Our Virgin Island (1958) User Reviews

Naive but Delightful Romance

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 19 June 2016]

While traveling with her mother Mrs. Lomax (Isabel Dean) in a cruise in the Virgin Island, the young Tina (Virginia Maskell) meets the treasure hunter and aspiring writer Evan (John Cassavetes) and they immediately fall in love with each other. Evan buys a small island and they get married and move to the place. Evan's friend Marcus (Sidney Poitier) helps the couple to build their house in the island until the day that they are completely broken. They receive an ice box from Mrs. Lomax but they do not have how to pay for the transportation; however Captain Jason (Edric Connor) tells that it would not be a problem provided they lighted a lamp every night to give directions to his boat. Soon Tina finds a box of champagne on the beach and they conclude that it might be a compliment from the captain. Out of the blue, a publishing house buys Evan's novel and they celebrate the received money. But they are also informed that Mrs. Lomax will visit them. She misses the comfort of a modern life and when the Commissioner (Colin Gordon) pays a visit to the couple, she speaks too much and tells the story of the lamp and the champagne. The Commissioner tells that he shall report the story to the British authorities and Tina and Evan will certainly lose their house. What will they do to keep their paradise on Earth?

"Virgin Island" is a naive but delightful romance and adventure. The feel-good story is appropriate for a matinée, and the dramatic part is shallow with the troubled situations easily resolved like in a fairytale. The chemistry between John Cassavetes and the lovely Virginia Maskell is impressive and Sidney Poitier has also an important participation in the role of a friend of the young couple. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Ilha do Pecado" ("The Sin Island")

Island Bliss!

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 14 November 2017]

For John Cassavetes and Virginia Maskell, it's love at first sight. She's been on a small sailing party, but John convinces her to leave her friends, marry him, and live on the island on which they met. It seems like an ideal life, and after John buys the island and comes up with blueprints for a house, they settle in.

If you like movies that don't have much conflict, you'll be very pleased with Our Virgin Island, because the newlyweds really don't have many obstacles in their path of marital bliss. Sure, there are meddling in-laws, but what's a little argument with your mother when you live on a deserted island with your husband and helpful island natives? Among the latter are Sidney Poitier and his girlfriend Ruby Dee, who were previously paired together in Edge of the City, also with John Cassavetes. Sidney takes on a very un-Sidney-Poitier-like role, as he dons a Jamaican accent and enjoys all aspects of island life. So, if you want to hear him talking differently, and if you want to hear him sing the most horrendous off-key rendition of "The Wedding March" in history, rent Our Virgin Island. It's harmless and sweet, like a better version of Blue Lagoon.

Our Virgin Island has nice supporting turns by Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee

[tavm · 7/10 · 14 February 2011]

Continuing to write reviews of people of color in film in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1958 with the second movie in a row from the previous year that featured Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and John Cassavetes, all having appeared in Edge of the City before this one. Joining them here is British actress Virginia Maskell. The story mainly concerns Ms. Maskell and Cassavetes as Tina and Evan, respectively, as they decide to reside on a part of the British Virgin Islands they want to own. But they have some legal problems coming up...Despite what I just described, this was a mostly a romantically entertaining look at how island life make people feel happy most of the time as evidenced by Poitier's mostly happy-go-character of Marcus. Why, not once does he get angry or look somber throughout! We do, however, see him work hard at anything he feels needs fixing and not lazing around like a Stepin Fetchit stereotype so that's a definite plus. Plus, while Ms. Dee's part of Ruth is pretty small and she doesn't have too many lines, she radiates good chemistry with Poitier even here which is probably why she eventually was paired with him many times over. Oh, and Viriginia and John as the leads are wondrously appealing through the whole picture. So on that note, Our Virgin Island comes highly recommended. P.S. Among other supporting players of color, besides the extras, are Edric Connor as Captain Jason and Julian Mayfield as a band leader.

Wonderful escape fare, quite literally

[paluska · 2 January 2000]

For those that enjoy pure escapism like Field of Dreams, Blue Lagoon, etc., this film is a "must." Poitier and Cassavettes are great, as are the rest of the British cast. Actually filmed in the BVI, who wouldn't enjoy a delightful tale of a "boy meets girl," "girl leaves boy on cruise ship," and then "boy convinces girl to jump overboard and marry him to live on island he just purchased?" Wow!! With "Man Friday" Poitier and his girlfriend as able assistants, really well done picture of what living life on an actual island would be like. Even to the point of mother-in-law coming to visit. A must see picture!

