The Pagan (1929)

Henry, the pagan son of a white father and native mother, has inherited land and a store, but he prefers the simple life. When he falls in love with a native girl, her guardian, who is ... See full summary »

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

John Russell (from the story by), Dorothy Farnum (scenario),

Stars:

Ramon Novarro, Renée Adorée, Donald Crisp

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ramon Novarro	...	Henry Shoesmith, Jr.
Renée Adorée	...	Madge
Donald Crisp	...	Mr. Roger Slater
Dorothy King	...	Tito (as Dorothy Janis)

Storyline

Henry, the pagan son of a white father and native mother, has inherited land and a store, but he prefers the simple life. When he falls in love with a native girl, her guardian, who is trying to bring her up as a 'proper' Christian, but who also lusts after her himself, plots to keep them apart.

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Plot Keywords:

native | christian | racism | church | trader | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1929 (USA)

Also Known As:

Chanson païenne

Filming Locations:

Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min 78 min (Turner library print) 100 min (Turner Library print) (19. (silent)

Sound Mix:

Silent (MovieTone) (synchronized music score)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Produced and photographed in the Paumotu Islands of the South Seas."

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Soundtracks

"Pagan Love Song"
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown
Lyrics by Arthur Freed
Sung by an offscreen chorus at he beginning, Ramon Novarro and Dorothy King
Variations played in the score often

User Reviews

Evidence that MGM was slightly behind the times...

Although MGM was probably the biggest and most prestigious studio in Hollywood, it was slower transitioning to sound than most of the other studios. This is because the studio chief, Louis B. Meyer, thought that sound was a passing fad and discouraged his filmmakers from using sound. However, eventually MGM got on the bandwagon. So, while other American film companies were making talking pictures in 1929, MGM was still making silents--albeit one with SHORT songs included along with the musical track throughout the film. This is the case with "The Pagan"--a decent silent with a few sound additions. Part of the reason for not using more sound was not just because of Meyer but because of the practicalities of filming in Tahiti. It wasn't like boom mikes and the like were readily available there!

"The Pagan" is a film with a very, very simple plot. In fact, the star of the film seems to be the locale--it certainly is not the rather scant plot. The movie is about a local man (Ramon Novarro) and his love for the ward of a nasty, nasty man (Donald Crisp). The problem is that the nasty guy HATES natives--and this is odd since he is a 'half-breed' as the film calls him. He also hates Novarro's character because of the ward--a native that BOTH men want. What will happen? See the film.

Overall, this is an incredibly beautiful and dated film. Terms like 'half-breed', 'half-caste' and 'pagan' aren't exactly nice when used today--and show a certain patronizing view of natives. Still, if you can look past this and the story (highly reminiscent of "Rain"), then it's worth seeing.