Rose Hobart & Charles Bickford, in "East of Borneo" (1931) - feat. Lupita Tovar

Linda Randolph (Rose Hobart), determined and emotionally strained, travels deep into the Southeast Asian island of Marudu in search of her husband, Dr. Allan Randolph (Charles Bickford). Allan vanished months earlier without explanation, leaving Linda unsure whether he was alive, ill, or had abandoned her. Local sailors and travelers warn her of Prince Hashim (Georges Renavent), the ruler of the island, known for lavish entertainments, controlling behavior, and sudden bursts of jealousy. Linda refuses to turn back, believing she must hear the truth from Allan himself.

Upon reaching Hashim’s palace, she finds an exotic world filled with dancers, ritual displays, and luxurious surroundings that feel both enchanting and threatening. Prince Hashim welcomes her with dramatic courtesy, insisting Allan has been his guest, not his prisoner. Linda soon meets Neila (Lupita Tovar), who appears to hold an emotional attachment to the prince and quietly regards Linda as a rival. Omar (Noble Johnson), Hashim’s towering guard, silently underscores the sense of danger.

When Linda reunites with Allan, she discovers him changed—guilt-ridden and weary. He explains that when he came to Marudu to work as a physician, Hashim flattered him, offered him status, and made him feel valued at a time when he doubted his own worth. But gradually Allan realized Hashim’s admiration was possession, not friendship. The prince used Allan’s insecurities to keep him from leaving.

Hashim’s obsession shifts the moment he sees Linda. He begins to envision her as a new prize, offering her jewels and compliments, insisting she belongs beside him. Linda rejects him, revealing her loyalty to Allan, and Hashim’s charm turns to rage. He orders a ritual overseen by the High Priest (Tetsu Komai), intending to frighten the couple into obedience.
Neila, witnessing Hashim’s cruelty and seeing Linda’s devotion to Allan, is torn between love and fear. In a painful act of sacrifice, she aids Linda and Allan’s escape. As a fierce storm erupts and floodwaters rise, Hashim pursues them to the river’s edge. He slips, is swept into the torrent, and is killed by crocodiles—his power consumed by the very land he ruled.

Linda and Allan flee Marudu together, emotionally shaken yet reunited. The palace fades behind them, a place of beauty and peril swallowed by the storm.

A 1931 American Black & White Pre-Code adventure film directed by George Melford, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., written by Edwin H. Knopf and Dale Van Every, cinematography by George Robinson, starring Rose Hobart, Charles Bickford, Georges Renavent, Lupita Tovar, Noble Johnson, and Tetsu Komai. Released by Universal Studios.

Universal studios exaggerated the amount of location filming that was done for the film. Nearly all of the film was shot at Universal Studios.

On-location footage was shot by Harry Garson in the jungles of Borneo. The scenes of tigers, pumas, pythons, crocodiles and monkeys have been edited neatly into those depicting the human beings.

Despite being essentially a B-Movie, this film featured elaborate sets. The props and set dressing used were reportedly valued at $100,000; this figure includes a large $25,000 Buddha statue, a very rare small white Buddha and a long mother-of-pearl inlaid bench, silver dinner utensils, and Oriental rugs and drapery.

Lupita Tovar (1910-2016), born Guadalupe Natalia Tovar in Oaxaca de Juárez, was a Mexican-American actress best known for her starring role in Universal's Spanish-language version of "Dracula" (1931), and one of the earliest Mexican actresses to achieve international visibility. Her family later moved to Mexico City, where her grace, poise and striking dark-eyed presence caught the attention of talent scouts at a time when Hollywood was beginning to look beyond its borders. She was a teenager when documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty noticed her during a cultural performance and recommended her to Fox Studios. Her breakout came through the Spanish-language productions created by American studios for international audiences. Hollywood had not yet perfected dubbing, so entire casts and crews filmed alternate-language versions on the same sets at night after English-speaking actors finished during the day. She married the producer, Paul Kohner. Their daughter, Susan, was also an actress and was Oscar nominated for her role as Sarah Jane in the 1959 version of "Imitation of Life". In 2001, she received the Ariel de Oro, the lifetime achievement award of the Mexican Academy of Film Arts and Sciences, honoring her role in shaping the country’s cinematic heritage. In 2002, she was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This film was her first English language role.

A rousing, forgotten adventure B-Movie with good atmosphere, interesting wildlife, and menacing animals. It has its full quota of jungle thrills. A predictable, but interesting curio. The finale is full of action. Worth a look for Lupita Tovar and classic film buffs.