Charming simplicity...

[The_Movie_Cat · 5/10 · 30 November 2015]

According to IMDb votes, this is the least-seen Sidney Poitier movie, along with 1947's Sepia Cinderella. Of course, this isn't really Poitier's picture, the actor cast as a secondary character, a Jamaican-accented island help in one of his more over-the-top performances.

The main two players are John Cassavetes and Virginia Maskell, both of whom seem to share genuine rapport and a love of improvisation. Playing two newlyweds who set up home on a deserted island, the film moves along pleasantly enough, though without real incident - it's almost 45 minutes before we learn that there is smuggling around the island, for example.

Yet for what is essentially a lightweight, incident-free movie, there is a sense that it's quite progressive for 1958: the concept of beginning independence on a small island is relatively novel (albeit one that Laurel and Hardy had bowed out on 7 years earlier), and there are some small pleas to female equality. However, the basic simplicity of the film is its charm, with an almost fairytale quality to events. Just as an example, there's no real resolution to the smuggling subplot, and the couple decide to loan the whole island to Poitier and his fiancé at the end, pretty much "just because". Despite Cassavetes inventing his own alternative to method acting, this isn't a picture that extends towards overt screen realism, or attempts to.

While entertaining for what it is, it's difficult to watch what is a somewhat dated movie without being reminded of the darker side of the two stars: Cassavetes died of liver failure before he was even sixty, whereas Maskell died from an overdose of anti-depressants before she'd even reached the age of 32.

Mildly enjoyable but also highly unrealistic.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 26 March 2024]

Evan and Tina (John Cassavetes and Virginia Maskell) barely know each other but impulsively agree to marry AND move to a deserted island in the British West Indies. They are voluntarily moving to the island even though there is, as of yet, no house and no water or electricity. Soon, a local (Sidney Poitier) offers to help them build a home and soon things seem pretty good despite the hardships.

When the wife's mother arrives, it's very tense as the disagreeable lady seems to be trying her best to break up the newlyweds. Her actions when a local British official stops by the island also MIGHT result in the couple being tossed off their new home...even though they've worked hard to build a new life there. Can the pair manage against all odds to somehow succeed?

The story is mostly mildly enjoyable though at times it sure seems difficult to believe and the ending is awful. After all, their new island paradise seems to build itself and the pair sure seem to be over their heads but things seem to keep magically working out somehow. But what really ruins the picture is their decision to abandon their home after they receive the deed to it makes no sense at all...especially after fighting hard with the British government to keep it. This ending truly is awful and undermines the film terribly. Additionally, while Sidney Poitier is a great actor, here he fills a role any black actor could have filled.

A tiny, charmingly-told story

[Mike-754 · 2 June 1999]

This overlooked film is a tiny, charmingly-told story of an unlikely couple who get married and set up housekeeping on an uninhabited Virgin Island. I don't know how they got Poitier and Cassavetes with what it obviously a minimal budget, but get them they did, and both turn in delightful performances.

For those who love fairy tales, Field-of-Dreams type movies, this movie is a "Must-See."

[paluska · 6 August 1999]

Filmed in the beautiful British Virgin Islands, a charming fairy-tale type story of guy who meets girl, seemingly loses her, then gets her to literally jump overboard and marry him! After buying a small, uninhabited island, Cassavetes and his "Man-Friday" (Poitier) build a dream house for???? The newlyweds? Their family? Poitier? Really a truly enjoyable little picture: you buy the premise, you "buy" the island--and the story!

Great film

[ram-33 · 23 January 2000]

This a delightful film. I saw this some years ago, and found it quite entertaining. The plot is a story of two people who find love and happiness when meeting in the British Virgin Islands. The film shows a time when life seemed less hectic and complex then the world we live in today. I guess that is part of its charm. The cast did a good job. I was quite shocked and sad to hear that Virginia Maskell (the girl who played "Tina" in the film) committed suicide later in her life, although she had a promising career from what I could see.