The Hurricane (1937)

A Polynesian sailor who's unjustly imprisoned after a saloon brawl is relentlessly persecuted by his island's martinet French governor.

Director:

John Ford

Writers:

Dudley Nichols (screen play), Oliver H.P. Garrett (adaptation),

Stars:

Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Mary Astor

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dorothy Lamour	...	Marama
Jon Hall	...	Terangi
Mary Astor	...	Mme. DeLaage
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Father Paul
Thomas Mitchell	...	Dr. Kersaint
Raymond Massey	...	DeLaage
John Carradine	...	Warden
Jerome Cowan	...	Captain Nagle
Al Kikume	...	Chief Mehevi
Kuulei De Clercq	...	Tita
Layne Tom Jr.	...	Mako
Mamo Clark	...	Hitia
Movita	...	Arai (as Movita Castenada)

Storyline

In the Island of Manukura, a French colony in the South Seas, the joyful Terangi is a leader among the natives and the first mate of the Katopua, the tall ship of Captain Nagle. Terangi gets married with Marama and sooner he sails to Tahiti. While in a bar playing with other natives, Terangi is offended by an alcoholic racist French and he hits his face, breaking his jaw. Despite the testimony of Captain Nagle, Terangi is sentenced to six months of forced labor since the victim had political connections with the Powers That Be. Captain Nagle asks the Governor Eugene DeLaage to uses his influence to help Terangi, but the governor refuses. Terangi unsuccessfully tries to escape from the prison, and each attempt increases his sentence. Eight years later, he finally escapes and his jailbreak is celebrated in Manukura. Father Paul finds his canoe and brings Terangi to the island. But a devastating hurricane also arrives in the island threatening the dwellers.

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Plot Keywords:

island | governor | native | hurricane | tahiti | 

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Taglines:

South Sea Adventure Calls

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1938 (Austria)

Also Known As:

...dann kam der Orkan

Filming Locations:

Pago Pago, American Samoa

Box Office

Budget:

$2,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min 103 min (video) 104 min (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Life Magazine, special effects wizard James Basevi was given a budget of $400,000 to create his effects. He spent $150,000 to build a native village with a lagoon 200 yards long, and then spent $250,000 destroying it.

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Quotes

DeLaage: My dear doctor, I'm ready to give my wife and my friends anything I own in the world except my sense of honor and duty.
Dr. Kersaint: A sense of honor in the South Seas is about as useful and often as silly as a silk hat in a hurricane.

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Connections

Referenced in Have You Got Any Castles? (1938)

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Soundtracks

"I Can't Give You Anything But Love"
(1928) (uncredited)
Music by Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics by Dorothy Fields
Sung offscreen by an unidentifed female in a Tahiti nightclub

User Reviews

Classic South Sea Island adventure.

There is a great cast in this superb piece of Hollywood hokum. Jon Hall and Dorothy Lamour are in there physical prime, Raymond Massey brings dignity and his considerable acting skill to his role as the harsh Island governor, the wonderfully photogenic C. Aubrey Smith (was he ever young I wonder) is the priest and Thomas Mitchell plays his usual drunken Irishman (even though he's supposed to be French). The corn ball plot moves swiftly and is played sincerely and the climatic hurricane scenes are still awe inspiring

For sheer entertainment I give it 9 out of ten.