Never the Twain Shall Meet (1931)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

W.S. Van Dyke

Writers:

Peter B. Kyne (novel)
Edwin Justus Mayer (dialogue continuity)

Release Date:

16 May 1931 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Dan works for Pritchard and Pritchard out of San Francisco and is in love with Maisie, referred to as "the icebox" by his news reporter friend...

Plot Keywords:

Guardian | South Sea Island | Leprosy | San Francisco California | Sea Captain

Cast

Leslie Howard	...	Dan Pritchard
Conchita Montenegro	...	Tamea Larrieau
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Mr. Pritchard
Karen Morley	...	Maisie Morrison
Mitchell Lewis	...	Capt. Larrieau
Hale Hamilton	...	Mark Mellenger
Clyde Cook	...	Mr. Porter
Bob Gilbert	...	Tolongo
Joan Standing	...	Julia
Eulalie Jensen	...	Mrs. Graves

Runtime:

79 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Company:

Cosmopolitan Productions

Movie Connections:

Version of Never the Twain Shall Meet (1925)

Soundtrack:

Pagan Love Song

East Is East And West Is West

A young San Francisco shipping magnate learns that NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET when he falls in love with a passionate South Seas maiden.

Celebrated MGM director W.S. Van Dyke took his love of foreign locales, mixed it with some stock footage of the Pacific Islands and created this obscure little pre-Code film which features fine performances embedded into a somewhat silly plot. There is more than a faint whiff of snobbish racism in the story which may interest modern viewers.

British actor Leslie Howard gets an emotional workout as the man jarringly confronted with his lover's unfamiliar culture; his slow dissipation is convincingly portrayed. Spanish teenager Conchita Montenegro gives an energetic & lively performance as the uninhibited child of nature who entices him to leave his wealth & position behind. Together they make a most interesting movie couple.

Marvelous old Sir C. Aubrey Smith steals his scenes as Howard's concerned father. Lovely Karen Morley plays Howard's emotionally aloof girlfriend; hearty Hale Hamilton is their arch reporter friend. Bearded Mitchell Lewis is most memorable in his one scene as a leprous sea captain; Clyde Cook adds some color as an English derelict on Miss Montenegro's island.

The phonograph which Miss Montenegro plays in her bamboo shack is a recording of 'Pagan Love Song' (by Nacio Herb Brown & Arthur Freed) which became a big hit when sung by Ramon Novarro a couple of years earlier in another film directed by Van Dyke, MGM's THE PAGAN (1929). Freed also composed the melody 'Islands of Love' which is heard throughout NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET.