Devil's Playground (1937) Online

Viewed this film online and though they were not in the 'prime' of their stardom (Richard Dix, Dolores Del Rio Chester Morris), they enacted their roles capably and highlighted the action with this movie which is an interesting remake of Submarine (1928).

Spoiler Alert: Ace Navy diver, Jack Dorgan and his aide for many years, Robert Mason, are separated when Jack receives orders to relocate to San Diego as a diving instructor and Bob is named chief petty officer of a submarine. In San Diego, Jack is consoled when he realizes his dream of owning a house but soon becomes bored with his new lifestyle and decides to go out for a night on the town. At a dance hall, Jack meets Carmen, a beautiful taxi dancer. Jack is immediately infatuated with Carmen, who tells him a misleading hard-luck story. Jack believes Carmen's story and asks her to marry him. Before they can go on a honeymoon, however, Jack is sent away on a salvage job. Carmen becomes bored and soon returns to her job at the dance hall. One night, Bob, who is on shore leave, visits the dance hall and falls in love with Carmen. Carmen does not reveal her marriage, and she and Bob enjoy one another's company for the remainder of the time that Jack is away. When Jack returns home, he is incensed to find Bob in Carmen's arms and throws Bob out of his house. Back at sea, Bob's submarine collides with an old shipwreck and sinks. Several crew members manage to escape and they alert the Navy. When Jack is called in to rescue the stranded crew, he refuses to help because Bob is on board. Carmen is outraged at Jack's behavior and confronts him, explaining that Bob is not guilty of any wrongdoing. Jack realizes how foolish he has been and rushes to the submarine site, where the trapped men are close to asphyxiation. Attaching an air hose to the submarine, Jack saves Bob and the rest of the crew. After recuperating, Bob and Jack are sent to China, and Carmen returns to the dance hall.

What is great about this movie is the interesting take on loyalty and friendship with the Dolores Del Rio character coming between them but she ultimately decides what is the 'right thing' to do and because of her actions---ends up alone and the guys re-start their friendship.

I really enjoy the films of Chester Morris and Richard Dix. They both made a few A-pictures and made quite a few B-movies...and their presence always helped these Bs to be a bit better than usual. So, you'd think putting BOTH in an A-picture would spell success...but you'd be wrong in the case of "Devil's Playground". It has an interesting premise but really makes the least of it and is hampered with a plot that is filled with contrived moments.

When the film begins, Jack and Robert (Dix and Morris) are career navy men and deep sea divers. Of the two, Jack is the expert--the deep diver who the Navy calls on when there is trouble. However, they receive different orders--and Jack is able to now be ashore and start a life apart from just the service and Robert is sent to submarine duty. During this time, Robert is given leave and he comes to visit his pal, Jack. But there's a problem...Jack was called to special duty on the night of his honeymoon and isn't available to see his buddy. So, Robert decides to find some female company...and doesn't realize the lady he just picked up and is falling for is Jack's incredibly unfaithful wife (Delored Del Rio). When Jack returns, he finds Robert with his wife and slugs him...and throws him out of his house. What happens next....well, that's why I only give this film a 5....it's THAT predictable and ridiculous!!! See the film....you'll see what I mean.

Bluff Richard Dix is the best diver in the Navy's submarine service. Womanizing Chester Morris is his best buddy. Dix is assigned to teaching recruits how to dive, and while he's in San Diego he quickly acquires a house, and a wife: taxi-dancer Dolores Del Rio. Before they can celebrate their marriage, Dix is called back to active duty. Del Rio goes back to taxi-dancing, where she meets Morris. Then Dix comes home.

The movie is neatly divided into three parts: Dix settling into his home and being played for a sucker by Del Rio; Morris and Del Rio; and the final third, in which the submarine Morris goes to the bottom, and the only man who can save the crew is the angry Dix. It's an attempt to combine the two-buddies-and-a-golddigger plot with the submarine rescue story which Columbia had been doing at least since Frank Capra directed SUBMARINE nine years earlier. While the three leads are, as you might expect, terrific, the seam connecting the two types of story shows. Del Rio was a terrific actress, but the role as written is completely unsympathetic, and director Erle Kenton was not the man to bring out the subtleties that might have made this more than a programmer.