Bird of Paradise

Rating:
Summary: One film's a turkey, the other's kinda fun
Review: This DVD gathers two little-known, lesser films of the early sound era. "BIRD OF PARADISE" is an incredibly offensive exercise in exoticized racism, charmingly set in the Hawaiian Islands, and featuring a callow young Joel McCrea as the studly white guy who hooks up with the local chieftain's "tabu" daughter (played by Dolores Del Rio, who I find kind of icky). It's the same sort of dazzle-them-with-modern-gadgets-before-they-throw-us-in-the-volcano plot that was explored a few years later in "Waikiki Wedding" (which is a much more charming movie...), here handled clumsily by director King Vidor. (And I'm not being touchie-feelie or overly sensitive in a hyper-PC way, the racism of the script is very explicit, particularly in the dialog, but also in the plotline...) There's a modicum of interesting, reasonably authentic Polynesian dancing (some of which was choreographed, unremarkably, by Busby Berkeley), and the indigenous cast speaks in real Hawaiian, but in the main part this is simply an exploitative and unentertaining film. By contrast, "THE LADY REFUSES" is a B-movie with a heart of gold, featuring Betty Compson as a London streetwalker who enters an aristocratic family torn apart by a Jazz Age generation gap. Although the script contorts wildly to avoid offensive language, the underlying content is pretty raunchy, and pretty overt. Compson had an unusual onscreen presence -- compelling, although not as picture-perfect pretty as the starlet that would later flood Hollywood. Gilbert Emery, as the family father, Sir Gerald Courtney, is also quite charming. For folks looking for fun pre-Code material, this is a film worth checking out.

Rating:
Summary: Delores Del Rio at her best
Review: This film is an interesting mix of pre-code dressing, early Hollywood's fascination with Pacific isles and Joel McCray. Sailor McCray is bewitched by island beauty del Rio when she swims nude around his yacht. He follows and wins her but not as he expected. This film has wonderful island scenery and the beaufiful del Rio. I would recommend Bird of Paradise for 1)pre-code fans 2)Delores del Rio fans 3)Joel McCray fans and 4)those who dream of getting away from it all on some remote Pacific island.

Rating:
Summary: Delores Del Rio at her best
Review: This film is an interesting mix of pre-code dressing, early Hollywood's fascination with Pacific isles and Joel McCray. Sailor McCray is bewitched by island beauty del Rio when she swims nude around his yacht. He follows and wins her but not as he expected. This film has wonderful island scenery and the beaufiful del Rio. I would recommend Bird of Paradise for 1)pre-code fans 2)Delores del Rio fans 3)Joel McCray fans and 4)those who dream of getting away from it all on some remote Pacific island.

Rating:
Summary: Bird of Paradise
Review: This movie shows how the ancient Hawaiian culture was sacred and that it had to be followed out or misfortune can happen to you or your loved ones.

Rating:
Summary: Bird of Paradise
Review: When I was a kid, back in the stone age when TV shows were in black and white, NBC ran "Saturday Night at the Movies". My friends and I eagerly awaited these presentations. The nearest movie theatre was miles away, and our parents had neither the time nor money to haul us youngsters to the theatres.

One of my favorites from this TV show was a film called "Bird of Paradise". The particular version I remember was made in the early 50's. The film's location was some beautiful south seas island, something totally unfamiliar to me, a young child in Wisconsin. Equally fascinating were the exotic characters that populated this film.

The hero of the film, a sailor, was a decent man who treated the Polynesians with respect. His gift of eyeglasses to an elderly man was one of my favorite scenes. When the sailor decided to marry the chief's daughter, he agreed to become a member of their tribe. The villian, a witch doctor, was against the marriage. I can still recall how frightening that witch doctor was. He was one of the most scary guys I'd ever seen in films. This movie had everything--exotic locations, interesting characters, and a great story.

"Bird of Paradise", the '50s version, made a lasting impression on me. It showed me a world outside my own, and strengthend my desire to travel.

I'd like to see this particular version again as an adult. Perhaps I'd see it in a different light--as a cheezy romance, or maybe I'd see a plot with more holes than a Swiss cheese. But since it isn't available, I had to settle for the version offered by Amazon.

The 1930's film is basically the same story as in the '50s version, however, I was very disappointed. None of the characters made a strong impression on me. I kept waiting for that witch doctor, potent with evil, to appear. The hero didn't give me the sense he really cared about the Polynesians and their way of life. I found it difficult to sit thru this snail's pace of an "adventure". While serious film buffs may find this film worth viewing, it did not provide me with the thrills I was hoping for. What I was hoping for was to relive a memory.

I recommend skipping this particular film, but try to see the '50's version. A word of caution--my review is really from the perspective I had as a 9 year old.