White Heat (1934)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Lois Weber

Writers:

James Bodrero (writer)
Lois Weber (writer)

Release Date:

15 June 1934 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plantation owner William Hawks (David Newell) doesn't approve of the fact that most of the white men on the island have married...

Plot Keywords:

Kerosene | Interracial Relationship | Lost Film | Gangster

Cast

Virginia Cherrill	...	Lucille Cheney
Mona Maris	...	Leilani
Hardie Albright	...	Chandler Morris
David Newell	...	William Hawkes
Arthur Clayton	...	Armia
Robert R. Stephenson	...	Mac (as Bob Stevenson)
Whitney De Rahm	...	Hale
Naomi Childers	...	Mrs. Cheney
Nani Palsa	...	Adam
Kolimau Kamai	...	Lono
Kamaunani Achi	...	Mrs. Hale
Peter Lee Hyun	...	Soong
Nohill Naumu	...	Leilani's Father

Also Known As:

Cane Fire (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

62 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Hawaii, USA

Company:

Pinnacle Productions

Trivia:

The first television showing of this film was on Friday, June 21, 1940 on NBC's televison station W2XBS.

One Lois Weber movie not likely to be endorsed by any wing of the Women's Lib movement.

White Heat is both sexist and racist in presentation and attitude but that may also be the only direction writer/director Lois Weber could have taken it in 1934. The ending finds Leilana, the ever-faithful stand-by-her-man island type, the only character among the leads with any character at all and that was most likely Weber's point. One does have to question Leilana's choice of men, the ever-moody, always-suffering David Newell. Surely, Al Kikume was diving off a point somewhere on this Hawaiian island.