1 9 5 7 – 1 9 6 0 (USA)
39 x 30 minute episodes
Guild Films produced this continuing story of South Sea trader Captain David Grief (Maxwell Reed) and his search for adventure aboard his 63-foot schooner, the Rattler.
His Bosun’s mate, Boley, was played by former boxer Mickey Simpson and the First Mate, Elihu Snow, was played by Tudor Owen.
The series was based on the stories South Sea Tales and The Cruise of the Shark by Jack London which were written around 1906 about 10 years before London’s death.
Adapting the stories to television cost around $2 million, including the purchase in Honolulu of the 20-year old schooner California, virtually a duplicate of Grief’s Rattler as described in the London stories.
Filming was done largely on location in the Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti, Samoa, Panama and the Caribbean.
Captain David Grief
Maxwell Reed
First Mate Elihu Snow
Tudor Owen
Boley
Mickey Simpson
Jackie-Jackie
Mel Prestidge
