've also got Patricia Medina, a saucy wench who likes Ladd, but flirts with Mason for her survival on the ship in some comfort.Not a bad film, but not the greatest of send offs for one of Paramount's biggest stars.