Ra-Mu
Cast & Crew
William Peck
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
This documentary is a chronicle of an extensive tour taken by explorer Captain E. A. Salisbury in his yacht "Sea Gypsie." The film begins with Salisbury in the port of Seattle, Washington, and then follows him to the Society Islands and the islands of Samoa and Fiji. The industry and ritualistic dancing of the island inhabitants are shown. The "Sea Gypsie" travels next to Singapore, Java, Sumatra and Ceylon, where footage of the rice industry is featured. Bali and Arabia are then seen. The final sequence takes place in Ethiopia, where Emperor Haile Selassie, known as Ra-Mu King of the Sun, is photographed. At Salisbury's urging, Selassie orders his army of 50,000 warriors to stage a frenzied charge for the cameras.
Crew
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to New York State Censor records, this film was also known as Captain E. A. Salisbury's Ra-Mu. Narrator William Peck was a member of the expedition, according to Motion Picture Daily. In February 1929, a documentary, produced by Captain Salisbury and called Ra-Mu: Children of the Sun, was screened in New York. The earlier film documented Salisbury's travels to Samoa and the Marquesas Islands, and emphasized the decline of those islands' ancient civilizations. It is not known if Salisbury used footage from the 1929 film or any of his other pictures, such as Gow (which also was shot in the South Sea Islands), in this production. For more information about Captain Salisbury, listing for Gow.
