JohnHowardReid Director: WALTER LANG. Screenplay: Joseph Schrank and Robert Pirosh, Robert Ellis and Helen Logan. Photographed in Color by Technicolor by Ernest Palmer. Film editor: Rby Simpson. Art directors: Richard Day, Joseph C. Wright. Set decorator: Thomas Little. Costumes designed by Gwen Wakeling. Make-up: Guy Pearce. 2nd unit director: Orro Brower. Technicolor color consultant: Natalie Kalmus. Associate Technicolor consultant: Morgan Padelford. Technical director: Hilo Hattie. Assistant directors: Bernard Carr, Fred Fox (2nd unit). Sound recording: E. Clayton Ward, Roger Heman. Producer: William LeBaron.Songs by Mack Gordon (lyrics) and Harry Owens (music): "Blue Shadows and White Gardenias" (Grable); "O'Brien Has Gone Hawaiian" (Grable); "Sing Me a Song of the Islands" (Grable, Hattie); "Down On Ami Ami Oni Oni Isle" (Grable, Hattie); "What's Buzzin', Cousin" (Oakie); "Hawaiian Drinking Song" (Hattie). Choreographer: Hermes Pan. Music director: Alfred Newman. Copyright 13 March 1942 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corporation. New York opening at the Roxy: 11 March 1942. U.S. release: 13 March 1942. Australian release: 4 November 1943 (sic). 6,716 feet. 74 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Tycoon's son falls for beachcomber's pretty daughter. COMMENT: Everyone knows that 20th Century-Fox had the best sound department in the business. Everyone, that is, except the industry's own sound supervisors, technicians and engineers. How often did Fox carry off Hollywood's most prestigious annual award for Sound Recording in the golden years from 1929 to 1976? Just eight times, would you believe? Wilson (1944), The Snake Pit (1948), Twelve O'Clock High (1949), All About Eve (1950), The King and I (1956), The Sound of Music (1965), Hello, Dolly! (1969), and Patton (1970).You'd never learn from this list that it was actually in musicals of the 1930s and 1940s that Fox's sound department really excelled. Take 1942, for example, a good year because each studio was able to nominate one movie. What was the Fox selection? "This Above All"!Okay, so in addition to its magnificent sound track, what does "Song of the Islands" have to recommend it? Nothing much except sprightly performances (even Victor Mature is quite personable), a witty script, catchy tunes, lavish production values and gorgeous Technicolor.What more do you want? Free admissions would be nice, but we've got that now with TV. Admittedly, we pay for it by sitting through myriads of dastardly advertisements, but you can't have everything!

weezeralfalfa No wonder Clark Gable was hesitant to star in a film('Call of the Wild') with notorious scene stealer Jack Oakie as his sidekick. Jack really hams it up in this one with his nonstop clowning and occasional songs: a complete vaudeville entertainer!. If you like Jack, you'll like this early Technicolor escapist fare. He's joined at times by veteran comedic heavy Billy Gilbert, as the crude wild-looking cannibalistic father of the luscious Hawaiian girl Jack is romancing. Problem is, a matronly-looking native woman(Hilo Hattie) is very hot for Jack and he's not interested. She eventually does a song and dance number, serving in the combined roles of Charlotte Greenwood and Carmen Miranda in the standard Fox formula for Grable/Faye/Blaine musical comedies. This is followed by an all female native song and dance routine headed by Betty. Meanwhile, beefcake leading man Victor Mature is romancing and fighting with Betty . As a non-singing/dancing, non-comedian, he has little else to do. Also, the fathers of Betty and Victor initially are at each other's throats over the ownership of a key bit of land on this small island. In the end, all is forgiven and all the Caucasian principals join at the finale for an encore rendition of the theme song 'Sing me a song of the islands'.Plenty of music and comedy dispersed among the heavier stuff. Probably, Jack has more screen time than either Betty or Victor. A native male singing group also interacts with Jack. Betty's singing and dancing is pretty limited. Too bad this film is so rarely shown on TV and is not available on DVD. We really could use a Jack Oakie Collection to showcase his now under-appreciated entertainment talent. He was a significant presence in several other Fox musical comedies, including:'Tin Pan Alley', 'Hello, Frisco, Hello' and 'The Great American Broadcast' Too bad he was never in one of those films including Carmen Miranda. I think those two would have made a dynamite comedic pair.

