White Cargo (1942): Cast & Plot
White Cargo is a 1942 adventure drama directed by Richard Thorpe, starring Reginald Owen as Skipper of the Congo Queen, Walter Pidgeon and Clyde Cook. It runs 1 hour 28 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 28m (88 min)
- Director
- Richard Thorpe
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is White Cargo About?
The premise of White Cargo without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In Africa at the outset of World War II, a British rubber‑plantation executive reflects on his 1910 arrival in the Congo and recounts a volatile love‑hate triangle. Station superintendent Harry Witzel, a world‑weary veteran, doubts the abilities of Langford, a newly‑sent English manager on a four‑year posting. Both men become entangled with Tondelayo, a strikingly beautiful woman who craves silk and baubles. Their rivalry ignites manipulation, jealousy and revenge as loyalties shift and each vies for power, affection and survival.
White Cargo Themes & Keywords
· 2 tags- native tribe
- quinine
White Cargo Cast & Characters
Reginald Owen leads the cast as Skipper of the Congo Queen, with Walter Pidgeon as Mr. Harry Witzel and Clyde Cook as Ted, First Mate of the Congo Queen. Directed by Richard Thorpe; 17 actors are credited in all.
- Director Richard Thorpe
-
Reginald Owen as Skipper of the Congo Queen -
Walter Pidgeon as Mr. Harry Witzel - Clyde Cook as Ted, First Mate of the Congo Queen
- Hedy Lamarr as Tondelayo
Also Starring in White Cargo
· 13 more- Richard Ainley Mr. Worthing
- Bramwell Fletcher Wilbur Ashley
- Richard Carlson Mr. Langford
- Frank Morgan The Doctor
- Henry O'Neill The Reverend Dr. Roberts
- Jim Davis Seaplane Pilot (uncredited)
- Leigh Whipper Jim Fish
- John Burton Jim Benson (uncredited)
- Darby Jones Darby
- Martin Wilkins Native Prisoner (uncredited)
- Delos Jewkes Native Singer (uncredited)
- Oscar Polk Umeela
- Ed Allen Native Drug Seller (uncredited)
More from Richard Thorpe
More films directed by Richard Thorpe, best-rated first: Ivanhoe, Jailhouse Rock, How the West Was Won and The Last Challenge.
White Cargo Plot Summary
What happens in White Cargo from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
During the early years of World War II, Worthing, Richard Ainley the “boss,” is aboard a seaplane that ferries the Congo Queen on an inspection tour of rubber plantations sprawling through remote West African jungle outposts. The plane lands at a large, modern operation, and Worthing urges the local supervisor to squeeze maximum production now that Japan holds Malaya and tightens the supply of that vital war material. He gestures toward a photograph on the wall—thatched shacks along a river—and is pulled back to a memory of 1910, a time before refrigerators, electricity, and air‑conditioning gadgets, before schools and infirmaries. The camera lingers on the image, and the scene flickers to life.
Full summary
The whole story of White Cargo, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know White Cargo?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which character is the new arrival who falls in love with Tondelayo?
White Cargo Also Known As
3 alternative titles, including “La sirena del Congo” and “Λευκό φορτίο”.
- Also known as
-
- La sirena del Congo
- Λευκό φορτίο
- 白色货物
Seen White Cargo?
Movies Like White Cargo
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The White Masai, White Mischief and White Witch Doctor.
White Cargo FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of White Cargo, each answered in a sentence.
How long is White Cargo?
White Cargo runs 1 hour 28 minutes (88 minutes).
When was White Cargo released?
White Cargo was released on December 12, 1942.
Who directed White Cargo?
White Cargo was directed by Richard Thorpe.
More films by Richard Thorpe Who is in the cast of White Cargo?
White Cargo stars Reginald Owen as Skipper of the Congo Queen, Walter Pidgeon as Mr. Harry Witzel and Clyde Cook as Ted, First Mate of the Congo Queen, among 17 credited actors.
Does White Cargo have a post-credit scene?
No. White Cargo has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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