James A. Michener's book "Tales of the South Pacific", based on his WWII tour of duty in the Pacific, was made into the 1949 Rodgers & Hammerstein stage musical. Its success led to the making of the movie version of SOUTH PACIFIC.
Mitzi Gaynor stars as Ens. Nellie Forbush, an American nurse on a tropical island who falls in love with wealthy, suave French planter Emile de Becque, played by Rossano Brazzi, who becomes a war hero. Their love scenes were considered shocking in the 1950's. Emile says, "When all you care about is here, this is a good place to be."
It's 1943 and the film begins with a song and dance number by dozens of half-naked sailors who sing "There is nothin' like a Dame". An ironic song choice considering all the muscular beefcake on display. Lt. Buzz Adams says, "You gotta do something to break the monotony out here, Lieutenant. You know, if this war ever really gets started..."
Bloody Mary: (gives a shrunken head to Lt. Cable) "You like I give you, free!"
Luther Billis: "Free? You never gave me anything free!"
Bloody Mary: "You no sexy like lieu-tellen."
Bloody Mary: (she looks Cable up and down) "Lieu-tellen, you sexy man."
Lt. Cable: "Thanks. You're looking pretty... er, fit yourself."
(Lt. Cable has been told that Nellie is in love with Emile)
Lieutenant Cable: "That's hard to believe, sir. They tell me he's a middle-aged man."
Capt. Brackett: "Cable, it is a common mistake for boys of your age and athletic ability to underestimate men who have reached their maturity. Young women frequently find older men attractive, strange as it may seem. I myself am over fifty. I am a bachelor. And Cable, I do not, by any means, consider myself through."
(to Harbison, who is trying not to laugh)
Capt. Brackett: "What's the matter, Bill?"
Cmdr. Harbison: "Nothing--evidently! (laughs)
The cast also includes: John Kerr (Lt. Joseph Cable), Ray Walston (Luther Billis), Juanita Hall (Bloody Mary), Russ Brown (Capt. George Bracket), Ken Clark (Stewpot), Floyd Simmons (Cmdr. Bill Harbison), Candace Lee (Ngana), Warren Hsieh (Jerome), Tom Laughlin (Lt. Buzz Adams), Francis Kahele (Henry), Richard H. Cutting (Adm. Kester), Charles Carter (Barua), and many others. Writing credits are James Michener, Oscar Hammerstein II, Joshua Logan, and Paul Osborn. Original music is by Richard Rodgers. Joshua Logan directed.
Other great songs include: "Bali Ha'i", "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair", "Younger Than Springtime", and "Some Enchanted Evening". Very few musicals have this many first-rate songs. The other songs are: "Bloody Mary", "A Cock-Eyed Optimist", "Twin Soliloquies (Wonder How It Feels)", "Dites Moi", "A Wonderful Guy", "Happy Talk", "Honey Bun", "My Girl Back Home", "Carefully Taught", and "This Nearly Was Mine". Rossano Brazzi's singing is dubbed in by opera star Giorgio Tozzi. This was unneccesary, because even I can sing these simple songs just as well, and can do a decent impersonation of Giorgio Tozzi's version.
SOUTH PACIFIC was filmed mostly on location in Hawaii and another small, isolated island. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous, almost like taking a tropical vacation. This musical moves at a leisurely pace, the acting is solid, the music is wonderful, and it is great family entertainment. There is a powerful theme of racial prejudice, no doubt because James Michener was married to an Asian and knew all about prejudice.
Unfortunately, the worst thing about this film is the experimental use of colour filters on the camera lens for dramatic emphasis during intense scenes. The colour change is meant to represent the emotions of the actors. These colour filters cause people to turn purple and other horrid colours! It is extremely distacting and annoying. Do not adjust your TV. I thought one of my tapes was defective, until I used a different TV and got better results. The cinematography in SOUTH PACIFIC is breathtakingly beautiful and does not require artificial colour filters.
Director Joshua Logan said using the colour filters was the biggest mistake in his career. I would say it was the biggest mistake in colour movie history. Fortunately, Logan uses the filters rather sparingly in the film.
Doris Day, Audrey Hepburn, Liz Taylor, and Ginger Rogers were considered for Mitzi Gaynor's part. A made-for-TV version of SOUTH PACIFIC was released in 2001 with Glenn Close and Harry Connick Jr. It is considered superior to the original, but I have not watched it so I cannot comment.
