Directed by Victor Halperin, this low-budget thriller is based on a story by Jack London about a disgraced brain surgeon who rounds up a group of wanted murderers and takes them on a sea voyage so that he can experiment on them and change their personalities. Even with a short running time of little more than an hour attention does wander a bit but generally, thanks to a cast that includes Lyle Bettger, Irving Pichel and Skelton Knaggs it is fairly watchable, although given the subject it is oddly devoid of any real atmosphere. Halperin certainly comes nowhere recreating the delirious joys of his classic WHITE ZOMBIE. Personally, whatever the quality or lack thereof I find it hard to resist these poverty row features. Rating **
