Wetbacks (1956): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1956, Wetbacks is a drama and krimi film directed by Hank McCune, running about 89 minutes. “BORDER TRAFFIC IN HUMAN LIVES!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. Former Coastguardsmen Jim Benson is about to lose his boat when a couple approaches him for a fishing charter. Jim departs just ahead of the Sherrif with drunken Shanks, and his companion Sally (Gates). Shanks takes off into a small Mexican village after a fight with Jim, stranding both Sally and him with no money. Two local men hear of Jim's plight, and offer him money to smuggle a batch of illegal aliens, called Wetbacks, into the U.S. He agrees but is blackmailed into continuing to run the smuggling operation. Afraid, Jim decides to make a run for it, but someone close to him reveals themselves as a US Immigration agent and asks him to assist them in shutting down the smugglers for good.

Who’s in it. Wetbacks stars Lloyd Bridges as Jim Benson, Nancy Gates as Sally Parker, Barton MacLane as Karl Shanks and John Hoyt as Steve Bodine, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.5/10, Wetbacks has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In USA you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and rent or buy it from Amazon Video. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Wetbacks page.

If you liked it. Fans of Wetbacks tend to enjoy Die Verurteilten, Der Pate, Schindlers Liste and Der Pate - Teil II.