Excellent drama set on a rubber plantation stars Clark Gable as a rough-and- tough boss who drives his men to produce rubber in a harsh southeast Asian locale (they mention Saigon a lot). He's awaiting a new surveyor to join his small band on white men (Tully Marshall, Donald Crisp) and Asian workers. But the boat brings Jean Harlow instead, a call girl who has fled the city for a while. Gable and Harlow are terrific as they spit and snarl at each other befall falling into each others' arms. But then the new kid arrives (Gene Raymond) with a wife! Mary Astor (the wife) has one of her first great roles in talkies in this film. Her arrival sets off all kinds of sparks with Gable and with Harlow. The husband is sick right off, allowing Gable and Astor to get friendly. Great chemistry among the stars here, and a very adult script for 1932. Two memorable scenes: Harlow taking a bath in the water barrel; Gable carrying Astor through the torrential monsoon rains. Certainly ranks among the best performances of the 3 stars. Raymond has the thankless role of the wimp husband; Crisp is the drunk; Marshall is the loyal sidekick. Willie Fung (Hoy) and Forrester Harvey (Limey) round out the cast. Hard to believe Harlow is only 21 here and had already made more than 25 films, dating back to silent films in 1928. Oddly, Harlow, Astor, Gable, Marhsall, and Crisp had all started in silent films. It's wonderful to see these stars at their peak. Not to be missed.
