Pearl of the South Pacific1955
Starring
- David Farrar - Bully Hague
- Lance Fuller - George
- Virginia Mayo - Rita Delaine
- Lisa Montell - Momu
- Dennis Morgan - Dan Merrill
- Basil Ruysdael - Tuan Michael
- Carol Thurston - Mother
- Murvyn Vye - Halemano
Edited By
Written By
Story By
Music By
Member Reviews (4)
This is your B Movie vacation to the South Seas, complete with jungle soundstage, actors in brown body make-up, giant rubber octopus, a tropical beach that looks suspiciously like Catalina Island, and Virgina Mayo in a sarong. All in all a very routine production, but not dull.
It’s a post-World War II, Technicolor beach bum daydream that gives you a sense of how Tiki culture found it’s place in mid-century America. In fact, some of the sets would make great Tiki Bars.
"You know what's strange? Even when I hated you I loved you. You know what's even stranger? I'm going to kiss a missionary."
Three ne'er-do-wells (involved in a love triangle) join forces to swindle native pacific islanders out of their sacred black pearls. Virginia Mayo, assuming the role of Christian missionary, is allowed ashore only because the priest's son wants to learn more about the civilized world. He has the very non-bohemian name of "George." Perhaps the writer had "George of the Jungle" in mind.
Just as the priest feared, greed, corruption and violence visit the peaceful island paradise with the arrival of the new guests. George is terribly manipulated, liquored-up, coaxed into stealing the sacred black pearls, stabbed and left for dead.
There is, of course, a dramatic showdown toward the end. Guns vs. spears and fire.
Just when all hope seems lost, the most noble of the cast steps forward and saves the day. Evil is defeated and the islanders return to their idealistic existence.
The octopus scene brought back pleasant memories of the B-films of my childhood. Thanks Fandor for making fun films like this one available!
2 ½ The sets, costumes and occasional action scenes were fun and about the only reasons to watch this. Otherwise, it was so predictable and full of clichés that I wouldn’t be surprised if the screenwriters wrote the screenplay while sleepwalking. The actors had decent, journeyman performances in their roles as 50s/60s action stereotypes. Would have been decent late-night, channel-surfing viewing to fall to sleep to.
EXCELLENT:is the onlyword that fits for this film.