Pre-code Hollywood 2: Bird of Paradise/Lady Refuses (1932)

In the second collection of Troma’s Pre-Code Hollywood, discerning fans of truly unbridled cinema can see two slices of wild and raw movie magic from the days before the puritanical rule of the Hays Office! First up on the menu is Bird of Paradise!â€"In this early risque classic, Joel McCrea stars as a handsome South Seas soldier of fortune who falls in love with Dolores Del Rio, the daughter of a Polynesian native chieftain who has a tendency to go for nude swims at night. Alas, their idyllic romance is destined to come to a sudden and violent end: tribal custom decrees that Del Rio is to be sacrificed to the local volcano. After initial resistance, the heroine nobly resigns herself to her fate, realizing that there is no place for her in her white lover's civilization. Features Del Rio’s famous skinny dipping scene in an early example of the cinema nude scene. Our second slice of pre-code entertainment is the bona fide classic The Lady Refuses--A British aristocrat befriends a woman and hires her to begin distracting his son away from a conniving golddigger. She does, but finds herself falling in love with her titled boss instead. Gilbert Emery, as a patrician English peer, Sir Gerald Courtney, dominates this film as he tries to bring his rakehell son Russell (John Darrow) closer to him through a secret strategem involving June (Betty Compson), an economically distressed young woman. Veteran director George Archainbaud has strong vision for whatever niceties the scenario might bring, and his handling of the cast and storyline are top-notch.

Cinematography is the star of this film

Despite Del Rio's energetic and charming performance, this film belongs to the Oscar-winning (White Shadows In The South Seas, 1928)cinematographer. A majority of sequences occur at night and the lighting is exceptional in bringing out the beauty of the faces and bodies, especially the nude underwater swimming sequence near the beginning. Most memorable scene is the kiss farewell where Del Rio crushes bites of fruit so that the nectar can run into her delirious lover's mouth - poignant, tragic and unforgettable. December 4, 2007

Bird of Paradise - Which Version

Has Amazon ever cleared up the confusion regarding the version of this movie. The jacket shows the original 1932 version but the cast is from the 1951 remake. August 22, 2006

The information for the DVD shown is NOT CORRECT!!

I hope that Amazon will clear up the information listed for this DVD. They list the cast of the remake from the 50's, they have the aspect ratio as widescreen. Which verson of the film is being offered here?? Please clear this up so that those that order will not be disapointed. I am not even sure that the widescreen verson from the 50's is even available on DVD. August 14, 2006

Bird of Paradise: A Bold Display of Racism and American Heroism

The film Bird of Paradise, directed by King Vidor in 1932, tells the love story of an American sailor, Johnny, and a Polynesian woman, Luana, daughter of the island's tribal chief. Although they fall in love, Luana ultimately forces herself to leave Johnny because of her arranged marriage to the island's prince, and her father's anger. The plot seems innocent enough, but underneath its bathetic façade, we discover a blatantly racist representation of Polynesian people and a bold display of American heroism. Every aspect of the natives is implausible, from their appearance to their naïve and wild behavior, and the ethnocentricity of the Americans in the film is shocking to witness.
The first and most severe cinematic mishap of this film is its misrepresentation of people from the Pacific Islands. The casting directors cast many non-Polynesian actors in the roles of the Polynesian natives, including the lead female role, Luana, portrayed by Mexican film actress, Dolores Del Rio. Although their poor selection of actors was probably due to unavailability of ethnically Polynesian actors at the time of filming, their unrealistic casting nevertheless detracts from the authenticity of the film. Several scenes depict these "natives" stereotypically dancing wildly around a fire. To make matters worse, Busby Berkeley, the film's choreographer, clearly did not invest much time into researching authentic Polynesian dance forms, and what results is a misconstrued and unrealistic Latin-tinged, frenzied body movement, replete with sensual grinding and hip-swiveling. But perhaps the most absurd portrayal of Polynesian people in the film is the scene where the "flying fish come out." The film depicts the "islanders" screaming wildly in canoes as water splashes and fish fly all around them. The scene is intolerably ridiculous and further detracts from the film's believability.
The film also portrays Americans as civilized, morally righteous and superior to the islanders, which is slightly more insufferable than the unrealistic depiction of the native people. In the opening scene, the Americans, towering above the water in their big boat, throw some possessions overboard to the natives, who rapaciously paddle their canoes and swim to collect their newfound "treasures" of the "modern world." Not only does this scene cast the natives in the role of naïve children, but it also creates the illusion that the Americans are civilized heroes bringing technology to the uncivilized world. Furthermore, Johnny heralds Christianity as the only true religion and brazenly informs Luana that her religious beliefs are "crazy superstitions." When the natives tie Luana and Johnny to poles to sacrifice them to Pele, the local volcano god, Johnny tells Luana not to be scared because Pele "is not a real god, he's just a hole in the ground." Johnny then informs her that "There's only one real God," as he vociferously begins reciting the Lord's Prayer. It is hard to believe that this religious fervor comes from Johnny, the sailor who virtually rapes Luana after pursuing her underwater in the beginning of the film.
Although Vidor directed this film in 1932, which might explain some of the problems with it, many people still believe these images and behavioral representations of Americans and Pacific Islanders to be the truth. Images and representations of people and places, however fictitious they might be, are powerful, and leave imprints on our minds whether we intend them to or not. Furthermore, images and representations tend to become knowledge and, as the common adage goes, "Knowledge is power." However, by allowing false images to form our knowledge, we only become prejudiced and ignorant. Therefore, it is imperative that people seek out true knowledge, or else the people of the world will have to suffer through more movies like Bird of Paradise.
October 6, 2005

Well, It Was Pretty...

This movie is about a group of American men who visit an island. The natives greet them enthusiastically and all seems well. One man, Johnny played by Joel McCrea, sees the beautiful Dolores Del Rio and instantly wants her. He decides to stay behind on the island when his friends leave because he is enraptured with her. He learns that she is the king's daughter and is not to be touched by anyone other than the Prince to whom she is promised. Johnny tries anyway and when they are found kissing, Johnny is tied up while the native girl is married. However, Johnny escapes and steals his love away from the ceremony. She is happily in love with him, but she knows that if she stays with Johnny, a curse will be placed on them by the volcano. When Johnny vows to protect her, she is taken by the natives anyway, and he struggles to get her back. The film by now seems standard; it seems that there are always love triangles between the white man and the native girl and whomever she is betrothed to in these films. The slow pacing makes this one suffer even more than the trite plot.

This early film showcases the gorgeous Dolores Del Rio who once said she would never make a talkie. Perhaps it would have been wise not to make this one. For the most part, her character speaks in another language or in very broken English, and she does not come off as the brightest star. Joel McCrea fares a little better, but he is not outstanding.

The film is beautifully photographed, although the print could be better with some restoration. The island is gorgeous, surrounded by the ocean and exotic plants. The camera does not hesitate to capture the opulence of the surface of the water and it even travels under to show sharks and sea turtles or people swimming.

What might shock some about this film is the nudity. There are underwater shots of the native girl skinnydipping which would have never gotten past the censors had the film been made during the production code. The scene is artistically done and no particular parts can be made out clearly. However, it might come as a shock to audiences under the impression that film makers of the bygone era were prudes. June 28, 2005

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