Pacific Liner is primarily set in the engineering section of the vessel, where a stowaway has infected the crew with cholera.

They brandish shovelfuls of burning coal at Doc, but then Crusher appears and sends them back to their posts, before returning to his bunk.

[3] In 1937, RKO corporate head Leo Spitz had moved away from the earlier "prestige pictures" that had often been critically acclaimed but financial disasters.

[5] With reliable B-movie director Lew Landers in charge, however, the result was predictably brought "... to the screen with his usual feeling for action, and attention to narrative development ...", belying its modest status as a "B".

[6] Along with a first-rate cast with both stock players and featured performers as well as a believable storyline, Pacific Liner also had the benefit of a "lavish shipboard set ... with art deco trimmings", courtesy of art director Van Nest Polglase and his assistant Albert D'Agostino, known especially for their elaborate sets in Astaire-Rogers musicals.

[5] A full-size steamship set, the first that RKO had made for their typical budget features, had mainly interior rooms but also included an exterior section with a gangplank for passengers to come on board.

[7][Note 2] Variety announced that RKO's Pacific Liner was "filler in the duals" (the lower half of a double bill).

[9] The film, however, rose far above its humble origins, not only making a profit of $87,000, but with generally favourable reviews coming in, RKO consequently moved it to the top of the bill for six weeks in major theatre markets.