Witzel (Walter Pidgeon) supervises the workers at an African rubber plantation. Only the doctor (Frank Morgan) stayed as long in the jungle as Witzel did, and this life in a merciless climate has had its effect on them both. While the doctor became a drunkard, Witzel found refuge in cynicism, offending everyone around. When Langford (Richard Carlson) arrives at the plantation to assist Witzel, the boss tells him 'You haven't got what it takes. Go back home! Every native here laughs at you behind your back'. The newbie is determined to resist this attack ('Once I'm acclimatized...'), but then everything becomes even more difficult due to a mysterious lady named Tondelayo (Hedy Lamarr).Well, you know it's not going to be a masterpiece as soon as you see Hedy Lamarr painted black, reminded me of Orson Welles as Othello... except for the dialog. And since 'White Cargo' is based on a stage play, it takes place almost entirely in the same hut. However, the story of the strange beauty leading men into temptation and the basic situation that these few men far away from home depend on each other is good enough to make the movie watchable.

You have expect to hear Hedy Lamarr screech, "Gif me da Cobra Jewel!" in her performance as the supposedly half-caste Tondelayo, an exotic but obviously insane beauty that destroys every man she touches. Going on a rampage if bored, not getting the type of attention she thinks that she deserves, or just not clad in enough jewelry, Tondelayo is the type of female that should be abandoned on a deserted island far away from any man. When rubber plantation owner Walter Pidgeon looses interest in her, she sets her sights on newcomer Richard Carlson who is no match for her spider woman wiles. They marry against Pidgeon's harsh advice, but instantly bored, she sets up a jealous fight between Carlson and Pidgeon which pleases her needy quest for being the focus of every man's desires.All that is needed is a quick shot saying her famous line, "I am Tondelayo", and the camera cuts out to let her and Carlson move onto a seduction. They say that a man chases a girl until she catches him, but in this case, Carlson is indeed going to catch something, and it isn't the type of woman you want to spend the rest of your life with. Almost an update of the old Theda Bara "A Fool There Was" plot ("Kiss Me My Fool!"), this just adds sandy beaches and mosquito netting to the mix. Frank Morgan is the drunken doctor, both comical and pathetic, while Reginald Owen has some amusingly droll bits.It is the campiness that saves this from being a bore. Lamarr, in dark makeup surrounded by little light, only slightly melts her icy interior as long as she is out to get what she wants from the men around her. The result are melodramatics that probably upset the producers over at Universal who were preparing similar vehicles for Maria Montez, and made the producers of Dorothy Lamour's sarong films over at Paramount laugh hysterically. It wouldn't take a child to see what this evil creature known as Tondelayo was up to, so when the payoff comes, it is an absolute hoot. The final reminded me of the consequences for villainy as seen for Bela Logosi in 1935's "The Raven" and Judith Anderson in 1940's "Rebecca". Walter Pidgeon wisely returned to the more sobering partnership with Greer Garson after this, while the bland Carlson drifted along as far as he could on the silver screen, while Lamarr had to wait until the end of the decade to play another temptress, Biblical vixen Delilah.

Almost every film buff would watch this and immediately write WHITE CARGO (1942) off the map due to the 'anti camp' syndrome. Although this movie is definitely campy, it is still a work of art. Take it to the camping ground and watch it at night by the fire. There is a certain magic to this movie that is sure to make the atmosphere of s'mores and grilled hot dogs all the more enjoyable. HEDY LAMARR's caked-on brown makeup reminded me of Jennifer Jones' 'Pearl Chavez' in the (at times) campy classic DUEL IN THE SUN(which is a personal favorite of mine) made four years later in 1946. LAMARR has an over the top accent that is hardly believable. However, she pulled it off! Believe me, White Cargo is worth it just to see Hedy sweat on her dark skin wearing a one-piece bikini top throughout this movie! Walter Pigeon is a flame of fire all the way to the end. Very obscure part for Walter to be playing with such intensity.The story takes absurd and wild twists and turns and is nothing if not purely fun entertainment. It doesn't have a long runtime, only about 80 minutes or so. It's not a large commitment of time. If you are a fan of camp, don't miss this classic.

I now have about seven of Hedy's films on DVD/Video so have a means of comparison."White Cargo" is definitely not one of her best parts and I consequently only voted it 3/10.She was badly cast, Walter Pigeon is too melodramatic, and for a film, there was not enough change of scenes for my liking as it heavily betrays the stage play antecedent whence it originated.95% is so obviously made in a studio where the action gets bogged down.For a film supposedly set in Africa, couldn't the budget have stretched to a few more location shots?I know this was wartime (1942) but Florida could have made a good substitute.Once the promising opening sequence is over (of a flying boat landing on a river), we are stuck in the planters shack (in the studio) and from there on its just a lot of bad tempered men shouting at each other and getting drunk.I did not "buy it" that an intelligent man sent by the government to an African plantation would fall for an illiterate savage, Tondelayo, whose only interest seemed to be how many trinkets she could obtain out of the men she meets.I much prefer to see Hedy as the intelligent, sophisticated woman she was and she was so much better cast in say "Boom Town" (1940) with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy.Indeed in that film despite not having primary billing, she acts Claudette Colbert right off the screen.I also particularly liked her in "Come Live With Me"(1941) with Jimmy Stewart - see my critique of this film.