Wallaby Jim of The Islands

Wallaby Jim and the loyal crew of the schooner Kestrel roam the reefs around the islands in search of pearls, and they've just found the oyster bed of their dreams. But the seas get choppy when a cut-throat band of rival pearl hunters, led by evil Adolph Richter, muscles in on Jim's territory. With a crew of forced laborers, Richter and his men race to get to the undersea gems before the Kestrel reaches the site. Never one to pass on a good fight, Wallaby Jim sails his rig straight into a deadly midnight gun battle with the murderous thugs.

Producer Bud Barsky had envisioned a series of four or more Wallaby Jim adventures, but this initial effort was the only one filmed. Brawny star George Houston originally studied music at the Institute of Musical Arts in New York (now the Julliard School). He lent his hearty baritone to four songs in this South Seas musical adventure. Houston later gained his greatest popularity as singing cowboy Tom Cameron in a string of eleven Lone Rider features shot in 1941-1942. His film career was cut short when a heart attack ended his life at the age of 48, after only 10 years on the screen.

• action
• adventure