Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Tommy Lee Jones | ... | Captain Bully Hayes | |
Michael O'Keefe | ... | Nathaniel Williamson | |
Max Phipps | ... | Ben Pease | |
Jenny Seagrove | ... | Sophie | |
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Grant Tilly | ... | Count Von Rittenberg |
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Peter Rowley | ... | Louis Beck |
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William Johnson | ... | Reverend Williamson (as Bill Johnson) |
Kate Harcourt | ... | Mrs. Williamson | |
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Reg Ruka | ... | Moaka |
Roy Billing | ... | Auctioneer | |
Bruce Allpress | ... | Mr. Blake | |
David Letch | ... | Ratbag | |
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Prince Tui Teka | ... | King of Ponape |
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Pudji Waseso | ... | Fong |
Peter Vere-Jones | ... | Gunboat Captain |
It's the late nineteenth century in the South Pacific. Bully Hayes considers himself a pirate with morals and standards, and while he has never flown the skull and crossbones, he has dealt in illegal trade, albeit never having swindled or killed anyone who didn't deserve it. It is after one of those trading missions with a native tribe gone wrong that he is arrested "by an old friend" under Spanish law for attempting to sell arms to the enemy, a crime punishable by hanging. Awaiting his fate in a dank prison cell, he tells his lawyer how he came to this situation. What Bully specifically tells him is the last escapades aboard his former beloved ship, the Rona, the long voyage transporting New Englander Nathaniel Williamson and his British fiancée Sophie to their South Pacific mission where they were to be married before bringing the word of God to the natives. Earnest Nathaniel disliked him from the beginning due to the harmless or not so harmless flirtation between him and Sophie. ... Written by Huggo
I was lucky enough to go to the European premiere of this film in London ( although strangely enough i seem to remember that it ended up on a double bill with TOP SECRET in some cinemas). Made before Tommy Lee Jones became a big star it was quite obviously the inspiration for Pirates of the Caribbean. It was released in the UK under the title SAVAGE ISLANDS but in some places it was called NATE & HAYES. However, shame on Paramount for not exploiting it better. I know they had a lot riding on the not dissimilar Indiana Jones films but this is a cracking adventure and deserves better treatment (and why oh why has it not been seen on UK television for about 15 years?).
Good news though. The film is finally getting a DVD release (on region 1 only) on June 20th 2006 so keep an eye out for it.