Film Historian Matthew Locey shares his favorite movies from the golden age of Hollywood – the 1940s!
ADVENTURES OF MARTIN EDEN, THE (1942) COLUMBIA. Semi-autobiographical account of writer Jack London as a crew member of a Pacific cargo ship with a tyrannical, bully of a Captain. Stars Glen Ford and partially set in Tahiti.
ALOMA OF THE SOUTH SEAS (1941) PARAMOUNT. Dorothy Lamour and Jon Hall. Fun South Seas flick with Hall playing a native chief’s son who just returned to his island from an American education and lifestyle and Lamour as his Island pre-arranged betrothed.
GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (1947) MGM. Lana Turner, Van Heflin and Donna Reed in drama of two French sisters madly in love with Richard Hart who has started a lumber company in New Zealand with his partner Van Heflin.
IN THE NAVY (1941) UNIVERSAL Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell, and the Andrews Sisters. Abbott and Costello are two bungling sailors hanging with Powell, who is a famous singer hiding in the Navy from the public. Musical/comedy set in Hawaii.
MOON AND SIXPENCE (1942) UNITED ARTISTS. George Sanders in very Gauguin-like story of a westerner leaving it all to paint in Tahiti, after being influenced by a small Tahitian tiki he bought in Paris.
SANDS OF IWO JIMA (1949) REPUBLIC. John Wayne stars in this WWII marine action film with Forrest Tucker. Usual, war action changes to seedy action in Honolulu, where bar and prostitute scenes take place.
SON OF FURY (1942) 20TH CENTURY-FOX. Tyrone Power jumps ship in the South Seas, falls in love with a local Polynesian girl, played by Gene Tierney.
SONG OF THE ISLANDS (1942) 20TH CENTURY-FOX. Pin-up sex symbol Betty Grable stars as a local island girl who fights and loves visitor Victor Mature. Great Hollywood Hula dance numbers.
SOUTH OF PAGO PAGO (1940) UNITED ARTISTS. Victor McLaglen, Jon Hall and Frances Farmer. Unscrupulous gang of American pearl hunters on an uncharted South Seas isle of Manoa.
WAKE OF THE RED WITCH (1948) REPUBLIC. Classic South Seas film with John Wayne as an adventurous sea captain, who has a personal rivalry with a shipping magnate.
