Paradise Isle
Cast & Crew
Arthur Greville Collins
Movita
Warren Hull
William Davidson
John St. Polis
George Piltz
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
When Richard Kennedy, a blind painter, is washed up on a South Sea island, Ila, a native girl, finds him and cares for him until he recovers. Kennedy was on his way to Suba, another island, to see Dr. Otto Steinmeyer, a British doctor, for an operation to restore his sight. The white trader on the island, Hoener, refuses to take Kennedy to Suba because he has no money to pay for the trip. The other trader, who used to supply the island, won't return unless the natives provide pearls for trade. The natives no longer dive for pearls because the area is taboo and many men have died in the shark infested waters. When Ila learns that Kennedy needs money for his operation, she defies the taboo and dives for pearls. She is attacked by sharks after finding a large pearl, and Tono, a native who is in love with her, saves her life. In order to get the pearl, Hoener talks his beachcomber friend, Coxon, into masquerading as the doctor, but both men die when they try to cheat each other out of the jewel. In the meantime, Tono has gone to Suba for the doctor, hoping that when he can see, Kennedy will leave Ila. Dr. Steinmeyer agrees to operate without fee if Kennedy will leave the island and Ila. Kennedy reluctantly agrees, as he is now in love with Ila and is no longer convinced that they should remain apart because of race. Once the operation is over, however, Kennedy realizes that he loves Ila too much to leave her.
Director
Arthur Greville Collins
Cast
Movita
Warren Hull
William Davidson
John St. Polis
George Piltz
Pierre Watkin
Kenneth Harlan
Tau Mana
Malia Makua
Russell Simpson
Crew
Scott R. Dunlap
E. R. Hickson
Fred Jackman [jr.]
Harry Knight
Sam Koki
Lani Mcintyre And His Hawaiians
Marion Orth
Dorothy Reid
Russell Schoengarth
Napo Tuiteleleapaga
Gilbert Warrenton
William Wilmarth
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The title card contained the subtitle, "A Romance of the South Seas." According to Hollywood Reporter, Dorothy Reid took a technical and camera crew to Samoa to film background shots. With the exception of six Americans, the cast consisted mainly of native Polynesians. Both Hollywood Reporter and Film Daily note that in 1936, W. Ray Johnston purchased an original story by Sidney Brentwood entitled "Paradise Isle" for Monogram. He is not credited on the produced film, however, and it is not known if his story is related to this production. The film was re-issued in 1941 as Siren of the South Seas.
