The Rattler - Two-masted trading schooner on the maritime adventure CAPTAIN DAVID GRIEF/SYN/1956-57. Skippered by Captain David Grief (Maxwell Reed), the Rattler ("that can sail with the best of them") plied the South Seas around Melanesia (near Australia) in search of adventure.

Crew members were Mickey Simpson as Boley the Bosun; Mel Prestige as Jackie the deck hand. Tudor Owen costarred as David's partner, Elihu Snow and Maureen Hingart costarred as Anuna, a beatutiful native girl and Grief's companion on the Rattler.

The TV series was loosely based on characters created by Jack London (1876-1916) in his book "A Son of the Sun: The Adventures of Captain David Grief." It was shot on location in Mexico and produced by Guild Films, Inc. / Pathe Pictures, Inc. The program's 39 episodes were reissued in 1957 as JACK LONDON STORIES.

Captain David Grief TV Ad Illustration

In the book, London's character Captain David Grief is a South Pacific tycoon who owns plantations and trading stations from New Guinea to Samoa, as well as  pearling fisheries in the Paumotus, rubber acreages in the Louisiades and a fleet of steamers that ply the South Seas.

The stories in his book were inspired by Jack London's own travels in the South Seas on a leaky yacht called The Snark.

William Snow played David Grief on 22 episodes of the Australian remake TALES OF THE SOUTH SEAS that aired on Network 10.

Photo of the SS Jack London (named for the author)

External Links

• Tales of the South Seas (IMDb)

Back to Top