An entertaining, empire-building South Seas saga, director Byron Haskin's "His Majesty O'Keefe" qualifies as an above-average adventure yarn with a robust Burt Lancaster charging hither and yon as he battles enemies both native and European. Mind, "His Majesty O'Keefe" isn't as good as "The Crimson Pirate" and "The Flame and the Arrow." "His Majesty O'Keefe" isn't a fantasy like either of those movies, but it always manages to sling in a surprise or two when you have resigned yourself to less. The cinematography is gorgeous, and it doesn't appear that the producers used miniatures for the sea-going voyages.
Lancaster plays Savannah born, sea-bred stiff David Dion O'Keefe whose dreams and ambitions are both remarkable. Things get off on the wrong foot when we meet him in the 1870s. O'Keefe's crew cries mutiny aboard his ship and allows him to drift with the currents for his life. Miraculously, O'Keefe survives and winds up Barely on the island of Yap. A heavily mustached German trader Alfred Tetens (André Morell of "Dark of the Sun") nurses O'Keefe back to health with the aid of a medicine man Fatumak. O'Keefe scouts out the island and notices lots of coconut trees. If you've never heard of 'copra,' prepare to become knowledgeable. O'Keefe imagines that he can parlay prosperity by gathering coconut meat, designated as "copra," that contains a profitable oil. Around him, he sees nothing by lazy tribesmen and he tries to recruit them as labor.
The natives have more on their minds than copra and picking coconuts. They are more fascinated with something called 'fei,' sacred stones collected from a faraway island as extreme cost and manpower to them. The shady O'Keefe helps the islanders with their fei harvest. Generously, he furnishes dynamite to dislodge the rock, and he follows that up with fast transportation back to the island. Just as they are dividing up the stones, O'Keefe intervenes in their ceremony and makes his demands. Drama ensues and apparently lifetime enmity. One of the chieftains, Boogulroo (Archie Savage of "Assignment: Outer Space"), objects to this chicanery. The Borden Chase & James Hill screenplay has more on its mind than just putting Lancaster and his adversaries through the usual swashbuckler shenanigans. "His Majesty O'Keefe" provides an inventory of the usual catalog of the clichés of seafaring and empire building epics. Haskin never wears out his welcome and the movie is literally bursting at its 90 minute mark. André Morell is exemplary in his supporting role as the German trader, while Lancaster rules the show with another of his dynamic performances. Guy Doleman of the Harry Palmer spies movies has a small role as a German official.
Lancaster plays Savannah born, sea-bred stiff David Dion O'Keefe whose dreams and ambitions are both remarkable. Things get off on the wrong foot when we meet him in the 1870s. O'Keefe's crew cries mutiny aboard his ship and allows him to drift with the currents for his life. Miraculously, O'Keefe survives and winds up Barely on the island of Yap. A heavily mustached German trader Alfred Tetens (André Morell of "Dark of the Sun") nurses O'Keefe back to health with the aid of a medicine man Fatumak. O'Keefe scouts out the island and notices lots of coconut trees. If you've never heard of 'copra,' prepare to become knowledgeable. O'Keefe imagines that he can parlay prosperity by gathering coconut meat, designated as "copra," that contains a profitable oil. Around him, he sees nothing by lazy tribesmen and he tries to recruit them as labor.
The natives have more on their minds than copra and picking coconuts. They are more fascinated with something called 'fei,' sacred stones collected from a faraway island as extreme cost and manpower to them. The shady O'Keefe helps the islanders with their fei harvest. Generously, he furnishes dynamite to dislodge the rock, and he follows that up with fast transportation back to the island. Just as they are dividing up the stones, O'Keefe intervenes in their ceremony and makes his demands. Drama ensues and apparently lifetime enmity. One of the chieftains, Boogulroo (Archie Savage of "Assignment: Outer Space"), objects to this chicanery. The Borden Chase & James Hill screenplay has more on its mind than just putting Lancaster and his adversaries through the usual swashbuckler shenanigans. "His Majesty O'Keefe" provides an inventory of the usual catalog of the clichés of seafaring and empire building epics. Haskin never wears out his welcome and the movie is literally bursting at its 90 minute mark. André Morell is exemplary in his supporting role as the German trader, while Lancaster rules the show with another of his dynamic performances. Guy Doleman of the Harry Palmer spies movies has a small role as a German official.