SYNOPSIS: "Bird of Paradise" (1932) is a pre-Code adventure drama film directed by King Vidor, featuring Joel McCrea as Johnny Baker and Dolores del Río as Luana. The story is set on a lush and idyllic South Sea island, where Johnny, a handsome American sailor, meets and falls in love with Luana, the beautiful daughter of the island's chief. Despite the cultural differences and the disapproval of Luana's father, the couple's romance blossoms in the exotic paradise. Their love faces numerous challenges, including the island's strict traditions and the looming threat of a volcanic eruption.

The film is renowned for its stunning cinematography, capturing the enchanting beauty of the island and its surroundings. McCrea and del Río's chemistry adds a poignant layer to their forbidden romance, making their love story compelling and heart-wrenching. As the volcano erupts, the film reaches a dramatic climax, with Johnny and Luana's love tested by nature's fury and societal expectations. "Bird of Paradise" is celebrated for its daring themes and passionate performances, reflecting the adventurous spirit and romantic idealism of early 1930s Hollywood.

PLOT Spoiler Alert: "Bird of Paradise" (1932) transports viewers to a lush Polynesian island, where Johnny, a young American adventurer, falls deeply in love with Luana, a beautiful native princess. Their romance faces opposition from Luana's tribal traditions and Johnny's Western upbringing. As their forbidden love grows, tensions rise when tribal customs demand a human sacrifice to appease the volcano god. Johnny becomes entangled in the island's rituals, confronting the clash between his love for Luana and the realities of her culture. Their relationship is tested by external forces and internal conflicts, leading to a dramatic and heart-wrenching climax that challenges their beliefs and futures.

The film begins with a yacht sailing into a tropical island chain, where islanders greet it in outrigger canoes. A shark sets off a panic, and Johnny Baker (Joel McCrea) is pulled overboard while attempting to catch it. He is saved by Luana (Dolores del Río), a native swimmer, who cuts the rope with a knife. That night, at a welcome banquet, Johnny witnesses young island men ritually carrying off maidens and tries to do the same with Luana but is stopped by her father, the local chieftain. Despite this, Johnny and Luana swiftly fall in love.

When the yacht departs, Johnny stays on the island for an adventure, only to discover that Luana is promised to another man—a prince on a neighboring island. She is taken away for the arranged marriage, while Johnny is waylaid. He arrives just in time during an elaborate dance sequence, rescues her, and they escape to another island to live together. However, their idyll is shattered when a volcano on Luana's home island erupts. She reveals that only her sacrifice can appease the mountain. Her people take her back, and when Johnny goes after her, he is wounded and tied up. The couple is nearly sacrificed but is rescued by Johnny's friends and taken aboard the yacht.

Johnny's wound is treated, but his friends question the future of the lovers, as Luana does not fit into Johnny's world. Believing she must save her people, Luana willingly returns to the island to throw herself into the volcano, ensuring their safety.

PRODUCTION: "Bird of Paradise" (1932) was produced by RKO Radio Pictures with David O. Selznick as the executive producer. The film, directed by King Vidor, who was known for his epic storytelling and visual style, aimed to capture the exoticism and allure of Polynesian culture. The screenplay, based on Richard Walton Tully's play, was adapted by Wells Root and Wanda Tuchock. To enhance authenticity, the production included extensive location shooting in Hawaii.

King Vidor, under contract with MGM, was loaned to RKO by producer David Selznick, who was also Louis B. Mayer's son-in-law, to direct the "South Seas" romance. Vidor and Root began shooting background footage in Hawaii before the script was completed, as actors Joel McCrea and Dolores del Río were delayed by other commitments. The native dance sequences were choreographed by an uncredited Busby Berkeley and filmed in Hollywood using boom shots.

"Bird of Paradise" was nearly the first sound film to feature a full symphonic score from beginning to end. Selznick and composer Max Steiner had been experimenting with this idea, while other studios, such as Samuel Goldwyn's production "Street Scene" scored by Alfred Newman, were also developing similar approaches. Steiner's work on "Bird of Paradise" marked one of the earliest instances of an almost entirely through-composed score, for which he received screen credit.

RELEASE: "Bird of Paradise" stirred controversy upon its release due to a scene that sparked scandal, where Dolores del Río appeared to swim naked, though she was actually wearing a flesh-colored G-string. Produced before the strict enforcement of the Production Code, the film exemplifies a period when brief nudity was occasionally permissible in American cinema.

