Late in 1927, Irving Thalberg decided to shoot an epic adventure film and he selected "White Shadows in the South Seas". Robert Flaherty, a famed documentary maker, was selected to direct. Thalberg had been very impressed with his "Moana" of 1926. W.S. Van Dyke was named as assistant director, he had mainly worked on westerns, but in years to come with films such as "Trader Horn" (1931) and "The Thin Man" (1934) etc he earned a reputation as a stylish but fast director who always got films finished on time. Almost immediately, Flaherty found the studio schedule too binding and walked out - W.S. Van Dyke carried on. With the involvement of both Flaherty and Van Dyke, the movie has the best of both worlds - the magnificent documentary style of photography combined with an imaginative, stirring story.
Filmed in Tahiti, even though the opening credits claim it was shot on location in the Marquesas Islands with "authentic" islanders, it tells the story of white shadows in the South Seas - the shadow white men cast over the beautiful, untouched Polynesian Islands. Dr. Matthew Lloyd (Monte Blue) a "derelict of the islands", is an alcoholic and despairs of the way white men have cheated, robbed and exploited the trusting natives. He makes an enemy of Sebastian (Robert Anderson), an evil trader, who manages to get Lloyd on to a plague ridden boat, which, during a typhoon, is ship wrecked on another uncharted island.
Island life is filmed in a golden glow - absolutely dazzling. The scenes of natives diving for pearls, preparing the feast and doing ceremonial dances have a documentary feel to them (Flaherty's influence) and are a glorious panorama of a lost time. When Lloyd rescues the chief's young son from drowning the island people make him a God. Eventually he also succumbs to the "instinct of his ruthless race - Greed!!" He finds a cast off pearl and starts to dive for them. When Fayaway (beautiful Raquel Torres) finds him lighting a fire to attract passing ships, her sadness and pleading convinces him he has been a fool. More white shadows come with a boatful of traders (the evil Sebastian among them) who intend to open a store and send the natives diving for pearls. The ending is confronting and not at all like I thought it would be - it creates a very sad and somber finish to a beautiful, thoughtful film.
Monte Blue had been a rugged leading man throughout the twenties - this was probably his best remembered film. Raquel Torres, a beautiful Mexican actress made her debut as Fayaway, but unfortunately, in the handful of films she made, she was usually cast as island girls with names like Raquella, Pepita and "hula dancer".
Highly, Highly Recommended.
Filmed in Tahiti, even though the opening credits claim it was shot on location in the Marquesas Islands with "authentic" islanders, it tells the story of white shadows in the South Seas - the shadow white men cast over the beautiful, untouched Polynesian Islands. Dr. Matthew Lloyd (Monte Blue) a "derelict of the islands", is an alcoholic and despairs of the way white men have cheated, robbed and exploited the trusting natives. He makes an enemy of Sebastian (Robert Anderson), an evil trader, who manages to get Lloyd on to a plague ridden boat, which, during a typhoon, is ship wrecked on another uncharted island.
Island life is filmed in a golden glow - absolutely dazzling. The scenes of natives diving for pearls, preparing the feast and doing ceremonial dances have a documentary feel to them (Flaherty's influence) and are a glorious panorama of a lost time. When Lloyd rescues the chief's young son from drowning the island people make him a God. Eventually he also succumbs to the "instinct of his ruthless race - Greed!!" He finds a cast off pearl and starts to dive for them. When Fayaway (beautiful Raquel Torres) finds him lighting a fire to attract passing ships, her sadness and pleading convinces him he has been a fool. More white shadows come with a boatful of traders (the evil Sebastian among them) who intend to open a store and send the natives diving for pearls. The ending is confronting and not at all like I thought it would be - it creates a very sad and somber finish to a beautiful, thoughtful film.
Monte Blue had been a rugged leading man throughout the twenties - this was probably his best remembered film. Raquel Torres, a beautiful Mexican actress made her debut as Fayaway, but unfortunately, in the handful of films she made, she was usually cast as island girls with names like Raquella, Pepita and "hula dancer".
Highly, Highly Recommended.