'S.O.S. Tidal Wave' Blu-ray: Crusader Campaign to Sink Corrupt Politician's Bid for Office

Classic and cult film god Olive Films demonstrates particularly good timing regarding the October 31, 2017 Blu-ray release of the top-quality 1939 B-Movie "S.O.S. Tidal Wave" one week before local and state elections.  This second-film in a double-feature centers around the role of popular intrepid television reporter Jeff Shannon (Ralph Byrd of "Jungle Book") regarding the investigation of corrupt New York City mayoral candidate Clifford Farrow (Ferris Taylor of "A Man Betrayed").

Arguing that he wants to keep politics out of his popular broadcast, Shannon initially resists pressure from his prior boss and from his current good friend/father figure/children's radio star "Uncle Dan" Carter to contribute his star power to exposing Farrow. Shannon learns that resistance is futile after a hilariously noir-style threat by political boss Melvin Sutter against Farrow hits very close to home.

The new resolve of Shannon is tested when Sutter makes a stereotypical "I would hate anything to happen to your family" visit to Shannon just before a well-publicized broadcast in which Shannon is set to release some of the skeletons of Farrow from the closet. This creates suspense regarding the extent to which Shannon is willing to sacrifice his journalistic integrity to protect his wife and son against a not-so-subtle threat.

The action heats up as Uncle Dan obtaining a figurative smoking gun leads to his facing a more literal one. That effort by the Farrow Gang once again risking the lives of the Shannon dependents renews the resolve of Shannon to stop Farrow from moving into Gracie Mansion. The twists that follow put the plot developments in modern films to shame.

Things take the most dramatic turn near the end of "S.O.S." when a New York station broadcasts election day reports of a massive titdal wave taking a huge bite of the Big Apple in the wake (pun intended) of a blow to the Farrow campaign. The ensuing "War of the Worlds" style panic predictably keeps voters away from the polls.

The most cool thing among the numerous awesome elements of "S.O.S." is that the obviously fake buildings and other cheesy effects in the footage of the water surge make even more sense than the modern perspective that the film is a 1939 B-movie. This relates to this weather event having a political impact that rivals that of the real-life New York Superstorm Sandy.

The bit of badly needed "unreal" escapism that "S.O.S." provides is that that movie from the Golden Age of Hollywood endings results in the dirty pols failing in their bids for the offices of various shapes. This is a case in which most of us wish that life imitates art.

Anyone with questions or comments regarding "S.O.S." is strongly encouraged to email me.