White Shadows in the South Seas
About White Shadows in the South Seas
Dr. Matthew Lloyd, a drinking doctor, objects when white traders underpay Polynesian pearl divers and keep them working after injuries. Sebastian, a trader, is indifferent when a diver dies, then has Lloyd tied up and sent off on an unmanned ship. Lloyd survives a storm and washes up on an island where no one has seen a white man. Raquel Torres plays Fayaway.
Cast & crew
More about White Shadows in the South Seas
Loosely based on Frederick O'Brien's 1919 book. Irving Thalberg put the book into production in 1927 after reading it in hospital. Robert Flaherty started as director with W. S. Van Dyke; after they clashed, Flaherty left and Van Dyke finished the picture. William Randolph Hearst and Hunt Stromberg were also producers. A dispute with Stromberg over the film led David Selznick to leave MGM.
Themes
In film history
It was the first MGM release with a pre-recorded soundtrack, and the first time audiences heard Leo the Lion roar over the studio trademark.
Making
Flaherty's pace did not suit MGM. Van Dyke took over and finished on schedule. Some of Flaherty's footage, including a lagoon in a jungle scene, remains in the print.
Look
Clyde De Vinna photographed it in Tahiti, with Bob Roberts and George Nogle, and won the Academy Award for cinematography.
Technique
Synchronized music and effects were printed on the film. Spoken words on the track are limited to "hello" and "wait."
Music
William Axt and David Mendoza wrote the score. The theme "Flower of Love" is credited to Axt, Mendoza, Herman Ruby, and Dave Dreyer. Sound was Western Electric sound-on-film.
Notes
- Monte Blue plays Lloyd and Robert Anderson plays Sebastian.
- Almost the whole supporting cast was Tahitian. The Hollywood players were the leads and a few heavies.
- Flaherty had lived in Samoa in 1923–24 while making Moana. O'Brien had spent a year on Hiva Oa.
- Cameramen with Clyde De Vinna included Bob Roberts and George Nogle.
- The synchronized track includes wind, a storm, and the words "hello" and "wait." There is no dialogue.
Awards
- Academy Award for Best Cinematography (Clyde De Vinna), 1929
Scenes
- Sebastian's men tie Lloyd up and send the ship off unmanned.
- Lloyd washes ashore where no one has seen a white man.
Influenced by
- White Shadows in the South Seas (Frederick O'Brien, 1919)
