Man's Paradise
Cast & Crew
Leon Shamroy
Grace Goodhue Huntington
Alois Reiser
Walter Woods
Film Details
Synopsis
As a tired New York City businessman worries over unemployment and poor sales, his wife tells him that in a short time they could be on the island of Bali, a "heaven upon earth." In Bali, natives are shown planting rice, plowing with water buffaloes and going about their daily tasks. While a group of semi-naked women gather grain, the commentator, speaking apparently to the businessman, says, "You old sinner--they never wear anything above the waist. They say a virtuous woman has nothing to hide." At the water's edge, boys are shown capturing turtles, and a naked boy rides a turtle in the turtle race. Other activities include a cockfight and a number of native dances. In addition, a series of shots show the Balinese engaged in crafts of various sorts. In the sequences showing religous ceremonies, the woman are completely dressed.
Director
Leon Shamroy
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
According to Hollywood Reporter and information in the MPAA/PCA Collection at the AMPAS Library, this film was produced by Grace Goodhue Huntington, who, with her daughter, headed an expedition to Bali in 1932. She planned to release short subjects with the footage shot, but ultimately produced this feature. The film was submitted for censorship purposes in New York State in January 1934, but no information has been located concerning its release prior to 1938. NYSA records also indicate that the film was approved for release in New York in 1951.
The above plot summary is based on descriptions of the film by the PCA reviewer. The PCA did not confer a certificate of approval to the film, in part because they noticed "at least 21 shots in which the bare breasts of women are completely exposed. Many of these are closeups shot at angles which accentuate the bare breasts of these women. In addition, there are one or two sequences in which children appear completely nude." PCA official Francis S. Harmon informed the distributor, "The Production Code specifies that 'complete nudity is never permitted' and states...that 'indecent or undue exposure is forbidden.'" Hollywood Reporter noted that the cockfight in the film, "in which one of the birds finally is slain after being hamstrung, will interest many in this country, as heretofore no such scenes had been allowed on the screen."
