But the biggest production of Carib Gold seems to have been that world premiere. Both the Strand and Monroe Theaters were conscripted for the event­ the Strand for Whites and the Monroe for Negroes. The four "Miss Carib Gold" girls were fitted for their gold lame bathing suits and matching mules, then given net bags of gold "coins" to hand out to VIP's. (The "coins" were imported from Belgium. Chocolate, perhaps?) There were klieg lights on Duval Street, and cameras recorded people being interviewed, from the Mayor down to the Conch-on-the-street. With all the out-of-town press coverage, who could guess where in the world Key West and its movie premiere would be shown in a neighborhood movie theater as part of the Movietone News?

Locals' comments post-viewing seemed to center on reassuring America that there really weren't voodoo rites in Key West like those shown in the movie.

Premiere night must have concluded with a great party or two­ one for Whites and one for Negroes, of course, but the press of the time doesn't tell us that. After the huge event, the film played two more days at each theater. And then, for all intents and purposes, Carib Gold fell off the end of the earth. Like last issue's Escape from Hell Island (#14,) no evidence of the film exists.

One thing is for sure as regards both films. If Escape from Hell Island and Carib Gold could be found and booked into a Key West theater today, the Whites and the Negroes­ now known as equal members of One Human Family, could all sit staring at the same movie screen and throw popcorn at it together.