South of Suez
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Lewis Seiler
George Brent
Brenda Marshall
George Tobias
James Stephenson
Lee Patrick
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Eli Snedeker, an avaricious and murderous mine owner in Africa, is insanely jealous of his wife Delia, a gold digger. Angered when Eli's mining engineer, John Gamble, spurns her advances, Delia spitefully accuses John of making a pass at her, and Eli fires him. John further earns Eli's emnity when he prevents him from cheating Roger Smythe out of his claim and goes into partnership with Smythe. Snedeker becomes crazed when he learns that Smythe and John have discovered a huge diamond, and while John is away making arrangements to sell the diamond so that Smythe can join his daughter, Katherine Sheffield, in Cairo, Snedeker kills Smythe while looking for the diamond and accuses John of the crime. Fleeing for his life, John takes the diamond and stows away on board a ship bound for Alexandria. Five years later, under the assumed name of Bradley, John has become very wealthy and goes to London, looking for Katherine to make restitution. There, he falls in love with Katherine and intends to tell her the truth until he learns the depth of her hatred toward John Gamble, her supposed father's murderer. One night, while walking along the Thames during a rain storm, John finds a murdered man, and to end Katherine's torment, he plants the identification papers of John Gamble on the body. Later, John is called in to identify the body, thus arousing the suspicion of a police officer who had seen John at the scene of the crime. Soon after, John and Katherine become engaged, and John takes the diamond to a jeweler to be cut. Snedeker, who is now in London, recognizes the stone and claims that John Gamble stole it from him. Because he cannot prove ownership of the diamond, John is arrested for the murder of "Gamble," and fearful of losing Katherine's love, he refuses to defend himself. In court, Snedeker accuses John of being Gamble, Smythe's murderer, but a remorseful Delia testifies that Snedeker murdered Smythe. An enraged Snedeker shoots Delia, thus substantiating her accusation and freeing John, now absolved of all guilt, to marry Katherine.
Director
Lewis Seiler
Cast
George Brent
Brenda Marshall
George Tobias
James Stephenson
Lee Patrick
Eric Blore
Miles Mander
Cecil Kellaway
Mary Forbes
Gilbert Emery
Stanley Logan
Frederick Worlock
Edward Fielding
Leonard Mudie
Crauford Kent
Holmes Herbert
Prince Modupe
Charles Irwin
Alec Harford
James Robinson
Hassan Said
James Davis
Nathan Curry
Arie Lee Branche
Ed Patrick
Charles Wilson
Frank Baker
Deforrest Covan
Dave Thursby
Larry Dodds
Frank Hagney
Richard Clayton
Ernie Stanton
Jack Richardson
David Clyde
Boyd Irwin
Colin Kenny
Keith Hitchcock
Sidney Bracy
Robert Stevenson
Leonard Willey
John Power
George Kirby
Fern Emmett
Leyland Hodgson
Crew
Edwin A. Dupar
Leo F. Forbstein
Robert Foulk
Bryan Foy
Sheridan Gibney
Esdras Hartley
Byron Haskin
Michael Hogan
Frederick Hollander
William Jacobs
William Kissell
Clarence Kolster
Francis J. Scheid
Clifford Severn
Howard Shoup
Arthur Todd
Barry Trivers
Jack L. Warner
Perc Westmore
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to news items in Hollywood Reporter, George Raft was originally slated to play the part of John Gamble, but he objected to the story and turned down the role. Warner Bros. decided to replace him with Dennis Morgan, but when RKO objected because Warner Bros. had previously agreed to lend Morgan to them for Kitty Foyle, Warner Bros. suspended Raft and temporarily shelved South of Suez. The production was then delayed for two weeks to rewrite the George Raft role to fit George Brent. Other items in Hollywood Reporter add that Lee Patrick replaced Geraldine Fitzgerald in the role of Delia Snedeker. The film was shot on location at Randsburg, CA, near Death Valley. Materials deposited in the Copyright Records add Abner Biberman to the cast, but he is not credited on screen, in the Call Bureau Cast Service lists, or in reviews.
