South Sea Woman
South Sea Woman | |
---|---|
Directed by | Arthur Lubin |
Screenplay by | Edwin Blum |
Adaptation by | |
Based on | General Court Martial play by William M. Rankin |
Produced by | Ted D. McCord |
Edited by | Clarence Kolster |
Music by | David Buttolph |
Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 99 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $2 million (US)[1] |
South Sea Woman is a 1953 American black-and-white
Jeanine Basinger's and Jeremy Arnold's book The World War II Combat Film – Anatomy of a Genre calls the film a significant mixture of genres:
Plot
The trio escape aboard a small motor boat. When the two men start fighting, Ginger tries to help White and accidentally disables the boat. They drift out to sea and are picked up by a passing junk. Once again, the Marines quarrel over White's future. This time, they accidentally set the sail on fire. They have to chop down the mast in order to save the ship. As a result, they are put ashore on the Vichy French island of Namou.
To avoid being jailed, the Marines persuade pro-Axis Governor Pierre Marchand (Leon Askin) that they are deserters. They are quartered in a hotel/brothel run by Lillie Duval and her three "nieces". O'Hearn is delighted to make their acquaintance, to Ginger's annoyance.
When a supposedly Dutch yacht calls at the island, O'Hearn tries to book passage, but the captain, Van Dorck (
When Van Dorck and a search party find him, O'Hearn manages to kill them all. He and his men then overthrow the governor and load the island's armory on the ship, intending to join the
They stumble upon a group of Japanese landing craft escorted by a destroyer. O'Hearn engages the Japanese in a fierce battle. When the destroyer tries to ram the yacht, White jumps aboard and climbs its smokestack. He throws in explosives, blowing up the destroyer at the cost of his own life. Only O'Hearn and Ginger survive; the rest of the crew die heroically.
The court martial exonerates O'Hearn and recommends White for a posthumous Medal of Honor. O'Hearn and Ginger then admit they love each other.
Cast
- Burt Lancaster as Master Gunnery Sgt. James O'Hearn
- Virginia Mayo as Ginger Martin
- Chuck Connors as PFC Davy White
- Arthur Shields as "Jimmylegs" Donovan
- Barry Kelley as Col. Hickman
- Leon Askin as Pierre Marchand
- Veola Vonn as Lillie Duval
- Bob Sweeneyas Defense Lt. Miller
- Hayden Rorke as Prosecutor Lt. Fears
- Raymond Greenleaf as Captain at court martial
- Henri Letondal as Alphonse
- Paul Burke as Ensign Hoyt, a hostile member of the court martial board
Production
The film was announced by Jack Warner in 1952. He wanted to make an action comedy in the vein of Two Arabian Knights. Frank Lovejoy was mentioned as a possible star and the film originally started in Hong Kong as opposed to Shanghai.[4][5]
Arthur Lubin was given the job of directing in August 1952 when the project was known as Sulu Sea.[6]
Burt Lancaster was then signed has star. He had a deal with Warner Bros for them to finance and distribute three movies of his
Chuck Connors was cast as Lancaster's friend. This led to Connors retiring from baseball.[10]
The movie was shot on the Warner Bros. backlot with some location work done on
The movie was also known as Sulu Sea, South Sea Paradise and The Marines Have a Word for It before Warners decided on South Sea Woman.[11][12]
Reception
The New York Times reviewer Bosley Crowther was unimpressed, calling the film "a rip-snorting glorification of two United States Marines", with Lancaster doing his best "with all the muscle and charm at his command", but ultimately dismissing the effort as "a terrible lot of nonsense and, eventually, a fizzle as a show."[13]
In 2019 Diabolique magazine wrote that the film "needed to be in colour but is highly spirited fun, which benefits from Lancaster at his toothy, swaggering best."[14]
See also
References
- ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1953', Variety, January 13, 1954
- ^ Thomas, Bob Chuck Connors is Faced with Decision on Career The Florence Times 4 February 1953
- ^ Basinger, Jeanine; Arnold, Jeremy (2003). The World War II Combat Film – Anatomy of a Genre. Wesleyan University Press. p. 241.
- ^ Tommy Rettig to Star in Pickford Feature; 'Sulu Sea' War Comedy Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 12 Mar 1952: B9.
- ^ COOPER WILL STAR IN MICHENER FILM: Actor to Play Mr. Morgan in Mark Robson Motion Picture of 'Return to Paradise' By THOMAS M. PRYOR Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES.. New York Times 12 Mar 1952: 32
- ^ Berlin Musical Awaits Gaynor Return; British Joust Set for Bing, Bob Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 25 Aug 1952: B9.
- ^ a b http://www.tcm.com/this-month/article/410465%7C415510/South-Sea-Woman.html [bare URL]
- ^ Burt Breaks Mold When Typed: Burt Balks at Typed Film Roles Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times 14 Dec 1952: D1.
- ^ FILM SHORT TO PUSH TAX REPEAL DRIVE: Metro Will Wrap up Campaign With Presentation of Loss Faced by Movie Houses By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 10 Jan 1953: 13.
- ^ Connors Quits Baseball for Film Career The Washington Post 13 Feb 1953: 30.
- ^ LUBIN WILL DIRECT MOVIE IN ENGLAND: Cornel Wilde Heads Cast in 'Star of India' -- Morley Set to Portray Louis XIV By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 17 Apr 1953: 31.
- ^ FILM, TV ENGINEERS CONVENE ON COAST: 1,000 Society Members, Record Turnout, Show Excitement Over 3-D Developments By THOMAS M. PRYOR New York Times 27 Apr 1953: 19
- ^ Crowther, Bosley (June 4, 1953). "South Sea Woman (1953) – The Screen; 2 Marines and a Girl". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Vagg, Stephen (14 September 2019). "The Cinema of Arthur Lubin". Diabolique Magazine.
External links
- South Sea Woman at AllMovie
- South Sea Woman at IMDb
- South Sea Woman at the American Film Institute Catalog
- South Sea Woman at the TCM Movie Database
- Review of film at New York Times
- South Sea Woman at Rotten Tomatoes