BIRD OF PARADISE (RKO Radio, 1932), produced by David O. Selznick and directed by King Vidor, is not a documentary about wildlife but a South Seas tale suggested on the play by Richard Walton-Tully. Though starring Dolores Del Rio in one of her better known roles, much of the story belongs to the young Joel McCrea as well as its picturesque location scenery of the Hawaiian islands.
The story opens with Johnny Baker (Joel McCrea), a wealthy young playboy traveling on his yacht with friends, Mac (John Halliday); Chester (Richard "Skeets" Gallagher), Hector (Bert Roach), Thornton (Creighton "Lon" Chaney Jr), Walker (Arnold Gray) and Skipper Johnson (Wade Boteler). As the yacht stears closer to the Polynesian isles, its natives come towards them in their pontoon boats to greet their guests. In the meantime, Johnny's foot gets tangled on a rope tided to a hook that forces him to go overboard. Struggling to free himself under water, he is faced with near death by an approaching sharp until native girl, Luana (Dolores Del Rio), cuts the rope and sets him free. Once Johnny acquaints himself with the girl who saved his life, he immediately falls in love with her. Johnny decides to remain on the island for a while as his friends resume their cruising adventure and return for him later. During his stay, Johnny learns it is taboo for white man to go with untouched native girl, considering the fact she's already promised to marry a prince of another island. Once he shows her the method of kissing, she soon learns white man's method of love and how to speak English. Regardless of native customs, Johnny abducts Luana from her wedding ceremony to Paradise, a secluded island of Lani. While there, they live like birds of paradise in jungle settings until superstitions of an erupted volcano finds Luana torn between returning to San Francisco with Johnny or to her native people. Others in the cast include: Napoleon Puksi (The King); Agostino Borgato (The Medicine Man); Reginald Sheffield (O'Fallon) and Sophie Ortego.
Though it's been said that Busby Berkeley directed the native island dances, his name is not credited in the opening credits to rectify that. As with many South Sea tales, BIRD OF PARADISE features many underwater swimming scenes, tree climbing, drinking coconut milk, island music and dancing festivities. Del Rio and McCrea serve their roles well as does King Vidor with his fine direction. Heavily underscored by Max Steiner, who would do the same with the ever popular adventure tale of KING KONG (1933), the only debit being its fine scenery not being produced in the Technicolor process. How impressive this 82 minute production for 1932 might have been?
Out of circulation due to the updated and revised BIRD OF PARADISE (20th Century-Fox, 1952) with Debra Paget and Jeff Chandler, the 1932 original began to circulate more frequently by the late 1970s in revival movie houses as The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Television showings began on public television stations (PBS) in 1982. Being a public domain title, BIRD OF PARADISE became readily available on video cassette and later DVD from various distributors. Cable television presentations over the years consist of CBN (Christian Broadcast Network,1984); American Movie Classics, Turner Classic Movies, and sometimes Fox Movie Channel in place of the 1952 remake whenever unavailable for broadcast. (***)
The story opens with Johnny Baker (Joel McCrea), a wealthy young playboy traveling on his yacht with friends, Mac (John Halliday); Chester (Richard "Skeets" Gallagher), Hector (Bert Roach), Thornton (Creighton "Lon" Chaney Jr), Walker (Arnold Gray) and Skipper Johnson (Wade Boteler). As the yacht stears closer to the Polynesian isles, its natives come towards them in their pontoon boats to greet their guests. In the meantime, Johnny's foot gets tangled on a rope tided to a hook that forces him to go overboard. Struggling to free himself under water, he is faced with near death by an approaching sharp until native girl, Luana (Dolores Del Rio), cuts the rope and sets him free. Once Johnny acquaints himself with the girl who saved his life, he immediately falls in love with her. Johnny decides to remain on the island for a while as his friends resume their cruising adventure and return for him later. During his stay, Johnny learns it is taboo for white man to go with untouched native girl, considering the fact she's already promised to marry a prince of another island. Once he shows her the method of kissing, she soon learns white man's method of love and how to speak English. Regardless of native customs, Johnny abducts Luana from her wedding ceremony to Paradise, a secluded island of Lani. While there, they live like birds of paradise in jungle settings until superstitions of an erupted volcano finds Luana torn between returning to San Francisco with Johnny or to her native people. Others in the cast include: Napoleon Puksi (The King); Agostino Borgato (The Medicine Man); Reginald Sheffield (O'Fallon) and Sophie Ortego.
Though it's been said that Busby Berkeley directed the native island dances, his name is not credited in the opening credits to rectify that. As with many South Sea tales, BIRD OF PARADISE features many underwater swimming scenes, tree climbing, drinking coconut milk, island music and dancing festivities. Del Rio and McCrea serve their roles well as does King Vidor with his fine direction. Heavily underscored by Max Steiner, who would do the same with the ever popular adventure tale of KING KONG (1933), the only debit being its fine scenery not being produced in the Technicolor process. How impressive this 82 minute production for 1932 might have been?
Out of circulation due to the updated and revised BIRD OF PARADISE (20th Century-Fox, 1952) with Debra Paget and Jeff Chandler, the 1932 original began to circulate more frequently by the late 1970s in revival movie houses as The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Television showings began on public television stations (PBS) in 1982. Being a public domain title, BIRD OF PARADISE became readily available on video cassette and later DVD from various distributors. Cable television presentations over the years consist of CBN (Christian Broadcast Network,1984); American Movie Classics, Turner Classic Movies, and sometimes Fox Movie Channel in place of the 1952 remake whenever unavailable for broadcast. (***)