An alcoholic doctor on a Polynesian island, disgusted by white exploitation of the natives, finds himself marooned on a pristinely beautiful island.An alcoholic doctor on a Polynesian island, disgusted by white exploitation of the natives, finds himself marooned on a pristinely beautiful island.An alcoholic doctor on a Polynesian island, disgusted by white exploitation of the natives, finds himself marooned on a pristinely beautiful island.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 1 win total
Robert Anderson
- Sebastian - a Trader
- (uncredited)
Renee Bush
- Lucy
- (uncredited)
Dorothy Janis
- Native Girl
- (uncredited)
Napua
- Native Boy
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- W.S. Van Dyke(under the direction of)
- Robert J. Flaherty(early shooting) (uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAfter completing filming on the tropical island, they returned to the MGM lot at Culver City, where W.S. Van Dyke shot some additional material, including a typhoon at sea and a shipwreck. Then the studio decided to make White Shadows in the South Seas (1928) their first sound film, so they added a synchronized soundtrack consisted of a romantic score by William Axt and David Mendoza, with a few sound effects such as wind howling, a storm, trees ruffling and the words "Hello" and "wait."
This was MGM's first sound picture, and it premiered in Hollywood at Sid Grauman's Chinese Theater on Friday, 3 Aug 1928. It is known for being the first MGM film to be released with a pre-recorded soundtrack.
- GoofsThe drowned young man's left arm moves by itself.
- Quotes
Dr. Matthew Lloyd: For God's sake, go away, Sebastian... these people are like birds... like flowers... they are like man was before he lost the Garden of Eden...
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA srl, "L'UOMO DI ARAN (1934), NANUK L'ESCHIMESE (1922), OMBRE BIANCHE NEI MARI DEL SUD (1928)" (3 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Settling the Score (2005)
- SoundtracksFlower of Love
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by William Axt and David Mendoza
Lyrics by Dave Dreyer and Herman Ruby
Featured review
Hidden gem
How nice is it to see this treatment, this attitude, of the white man's imperialism towards native cultures in the 19th century, especially when other movies from this time period often had such blatant or casual racism. Here we clearly see the white man as the bad guy, greedy for pearls, exploiting the Polynesians, and spreading disease. It may be over the top and idealized at times, with some non-factual bits such as attacking octopi and grand proclamations against the white race as a whole, but its heart was certainly in the right place, and this notion of which party was evil was certainly correct.
Filmed on location in the Marquesas (or perhaps in reality Tahiti), it shows beautiful footage of the islands as well as the culture, such as people dancing, scaling coconut trees, shaving breadfruit, diving, fishing, and making fire. I'm not an expert but it feels authentic, and without a doubt, it's certainly respectful of the indigenous people. Director W.S. Van Dyke ("One Take Woody", who would go on to an Oscar nomination for "The Thin Man") pulls all the right strings here, from a fantastic typhoon scene, to intimate moments between leading man Monte Blue, and an island woman played by Raquel Torres. Most of the rest of the cast consists of real Islanders. Cinematographer Clyde De Vinna was worthy of the Oscar he won for the visual treats he gives us throughout the movie, and we also get a few bits of sound on MGM's first film with a pre-recorded soundtrack. What a hidden gem this film is for 1928.
Filmed on location in the Marquesas (or perhaps in reality Tahiti), it shows beautiful footage of the islands as well as the culture, such as people dancing, scaling coconut trees, shaving breadfruit, diving, fishing, and making fire. I'm not an expert but it feels authentic, and without a doubt, it's certainly respectful of the indigenous people. Director W.S. Van Dyke ("One Take Woody", who would go on to an Oscar nomination for "The Thin Man") pulls all the right strings here, from a fantastic typhoon scene, to intimate moments between leading man Monte Blue, and an island woman played by Raquel Torres. Most of the rest of the cast consists of real Islanders. Cinematographer Clyde De Vinna was worthy of the Oscar he won for the visual treats he gives us throughout the movie, and we also get a few bits of sound on MGM's first film with a pre-recorded soundtrack. What a hidden gem this film is for 1928.
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- Mar 11, 2017
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $365,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 28 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.20 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was White Shadows in the South Seas (1928) officially released in Canada in English?
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