Set in British colonial Malaysia. Judith Denning (Carole Lombard) is a widow who sings for natives in a bar to make ends meet. Her husband killed himself maybe because of her infidelities.
Horace Prin (Charles Laughton) is an uncouth rubber plantation owner, the self styled 'King of the River' who is smitten by Denning's beauty. He offers to marry her, for Denning it is a way out of her fallen status.
Prin's jungle plantation has non native workers who all have something to hide. Prin shows himself to be cruel and callous. Denning falls for the plantation overseer which makes her new husband jealous. Another worker also takes a shine to her.
Lombard might look beautiful but her acting is flat and anodyne. Laughton hams it up royally, he even shoots a cheeky chimpanzee in one scene.
As for the natives, Hollywood seemed to have rounded up all sorts to play them as cliches. There is a murderous bunch who turn up at the end looking for the scriptwriter.
The story is dumb, thankfully the film is short.
Horace Prin (Charles Laughton) is an uncouth rubber plantation owner, the self styled 'King of the River' who is smitten by Denning's beauty. He offers to marry her, for Denning it is a way out of her fallen status.
Prin's jungle plantation has non native workers who all have something to hide. Prin shows himself to be cruel and callous. Denning falls for the plantation overseer which makes her new husband jealous. Another worker also takes a shine to her.
Lombard might look beautiful but her acting is flat and anodyne. Laughton hams it up royally, he even shoots a cheeky chimpanzee in one scene.
As for the natives, Hollywood seemed to have rounded up all sorts to play them as cliches. There is a murderous bunch who turn up at the end looking for the scriptwriter.
The story is dumb, thankfully the film is short.