South Pacific
Directed by Joshua Logan
Written by Paul Osborn based on the play by Oscar Hammerstein III and the novel by James Michener
1958/USA
Magna Carta Theatre Corporation/South Pacific Enterprises/Rodgers & Hammerstein Productions/Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Repeat viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Most people live on a lonely island, / Lost in the middle of a foggy sea./ Most people long for another island,/ One where they know they will like to be. — “Bali Hai”, Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein III[/box]
This would be a practically perfect musical if the color were not marred by the very odd use of filters.
The story takes place on an American-occupied island in the South Pacific while the outcome of WWIIr was still in doubt. Marines and sailors seemingly spend all their time waiting for something to happen. Their main occupation is ogling the Navy nurses and running harmless scams.
Lt. Cable (John Kerr) has been assigned a dangerous mission to land on a Japanese-occupied island to provide intelligence. He needs a man with local knowledge to guide him there. This he hopes to find in French planter Emile de Becque (Rossano Brazzi).
De Beque, however, is in the process of courting the irrepressible nurse Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor). While he is looking forward to a lifetime of happiness, the dangerous mission is out of the question. But when Nellie gets a look at his half-Polynesian children, she has cold feet. With Ray Walston as a wheeler-dealer and Juanita Hall as Bloody Mary.
The musical has some of Rogers & Hammerstein’s most glorious tunes and is well cast. I am surprised Mitzi Gaynor didn’t have more of a career. She is perfect in her part.
The use of color has always been a major distraction to me. It wavers from glowing Technicolor beaches to some oddly yellowed images. I had always assumed this was due to an aging print. But no, director Logan decided that filters would be a good way of getting around changes in weather, etc. The effect was much less subtle than he had envisioned and he recognized his mistake after it was too late.
South Pacific won the Academy Award for Best Sound. It was nominated in the categories of Best Cinematography, Color and Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.
Trailer
Clip – “I’m in Love with a Wonderful Guy
