Five Came Back (1939)

Who will live and who will die?, 3 August 2019

The Quick Pitch:  Twelve people board a plane that crashes in the South American jungle.  While they work to fix the plane and with angry natives closing in, the group realise the plane will generate enough thrust for only five passengers.  Who will live and who will die?

What a nice, little B-film!  Five Came Back was quite a nice watch.  Director John Farrow should get a lot of the credit.  He crafted a tight film with a very small budget and was able to inject well placed tension and atmosphere.  There are few wasted moments in the 75 minute runtime. Every scene matters. I also like the way he and the writers turned societal norms on their head.  The passengers you would expect to do well in the jungle, don’t. Those who may have had problems in polite society end up being the heroes. It’s a very interesting look at how adverse conditions can change people.  The ending is very satisfying. The decisions about who will and who will not be on the plane lead to some very interesting drama.  

Five Came Back is helped by having an outstanding cast.  The most immediately recognizable name is Lucille Ball. This was long before she became Lucy.  Here, she’s the tough-talking sexpot. Allen Jenkins, Joseph Calleia, and Chester Morris are also standouts.  Finally, has there ever been a more British looking actor than C. Aubrey Smith? One look at the man and you can all but hear God Save the Queen playing in the background.  Overall, some strong performances.

I’m not sure I had ever heard of Five Came Back before watching it the other night.  But it’s a solid film that I plan to revisit again in future. My 8/10 is probably about right given the quality of the film and the enjoyment I got out of it.  

8/10