Pacific Liner (1939): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1939, Pacific Liner is an action and adventure film directed by Lew Landers, running about 76 minutes. “TYPHOON AHEAD!...MUTINY BELOW! and a strange white terror stalking a hoodoo ship!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. An outbreak of cholera threatens a luxury liner in this surprisingly low-budget melodrama from RKO. En route from Shanghai to San Francisco, chief engineer Crusher McKay (Victor McLaglen) and shipboard doctor Tony Craig (Chester Morris) become rivals for the attention of nurse Ann Grayson (Wendy Barrie). A Chinese stowaway, meanwhile, infects the stokehold with cholera and it is left to Crusher to keep the engines at full throttle until reaching harbor. But morale sinks to an all-time low when Crusher himself is stricken and the overworked men threaten with mutiny. Tony attempts to keep the stokers in check but the situation is growing more dangerous by the minute when a heroic Crusher rises from his sickbed. Leaving their previous petty squabbles behind, Tony and Crusher manage to guide the ship safely to harbor, where the doc and Ann rekindle their romance.

Who’s in it. Pacific Liner stars Victor McLaglen as Crusher McKay, Chester Morris as Doctor Craig, Wendy Barrie as Ann Grayson and Alan Hale as Gallagher, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.2/10, Pacific Liner has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Pacific Liner page.

If you liked it. Fans of Pacific Liner tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.