His Majesty O'Keefe (1954)

Director:

Byron Haskin

Writers:

Borden Chase (screenplay) and
James Hill (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 January 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Adventure Beyond The Fabulous! Two Years In The Making! All Of It Actually Filmed In The Fiji Islands!

Plot:

A Yankee sea captain has adventures in paradise trying to become an entrepreneur in Micronesia.

Plot Keywords:

Island | 1870s | Micronesia | Copra | Mirror

Cast

Burt Lancaster	...	Capt. David Dion O'Keefe / Narrator
Joan Rice	...	Dalabo aki Dali
André Morell	...	Alfred Tetins (as Andre Morell)
Abraham Sofaer	...	Fatumak, Medicine Man
Archie Savage	...	Boogulroo
Benson Fong	...	Mr. Chou
Tessa Prendergast	...	Kakofel
Lloyd Berrell	...	Inifel
Charles Horvath	...	Capt. Bully Hayes
Philip Ahn	...	Sien Tang, Dentist
Guy Doleman	...	Herr Weber
Grant Taylor	...	Lt. Brenner
Alexander Archdale	...	Bob Harris
Harvey Adams	...	Herr Friedlander
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Dime	...	Sailor at Table in Saloon (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	...	Tough Sailor in Fight (uncredited)
Paul Picerni	...	Spanish Ship Owner (uncredited)
Jack Stoney	...	Tough Sailor in Fight (uncredited)

Directed by
Byron Haskin

Writing credits
Borden Chase		(screenplay) and
James Hill		(screenplay)
Lawrence Klingman		(suggested by a novel by) and
Gerald Green		(suggested by a novel by)

Produced by
Norman Deming	....	associate producer
Harold Hecht	....	producer

Original Music by
Robert Farnon		(alternate score: UK release)
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Otto Heller		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Manuel del Campo		(as Manuel Del Campo)

Art Direction by
Ted Haworth		(as Edward S. Haworth)
W. Simpson Robinson

Set Decoration by
Jane Roth

Costume Design by
Marjorie Best		(costumes designed by)
Elizabeth Hennings		(costumes designed by) (as Liz Hennings)

Makeup Department
Stuart Freeborn	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Richard McWhorter	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Francis J. Scheid	....	sound

Stunts
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor

Other crew
Joan Bridge	....	Technicolor color consultant
Daniel Nagrin	....	choreography

Thanks
Ratu Penaia Lala Latianara	....	we wish to acknowledge our gratitude to (as Ratu Penaia Lala Latianara Serua District Chief in Charge)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1954) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (UK) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1954) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (198?) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Secretary for Fijian Affairs  we wish to acknowledge our gratitude to (as the Secretary for Fijian Affairs)
• Wonderful People of the Fiji Islands  we wish to acknowledge our gratitude to (as the wonderful people of the Fiji Islands)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (f) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:14 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #16084) | Sweden:15 | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Fiji Islands, Fiji

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

William Henry "Bully" Hayes (1829 - 1877) was a South Sea pirate born in Cleveland, Ohio. He ran trading missions throughout the South Pacific (including the Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, New Zealand , Australia), specialising in rum and rifles, but he was not averse to "blackbirding" (slaving). He was killed after a violent disagreement and his body was thrown into the ocean. His murderer was never brought to justice.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When O'Keefe's mutinous crew throws him overboard at the beginning, he climbs into the lifeboat being towed by his ship. A crewman is then shown cutting the tow line, but when the camera cuts back to O'Keefe in the boat, the line is still taut and leading up to the ship. Only later is the severed line shown floating slack in the water.

Quotes:

Capt. David O'Keefe:Where did I go wrong, old man?
Fatumak, Medicine Man:We all lose our way sometimes.
Capt. David O'Keefe:[repeating] Where did I go wrong?
Fatumak, Medicine Man:The whale that swallows the dolphin chokes and dies, but the whale who lives without greed is the king of the sea.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Night Patrol (1984)

Soundtrack:

Isa Lei

Fluffy but Entertaining

This film is not Lancaster's best but is enjoyable if you enjoy watching him in his athletic prime. Beautifully shot, it captures the exciting times of adventure on the high seas and island exploration. The plot is fairly insubstantial and there's nothing new here but at just over 90 minutes, the story never drags. Definitely worth a look if you're a fan of Burt's.