Fair Wind to Java (1953) DVD-R

Starring Virginia Brissac, Fred MacMurray, Howard Chuman, Vera Ralston,
Robert Douglas, Victor McLaglen
Directed by Joseph Kane

Print: color
Runtime: 92 min.
Genre: adventure

The Dutch East Indies, at the end of the nineteenth century. An
adventurous captain of an American merchant vessel is looking for a
sunken Dutch vessel containing 10,000 precious diamonds.
Unfortunately, he's not the only one and then there's also that volcano on
the nearby island of Krakatoa, waiting to explode in its historical,
disastrous eruption.

The movie, Fair Wind to Java was released in the year 1953 and it is a historical /adventure movie. It is set in the year 1883, when Captain Boll who commands the sailing ship Gerrymander for a Boston company in the Dutch East Indies is given six months to show a profit in spite of a trade exclusion policy and pirates. He soon comes to know that diamonds from the sunken ship Pieterzoon were salvaged by native divers. Kim Kim, a dancer from the Sultan’s palace helps to find the diamonds. He purchases her from a Chinese trader and smuggles her on to his ship at the risk of slavery charges. His first mate, Flint discovers this and blackmails him for half of the fortune. A pirate, Pulo Besar also comes to know of Kim’s presence and tips the Dutch authorities about her. They search Boll’s ship for her but are unable to find her. Boll insists that his crew treat her as he is confident that she will lead him to the treasure. Initially, Kim Kim is angered by Boll’s questioning of the diamonds but when she later knows that he intends to purchase his own ship, she agrees to help him and tells him about the island of the fire God, Vishnu. Flint also organizes a mutiny by claiming that Boll has become unbalanced about the woman. Boll handles the problem by imprisoning Flint and offers the crew members Flint’s share of fortune. Kim Kim soon is worried that Boll’s pursuit of diamonds may anger God Vishnu.

Boll is attracted to Kim Kim and soon the ship is attacked by the pirates led by Besar. The crew is taken to Besar’s palace which is very grand. Boll is imprisoned from Kim Kim separately and she is beaten to make a confession about the diamonds. She refuses to tell about the diamonds as she wants Boll to get them. Even her mother is beaten up in this regard, but still she does not agree. Besar tells her that Boll will be freed if Kim Kim agrees to cooperate. Subsequently, Besar, Flint, Kim Kim and two other sailors go to Vishnu’s island. Meanwhile, the crew free Boll and they follow Besar. One of the sailors with Besar, Wilson sneaks off the ship and swims to Boll when he learns where they are heading. The map identifies the island as Krakatau and by morning the ships have reached the volcanic island. Both groups race up the mountain toward the temple at the mouth of the volcano. Boll sees Kim Kim on the shore below. Soon, lava begins to slide down the sides of the mountain and the volcanic fury increases. Kim Kim along with Boll and his crew turn back. Besar and his men also turn back when they realize that their lives are endangered, but they drown in the sea.

Boll and his crew survive because of his expert sailing but they are unable to get the Pieterzoon diamonds. He informs his crew that there is a bounty offered for Besar which they can get by handing over Besar’s island to the Dutch authorities. At last, with his crew as witnesses, he marries Kim Kim. The movie, Fair Wind to Java was directed by Joseph Kane and stars Fred MacMurray and Vera Ralston in the lead roles. Fair Wind to Java is an adventure movie that has been set in the nineteenth century.