An American woman goes to Hawaii to search for her husband, MIA since the war, but he's a fugitive from the law and involved in a private feud against his former crime syndicate partners.
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Title: Hell's Half Acre (1954)
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Cast
| Cast overview: | |||
| Wendell Corey | ... | Chet Chester | |
| Evelyn Keyes | ... | Donna Williams | |
| Elsa Lanchester | ... | Lida O'Reilly | |
| Marie Windsor | ... | Rose | |
| Nancy Gates | ... | Sally Lee | |
| Leonard Strong | ... | Ippy | |
| Jesse White | ... | Tubby Otis | |
| Philip Ahn | ... | Roger Kong | |
 |
Robert Shield | ... | Frank |
|
|
Clair Widenaar | ... | Jamison |
|
|
Robert Costa | ... | 'Slim' Novak |
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Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
Storyline
A woman who believes her missing husband is in prison in Hawaii on a murder charge travels there to see if it actually is him. However, he escapes before she sees him, when he hears that his current girlfriend has been murdered. The wife searches the slum area of Honolulu known as Hell's Half Acre for him, he searches for his girlfriend's killer, and his gangland associates are looking for the two of them. Written by frankfob2@yahoo.com
Taglines:
THROUGH THE TWISTING ALLEYS A WOMAN SEEKS HER MAN AND COLD-BLOODED KILLERS AWAIT HER TOO! (original poster-all caps) See more »Parents Guide:
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
1 June 1954 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Les bas-fonds d'Hawaï See more »Filming Locations:
Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USACompany 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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Written by Jack Pitman (as Jack Pittman)
Sung by The Kaumakapili Choir
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Did You Know?
Soundtracks
Polynesian RhapsodyWritten by Jack Pitman (as Jack Pittman)
Sung by The Kaumakapili Choir
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Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.On IMDb TV, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
As I recall this little slice of b&w exotica got quite a bit of buzz back then. No doubt, that was because of the naughty innuendo and unusual locale. 1954 was before Hawaii became a state or showed up on weekly TV, so the backgrounds and people were still foreign to American living rooms. Anyway, the plot's anything but tight, running two or three threads at the same time. There's no need to recap what others have already done in detail.
What carries the film are the Hawaiian 'mise-en-scene', colorful characters, and good acting. Honolulu's Half Acre amounts to a hellish maze of rickety stairs, balconies, and walkways, all used to good effect by director Auer. Couple that with a noir character like Chester (Corey), a bosomy slut like Rose (Windsor, of course), and a slimy yucko like Ippy (Strong), along with other shady types, and who cares about plot logic. As a result, the visuals and characters rivet even when the narrative doesn't. Still, what's with Tubby (White) who gets bloodlessly shot in the shoulder and seconds later pulls a Tarzan escape with perfect coordination. Even cowboy matinees are more realistic than that, and who knew matinees better than Republic. All in all, it looks like a feature length appeal was aimed at, including something of a 'name' cast and a spicy story. Still, I'd like to know how the results actually performed dollar-wise. Nonetheless, the movie's not without points of interest, along with an ending that is not predictable, plus a Hawaii that sure doesn't show up on tourist brochures.