Song of the Islands
Encyclopedia
Song of the Islands is a 1942
musical comedy film starring Betty Grable
and Victor Mature
. It was directed by Walter Lang
and released through 20th Century Fox
.
had recently scored major hits with her leading roles for Fox. Films such as Down Argentine Way
and Tin Pan Alley
both in 1940
as well as Moon Over Miami
, A Yank in the RAF
and I Wake Up Screaming
all in 1941
. After the success of Song of the Islands, Fox realized they had a gold mine on their hands and kept lavishing Grable with Technicolor musicals and an increasing salary.
1942 in film
The year 1942 in film involved some significant events, in particular the release of a film consistently rated as one of the greatest of all time, Casablanca.-Events:...
musical comedy film starring Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
and Victor Mature
Victor Mature
Victor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,...
. It was directed by Walter Lang
Walter Lang
Walter Lang was an American film director.-Early life:Walter Lang was born in Memphis, Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a film production company. The business piqued his artistic instincts and he began learning the various facets of filmmaking...
and released through 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
.
Plot
Jeff Harper sails to the tropical paradise Ahmi-Oni with his sidekick Rusty. He is there on behalf of his father to bargain for land with Dennis O'Brien. Jeff however falls in love with O'Brien's daughter Eileen and it is then up to Jeff's father to go to the island and try to break them up. A task easier said than done because Jeff's father also falls under the spell of the beautiful splendor of the islands.Cast
- Betty GrableBetty GrableElizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
as Eileen O'Brien - Victor MatureVictor MatureVictor John Mature was an American stage, film and television actor.-Early life:Mature was born in Louisville, Kentucky to an Italian-speaking father from the town Pinzolo, in the Italian part of the former County of Tyrol , Marcello Gelindo Maturi, later Marcellus George Mature, a cutler,...
as Jeff Harper - Jack OakieJack OakieJack Oakie was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television.-Early life:...
as Rusty Smith - Thomas MitchellThomas Mitchell (actor)Thomas Mitchell was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. Among his most famous roles in a long career are those of Gerald O'Hara, the father of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, the drunken Doc Boone in John Ford's Stagecoach, and Uncle Billy in It's a Wonderful Life...
as Dennis O'Brien - George BarbierGeorge BarbierGeorge Barbier was one of the great French illustrators of the early 20th century. Born in Nantes, France on October 10, 1882, Barbier was 29 years old when he mounted his first exhibition in 1911 and was subsequently swept to the forefront of his profession with commissions to design theatre and...
as Jefferson Harper Sr. - Hilo HattieHilo HattieHilo Hattie was born Clarissa "Clara" Haili in Honolulu, Hawaii. She was a Hawaiian singer, hula dancer, actress and comedian of 100% Native Hawaiian ancestry.-Early life and career:...
as Palola - Billy GilbertBilly GilbertBilly Gilbert was an American comedian and actor known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects and television shows starting in 1929. He is not to be confused with silent film actor Billy Gilbert Billy Gilbert (September 12, 1894 – September 23,...
as Palola's father - Lillian PorterLillian PorterLillian Porter was an American film and television actress.She retired after marrying Russell Hayden on July 11, 1946...
as Paulani
Background
Betty GrableBetty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
had recently scored major hits with her leading roles for Fox. Films such as Down Argentine Way
Down Argentine Way
Down Argentine Way is a 1940 Technicolor musical film made by Twentieth Century Fox. It made a star of Betty Grable in her first leading role for the studio, and introduced American audiences to Carmen Miranda. The film also starred Don Ameche, The Nicholas Brothers, Charlotte Greenwood, and J....
and Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley
Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music of the United States in the late 19th century and early 20th century...
both in 1940
1940 in film
The year 1940 in film involved some significant events, including the premieres of the Walt Disney classics Pinocchio and Fantasia.-Events:*February 7 - Walt Disney's animated film Pinocchio is released....
as well as Moon Over Miami
Moon Over Miami (film)
Moon Over Miami is a 1941 Technicolor musical film directed by Walter Lang, with Betty Grable and Don Ameche in leading roles and co-starring Robert Cummings, Carole Landis, Jack Haley, and Charlotte Greenwood. It was one of Haley's last appearances in a major, large-budgeted film; after 1943 he...
, A Yank in the RAF
A Yank in the RAF
A Yank in the RAF is a black-and-white 1941 movie directed by Henry King, and is considered a typical early-World War II movie.-Plot Summary:...
and I Wake Up Screaming
I Wake Up Screaming
I Wake Up Screaming is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, who co-wrote the screenplay with Dwight Taylor...
all in 1941
1941 in film
The year 1941 in film involved some significant events.-Events:Citizen Kane, consistently rated as one of the greatest films of all time, was released in 1941.-Top grossing films :-Academy Awards:...
. After the success of Song of the Islands, Fox realized they had a gold mine on their hands and kept lavishing Grable with Technicolor musicals and an increasing salary.