John Wayne and James Arness star in this fist-flying drama. In the 1950s, Federal agents Jim McLain and Mal Baxter are sent to Hawaii to infiltrate and destroy an international Communist crime ring.

Follow

Big Jim McLain

Starring John Wayne, James Arness, and Nancy Olson! The stakes could not be higher in this taut crime drama that features nail-biting intrigue, fist-flying action, and even a little romance – and was shot in atmospheric black and white on location in Hawaii.

When Special Agents Jim McLain and Mal Baxter are dispatched by the House Un-American Activities Committee to investigate a dangerous Communist crime ring in Hawaii, they’re not sure what kind of danger lurks there.

Undeterred, they launch their investigation and find that there is, in fact, trouble in paradise. They soon find a lead that sends them off on the trail of former Communist party member and treasurer, Willie Nomaka. They think that Nomaka holds the key to crimes committed on his party’s behalf, but he has all but disappeared.

They get a break when they discover that Nomaka was seeing a psychiatrist, and they head over to his office to see what they can find. Once there, Jim manages to score two things: the Party Treasurer’s address, and a date with the psychiatrist’s lovely secretary.

Now, as they slowly put together the pieces of the Communist party’s trail, they learn that there may be evidence of many crimes committed on an international scale. They soon uncover evidence of insurance fraud, coercion against union members working at the docks, and even sabotage against the U.S. Navy!

As the pair continue to unearth information, fists start to fly, and the evidence of crimes keeps growing. This Communist syndicate has wrapped their tentacles around so many illegal activities that it will take a lot of hard work and dedication to bring them to justice.

But as the investigation grows, so too do the risks. With so much to hide and even more to lose, these Communists will not go down quietly…or peacefully.

There are still leads to track down, punches to be thrown, and wrongdoers to bring to justice. But there’s also a woman to woo and a country to protect against a very real and imminent danger.

Yes, there is big trouble in paradise. But the pair wonders: will they be able to crush the Communist menace…bring the perpetrators to justice…and restore peace where mayhem reigns?

Most of all, will Jim and Mal get out of this alive?