Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Adventure/Five Came Back
Five Came Back poster
A
Excellent
MASTER SCORE 73.7 / 100
1939·Adventure / Crime / Drama·1h 15m

FIVE CAME BACK

“Four must die! One must choose!”

Twelve people are aboard Coast Airline's flagship the Silver Queen enroute to South America when the airplane encounters a storm and is blown off course. Crashing into jungles known to be inhabited by head hunters, pilots Bill and Joe race against time to fix the engines and attempt a take off. The situation brings out the best and worst in the stranded dozen as they create a makeshift runway and prepare to escape before the natives attack. But damage to the plane and low fuel reserves means that only 5 people can be carried to safety.

Above the Line
John Farrow·DirectorJerome Cady·ScreenplayNathanael West·ScreenplayNicholas Musuraca·Director of PhotographyRoy Webb·Original Music ComposerHarry Marker·Editor
Cast
Chester Morris·Bill BrooksLucille Ball·Peggy NolanWendy Barrie·Alice MelbourneJohn Carradine·Mr. CrimpAllen Jenkins·PeteJoseph Calleia·VasquezC. Aubrey Smith·Henry SpenglerKent Taylor·JoePatric Knowles·Judson EllisElisabeth Risdon·Martha Spengler
Full Crew
(21 credits)
Directing· 3
John Farrow·DirectorSam Ruman·Assistant DirectorW. Argyle Nelson·Assistant Director
Writing· 4
Jerome Cady·ScreenplayNathanael West·ScreenplayDalton Trumbo·ScreenplayRichard Carroll·Story
Camera· 2
Nicholas Musuraca·Director of PhotographyJoseph F. Biroc·Camera Operator
Editing· 1
Harry Marker·Editor
Sound & Music· 3
Roy Webb·Original Music ComposerGeorge Parrish·OrchestratorJohn E. Tribby·Sound Recordist
Art & Design· 3
Van Nest Polglase·Art DirectionAlbert S. D'Agostino·Assistant Art DirectorEdward Stevenson·Costume Designer
Production· 2
Robert Sisk·ProducerLee S. Marcus·Production Executive
Other Departments· 3
George Magrill·Stunt DoubleVernon L. Walker·Special EffectsBud Geary·Stunt Double
By the Numbers
73.7
OF 100
Master Score
7.1
OF 10
IMDb
—
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
—
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind Five Came Back's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#7798A9
#5A735F
#363636
Mood
Serious
Composition
Centered
Era
1940s
Visual Style
Illustrated

“The image is a movie poster featuring a soldier from the back, wearing a helmet and carrying film equipment. The soldier's helmet is dark with a net pattern, an”

crimeadventure
Key Elements
HelmetFilm CameraFilm ReelsAirplanes
Atmosphere
Muted
Color Mood
Cool
Setting
None Visible
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY JOHN FARROW

Every catalog entry where John Farrow is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE ADVENTURE

Top-ranked films inside adventure, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1930S

The best films of the 1930s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • The Hollywood Record · Books
  • Bookshop
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows