Island in the Sun (1957)

Set on a fictitious island in the Carribean during colonial British rule. It focuses on the life of a young charismatic and handsome black male with political aspirations. He finds himself ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Rossen

Writers:

Alfred Hayes, Alec Waugh (novel)

Stars:

James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Dorothy Dandridge

Cast

Credited cast:
James Mason	...	Maxwell Fleury
Joan Fontaine	...	Mavis Norman
Dorothy Dandridge	...	Margot Seaton
Joan Collins	...	Jocelyn Fleury
Michael Rennie	...	Hilary Carson
Harry Belafonte	...	David Boyeur
Diana Wynyard	...	Mrs. Fleury
John Williams	...	Colonel Whittingham
Stephen Boyd	...	Euan Templeton
Patricia Owens	...	Sylvia Fleury
Basil Sydney	...	Julian Fleury
John Justin	...	Denis Archer
Ronald Squire	...	Governor Templeton
Hartley Power	...	Bradshaw
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Barbara Upton	...	Colonel's Secretary

Storyline

Set on a fictitious island in the Carribean during colonial British rule. It focuses on the life of a young charismatic and handsome black male with political aspirations. He finds himself confused on returning home when his romantic liaison with a white female tends to conflict with his political views. As rumor has it an interracial screen kiss caused quite a commotion in the U.S. when the film was released. The plot is further strengthened by a look at the lives of a white ex-pat family also living on the island. The family has to deal with problems of infidelity, racism and murder.

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Plot Keywords:

island | racism | murder | infidelity | kiss | 

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Taglines:

The place is the West Indies . . . the sun hides many things.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 August 1957 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Heiße Erde

Filming Locations:

Barbados

Box Office

Budget:

$2,250,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$8,000,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Darryl F. Zanuck Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In August 1957, this film was being being shown on a double bill with Monkey on My Back.

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Quotes

Mavis Norman: Does it make any difference, having an aim in life?

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Connections

References The Red Shoes (1948)

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Soundtracks

"Island in the Sun"
Written by Harry Belafonte and Irving Burgie
Performed by Harry Belafonte

User Reviews

Strong cast, weak story, vague look at race relations in Caribbean...

Alec Waugh's novel dealt with murder, incest, racism and other assorted social problems including politics--and one would think that the film made from his best-selling novel would have to be something really important and vastly entertaining. Sorry--not so. The script is a major dud requiring a viewer to sit through two hours of boredom relieved only by a chance to gape at some nice scenery.

The actors have all done better work elsewhere--and that includes JAMES MASON, HARRY BELAFONTE, JOAN FONTAINE, JOAN COLLINS, STEPHEN BOYD, PATRICIA OWEN and DOROTHY DANDRIDGE. At the time of release it may have stirred up some controversy because of the racial theme but none of the love interest is graphic enough to quicken anyone's pulse, then or now.

The Fontaine/Belafonte match suffers from poor writing and she looks vaguely uncomfortable in her role most of the time. It all comes off as cheap soap opera material, cleansed of any serious look or discussion of racial problems among the upper and middle class set depicted in the film.

But what matters most of all is that the film is a boring mess, long and very undistinguished despite its stellar cast.