Director Orson Welles praised del Río's performance in the film, noting her embodiment of an idealized eroticism. In the early 1930s, Hollywood capitalized on the fascination with exotic tropical locales, despite these regions being already influenced by Western culture. This trend ranged from ethnographic studies like F.W. Murnau's and Robert Flaherty's "Tabu: A Story of the South Seas" (1931) to adventure films such as the "Tarzan" series (1932) and "King Kong" (1933).

King Vidor's presentation of "Bird of Paradise" frames a tragic romance, depicting a clash between modern "civilization" and a Rousseauian-like fantasy of noble savagery. The film includes elements of sexual promiscuity and eroticism that reflected the lax censorship standards before the enforcement of the Production Code. Despite Vidor's intentions, the film concludes with what some interpret as an anti-miscegenation message, encapsulated in the climactic scene where the heroine is symbolically sacrificed into a volcano, resonating with producer David O. Selznick's penchant for tragic melodrama.

Financially, "Bird of Paradise" suffered a substantial loss of approximately $250,000 at the box office. By 1960, the film entered the public domain in the United States due to the non-renewal of its copyright registration under the Copyright Act of 1909.

CAST:

• Joel McCrea as Johnny

• Dolores del Rio as Luana

• John Halliday as Mac

• Richard "Skeets" Gallagher as Chester

• Bert Roach as Hector

• Lon Chaney Jr. as Thornton

• Wade Boteler as Skipper Johnson

• Arnold Gray as Walker

• Reginald Simpson as O’Fallon

• Napoleon Pukui as King

• Agostino Boragato as Medicine Man

• Sofia Ortega as Mahumahu

CREW:

• Director: King Vidor

• Producer: David O. Selznick, King Vidor

• Writers: Wells Root, Wanda Tuchock, Leonard Praskins (screenplay), Richard Walton Tully (play) 

• Cinematographer: Lucien N. Andriot, Edward Cronjager, Clyde De Vinna

• Editor: Archie Marshek

• Music: Max Steiner

• Art Director: Carroll Clarke

Production Company: RKO Radio Pictures
Distributor: RKO Radio Pictures

Release Date: August 12, 1932
Country of Origin: United States
Running Time: 80 minutes
Budget: $750,000
Box Office Return: $750,000

IMDB Rating =  6.0 / 10

TRIVIA:

• This marked the film debut of Lon Chaney Jr., who was billed under his real name, Creighton Chaney.

• Three years after its release, the film faced censorship under the Motion Picture Production Code for depicting implied sexual conduct between a white man and a woman of color.

• The native village huts in the film were later reused for RKO's "King Kong" (1933) on Skull Island.

• Busby Berkeley choreographed the tribal dances featured in the film.

• Director King Vidor initially intended to shoot exteriors in Hawaii for authenticity but faced technical and weather-related challenges, forcing a change in plans.

• Orson Welles famously praised Dolores Del Río's allure after seeing the film, later entering a relationship with her years later.

• Director King Vidor fell in love with Elizabeth Hill, the script girl, during production in Hawaii, marrying her in 1932.

• Plans for a sequel titled "Green Mansions" were scrapped due to the first film's poor financial performance.

• Composer Max Steiner invested $20,000 from the film's budget to acquire musical instruments for an authentic sound.

• The film's controversial scenes, including Dolores Del Río swimming nude, contributed to the formation of the Catholic Legion of Decency in 1933.

• Initially believed to be the first sound film with a full symphonic score, though later clarifications reveal earlier examples.

• Principal photography began without a complete script, highlighting the challenges faced during production.

• Based on a play that opened on Broadway in 1912 and moved to various theaters during its run.

• RKO purchased the film rights to the play for $375,000, a significant sum at the time.

• Released during a Hollywood era fascinated by Polynesian culture, spurred by events like the 1915 Pan Pacific Exhibition.

• Remade in 1951 with Louis Jourdan and Debra Paget, altering the nationality of the outsider character.

• RKO borrowed director King Vidor from MGM for this production, facilitated by David O. Selznick.

 "Bird of Paradise" (1932) remains a mesmerizing depiction of exotic romance, celebrated for its lush cinematography and compelling portrayal of forbidden love set against the backdrop of the South Seas.