Song of the Islands *** (1942, Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Jack Oakie, Thomas Mitchell) – Classic Movie Review 11,287

Victor Mature sails to the idyllic tropical isle of Ahmi-Oni to bargain on behalf of his cattle baron father and meets Betty Grable.

Director Walter Lang’s 1942 film Song of the Islands is a friendly musical set on the Hawaiian islands, with Betty Grable starring as Eileen O’Brien falling for the muscular charms of cattle-heir Jefferson Harper (Victor Mature), son of cattle baron boss Mr Harper (George Barbier), who is enjoying an on-going battle with Eileen’s Irishman father, planter Dennis O’Brien (Thomas Mitchell) over ownership of a beach.

A rum tale, this, with remote echoes of Romeo and Juliet, but it is prettily filmed in Ernest Palmer’s splashy Technicolor images and there are plenty of escapist song ‘n’ dance sequences – indeed they are the entire show.

A whole roster of daftly titled tunes (‘O’Brien Has Gone Hawaiian’, ‘Down on Ami Ami Oni Oni Isle, ‘What’s Buzzin’ Cousin?’) adds to the film’s flimsy, but genuine appeal. Grable and Mature are fun, and the character support (Jack Oakie, Hilo Hattie, Billy Gilbert, Harry Owens, Lillian Porter, Hal K Dawson) adds just the tiniest touch of substance that does not exist anywhere else here.

Song of the Islands is directed by Walter Lang, runs 76 minutes, is made and released by 20th Century Fox, is written (original screenplay) by Joseph Schrank, Robert Pirosh, Robert Ellis and Helen Logan, is shot in Technicolor by Ernest Palmer, is produced by William LeBaron, is scored by David Buttolph, Cyril J Mockridge, David Raksin (composer additional music) and Alfred Newman (musical director), and designed by Richard Day and Joseph C Wright.

New songs are written by Mack Gordon (lyrics) and Harry Owens (music).

Music is played by Harry Owens and His Royal Hawaiians.

Ben Gage provides the singing voice of Victor Mature.

The dances are staged by Hermes Pan.

Hilo Hattie is dancer on ‘Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai’.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,287

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