Outcast of the Islands

In the late 1940's, British director Carol Reed made three films in a row that brought him to the top of his profession: Odd Man Out (1947), The Fallen Idol (1948), and The Third Man (1949). The last, in particular, brought him international success and acclaim, so it was understandable that he would deliberate carefully over his next move and take three years before he released his next picture. Another thriller would have been popular and profitable, but Reed wanted to strike off in a new direction. "It's dull to stick to the same sort of subject and bad for one's work into the bargain," he said. "Variety is an essential exercise to a director." With this in mind, he eventually settled on an adaptation of the second book by the reputedly difficult-to-film author Joseph Conrad, Outcast of the Islands (1952), first published in 1896. The idea had germinated with Third Man producer Alexander Korda, who announced in 1948 that Outcast of the Islands would be an upcoming project for Reed that would star Robert Mitchum as a bored and restless expatriate involved in swindling, betrayal, and an ultimately doomed affair with the beautiful daughter of a blind tribal chieftain. Likely, this was both a bit of publicity grandstanding and a ploy by Korda to get Reed interested, since Mitchum was never really attached to the project. Either Korda's game or Reed's own longtime interest in Conrad did the trick; the director found this complex story of human frailty and culture clash to be just the artistic challenge he needed. The result, however, was not the unqualified success of the earlier films. Outcast of the Islands was drastically cut for its U.S. release and reviewers picked at a number of flaws, although there were some who praised Trevor Howard's performance and found the film to be one of the sharpest treatments of any of Conrad's works, perhaps unjustly overshadowed by The Third Man. One of the details critics slammed was how some of the women characters were altered in the adaptation from page to screen. For both ease of casting and to avoid censorship problems over interracial marriage, two of the female characters were changed from the half-caste wives of British colonials to English women, one of them played by Wendy Hiller, who found the whole undertaking without focus or a clear idea of what was being portrayed. Fans of the novel were also disappointed in the transformation of the tribal girl's character from aggressive seducer to rather innocent victim. Aissa had a full inner life in the book, in keeping with Conrad's modernist, multiple-perspective approach, but on screen she was given no dialogue. Reed searched far and wide for the right unknown to play the part, finally coming upon the daughter of an Algerian businessman in Paris and his French wife. The young woman's name was changed from Miriam to Kerima, and although she had never acted before (her ambition was to become a medical student when Outcast of the Islands was finished), she enjoyed the work and created a strong impression on screen. Whether or not she pursued her medical studies is doubtful, as she continued to work in movies, playing various exotic supporting roles until as late as 1972, including a turn in Howard Hawks's Land of the Pharaohs (1955). Korda initially wanted Stewart Granger for the role of Willems, especially since the young English actor had just made a hit Hollywood movie, King Solomon's Mines (1950). But Reed insisted on Howard, who he had directed previously in The Way Ahead (1944) and The Third Man (they would work together two more times after this). "I knew of no one among contemporary film actors better suited to play Willems, the moral degenerate, than Trevor Howard," the director said, apparently with all affection and respect. Although set in Borneo and Malaya (where Reed did some early background photography), the film was shot mostly in Sri Lanka (then still known as Ceylon), where Howard had lived as a young boy. In fact, the exterior of the building in which Howard's father worked as a Lloyd's of London insurance agent made it into the picture. A number of mishaps plagued the production: a house Howard was living in was washed away; Reed sprained his ankle and had to be carried up and down hills searching for ideal camera set-ups; and 150 dogs were inadvertently shot after Reed carped about their nightly barking (he was furious when he found out how his complaint had been handled). Outcast of the Islands was nominated by the British Academy for Best British Film and Best Film from Any Source. The story was filmed again for Italian television in 1980. Director: Carol Reed Producer: Carol Reed Screenplay: William Fairchild, based on the novel by Joseph Conrad Cinematography: Edward Scaife, John Wilcox Editing: Bert Bates Production Design: Vincent Korda Cast: Trevor Howard (Peter Willems), Ralph Richardson (Captain Lingard), Robert Morley (Almayer), Wendy Hiller (Mrs. Almayer), Kerima (Aissa), George Coulouris (Babalatchi). BW-101m. by Rob Nixon