donofthedial I never thought that this was one of the better Grable pictures and as I am taking a break from re-watching it for the first time in a decade I still hold to that original opinion.The film has, if possible, too many character actors - Thomas Mitchell, George Barbier, Jack Oakie, Billy Gilbert, Hilo Hattie. And there is too much bickering.OTOH, most of the songs are very tuneful, though undistinguished and the Technicolor is, as always, eye-popping.The high points in the film are almost all Grable. If the film had been destroyed after the first reel, it likely would not have mattered because Grable's absolutely gorgeous entry into the film on a small outrigger just off shore of a tropical is breathtaking as is her brilliantly pretty face and figure.And what a figure! All curves and plenty of them, looking delicious in clingy island dresses and hula girl out-fits. What a bundle! 5'4" (As I thought when looking at her while danced barefoot) and she measured in at 34 1/2-24-36 (self-described 1940).She is singing "Sing Me a Song of the Islands" as she heads towards shore with her blonde hair blowing gently in the breeze as she softly offers the song in that vastly under-rated melodious and well modulated beguiling voice of hers. She's radiant with gleaming white teeth and big eyes as she sings the entire song in 90 seconds with the big Technicolor camera slowly zooms in from a medium shot to what becomes a near full lose up if her expressive face, never once breaking away...all in one shot.I had a customer in my video store about 15 years ago who had not seen Song of the Islands since its original release in 1942 and all he remembered all those years was that opening shot of Betty Grable, her hair blowing in the tropical breeze and singing "Sing Me a Song of the Islands". Movie magic! Victor Mature is in the film, too. He looks fine.Hilo Hattie is the Hawaiian version of Charlotte Greenwood in the film; man hungry and doing her eccentric dances and songs.As mention, it is not one of the 'great Grables' of the era, in spite of having the talented Walter Lang, who had directed some of Grable's best films in the 1940.Unfortunately, what ever momentum the film has fairly comes to a halt about 50 minutes into the picture at which time there is little question (if there was ever any) about how the film will wrap up. The pictures weakest tunes are trotted out and Grable's last dance sequence is far from memorable.Jack Oakie, playing Mature's sidekick (and only 39 years old at the time) manages to squeeze in a song and a romance for himself with a pretty island girl even younger than Grable and he and Hilo Hattie have the last laugh in the film. (Oakie frequently seems to get a special moment at the end of the films he is in. He had a big following and was extremely popular with everyone.) All in all...very lightweight stuff. Nice try by all involved. There's better Grables out there.Now I'll go back and rewind the tape and watch that opening island sequence one more time. It's a freeze-framers delight!

raskimono I kinda liked this movie. The plot is not much to write off and is questionable if it will have any appeal to adults because it involves full grown men and women acting like ten year olds. Set on the Hawaii Islands it has something to do with some millionaire rancher's son who falls for a enjoy-life goodnik loafer on the Islands. Romance, fighting, with some will they or will they not get together? That is a typical Betty Grable picture. Gable who couldn't really act but was always charming with a nice smile and is always fun to watch because the woman approached all her roles with gusto. It didn't matter the role; she played as if it were Scarlett O'Hara. Poor Victor Mature suffered in being cast in light tripe like this where he practiced how to take pratfalls and sound dopey and goofy before better things and dramatic roles elevated out of this parts. The popular radio star Jack Oakie provides much needed support and has many scenes where his sub plot line dominates the movies. This I have to mention because this is sorely missing in Hollywood movies, today. Let's take a recent hit like "Hitch", Kevin James gets no scene without Will Smith on the phone and in the background and it's a credit to him that he still finds a way to steal the movie. Gable too was not a very good dancer but again you forgive because she lights into it with so much pep and determination and that can be said for the whole movie. It is poorly written, obvious with no surprises but everybody plays it to the utmost fullest that makes you enjoy the whole silly farce for what it's what.