After a long absense from the island, Chester Tuttle returns to Tahiti to find that little has changed. His large family, particularly his scheming Uncle Jonas, would rather dance and ...
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Title: The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Charles Laughton | ... | Jonas | |
| Jon Hall | ... | Chester | |
| Peggy Drake | ... | Tamara | |
| Victor Francen | ... | Dr. Blondin | |
| Gene Reynolds | ... | Ru | |
| Florence Bates | ... | Emily | |
| Curt Bois | ... | Jensen | |
| Adeline De Walt Reynolds | ... | Mama Ruau (as Adeline de Walt Reynolds) | |
| Mala | ... | Nat | |
 |
Leonard Sues | ... | Fana |
| Jody Gilbert | ... | Effie | |
| Tommy Cook | ... | Riki | |
|
|
Jack Carr | ... | Rapoti |
|
|
Jimmy Ames | ... | Manu |
| Ernie Adams | ... | Paki | |
Edit
Plot Summary
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Storyline
After a long absense from the island, Chester Tuttle returns to Tahiti to find that little has changed. His large family, particularly his scheming Uncle Jonas, would rather dance and romance than earn a living. When Jonas loses the family plantation in a cockfight, Chester saves the day by towing in a large ship abandoned at sea and claiming the salvage. But opening a joint bank account in the name of the Tuttle clan may not have been a wise decision.... Written by Chris Stone <jstone@bellatlantic.net>
Plot Keywords:
bare chested male | large family | tahiti | borrowing money | bounced check |Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1 May 1942 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
A Vida Assim é Melhor See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$847,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (RCA Sound System)Color:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Did You Know?
Trivia
"The Screen Guild Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on March 13, 1944 with Charles Laughton reprising his film role. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
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Like the Capra film, this one is all about the maxim of, "Work to Live, don't Live to Work".
In today's parlance, the Tuttles would be considered 'white trash'. Working only enough to get by, 'mooching' off of their friends, wasting their money on fun and games. In truth, they live the sort of life that everyone secretly wishes that they themselves could live. Fortunately for them (and the film), instead of envying them, others around them love them for it.
While their home may be run down, and their credit is no good, the Tuttles themselves are rock solid people who have their values straight. Family, Fun, and Fishing. That's about as fundamental as it gets.
The plot is thin, but that's OK. It's the characters that carry this movie.
Frankly, it's the sort of film one doesn't see anymore. What with the breakdown of the family unit, and the now foreign idea of large family's living under a single roof, the setup alone may be one that modern audiences no longer understand. It very much perpetuates the matriarchal/patriarchal social dynamic that one used to find in the U.S.A. While the setting may be in the far flung south pacific, no doubt that Midwestern families back when this movie premiered could see certain of themselves in the Tuttles.
It's an ode to a slower (and richer) pace of life that too many people in our 'go-go-go' world have lost touch with these days.
So, get a little money, get a little gasoline, do a little fishing, and then have a party with your friends. Life is all about the living of it.