Pagan Love Song

Director: Robert Alton Robert Alton

Overview

Pagan Love Song derives its title from a 1929 tune written by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown. The plot is cut from the same cloth as MGM's previous Esther Williams musicals. Sporting a black wig and deep tan, Williams plays American lass Mimi Bennett, who while on vacation in the South Seas is mistaken for a native girl by visiting schoolteacher Hazard Endicott (Howard Keel). Instantly falling in love with Mimi, Hazard attempts to court her according to Tahitian traditions. And that's about it for the plot; the rest of the film consists of Esther Williams swimming and Howard Keel singing. Based on the novel Tahiti Landfall by William S. Stone, Pagan Love Song was to have been directed by Stanley Donen, but Williams vetoed Donen in favor of Robert Alton.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/26/2018
UPC:	0888574658199
Original Release:	1950
Source:	Warner Archives
Language:	English
Time:	1:16:00
Sales rank:	45,650

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Howard Keel	Hazard Endicott
Esther Williams	Mimi Bennett
Minna Gombell	Kate Bennett
Charles Mauu	Tavae
Rita Moreno	Terru
Philip Costa	Manu
Dione Leilani	Tani
Charles Freund	Papera
Marcell Corday	Countess Mariani
Sam Maikai	Tua
Helen Rapoza	Angele
Birdie DeBolt	Mama Ruau
Bill Kaliloa	Mata
Carlo Cook	Mons. Bouchet

Technical Credits

Jerry Davis

Robert Alton	Director
Arthur Freed	Producer
A. Arnold Gillespie	Special Effects
Warren Newcombe	Special Effects
Jerry Davis	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

"Wet, she was a star," Joseph Pasternak once remarked about the silver screen's swimming sensation, Esther Williams, and that was the problem with her films -- there's only so much time that the star of a motion picture can spend in the water. All of Williams' films suffer from the (literal) "dry spells" between water ballets, but the mediocre Pagan Love Song suffers more than most. At best an adequate actor, Williams is particularly mechanical here and is not helped by the always stolid Howard Keel. The lack of chemistry between the leads is damaging, although both of them are in fine physical condition and look good together. They get little help from Robert Alton's uninspired direction, nor from Harry Warren and Arthur Freed's okay-but-nothing-more score. Williams' water ballet is a genuine keeper, of course, and other musical moments are diverting at least. And there's plenty of gorgeous scenery (courtesy of the island of Kauai) to keep the eyes entertained. Though not her best film, Pagan Love Song is still interesting as an example of a cinematic subgenre that is unlikely ever to be revived.

All Movie Guide - Craig Butler