Waikiki Wedding

Paramount, 1937
Starring Bing Crosby, Shirley Ross, Martha Raye, and Bob Ross
Directed by Frank Tuttle
Music by Ralph Rainger; Lyrics by Leo Robin and Jimmy Lowell

We leave one enchanted isle for another, as we head across the Pacific from Africa and a deserted tropical island to one that's very much inhabited - Hawaii. Today, this exotic romantic comedy is best known for introducing the standard "Blue Hawaii" and the Oscar-winning ballad "Sweet Lelani." How well does the tale of a young woman who learns about the charms of the Hawaiian Islands from a laid-back publicity agent go over today? Let's get off right at Hawaii, where a native show is just beginning, and find out...

The Story: Tony Marvin (Crosby) is a publicity agent for the Imperial Pineapple Company in Honolulu. He's more comfortable among the natives and with his pig-loving friend Shad (Bob Ross) on his boat than dealing with the stuffy heads of the pineapple business. Tony's latest brainstorm was holding a contest to anoint a "Pineapple Girl" who'll come to Hawaii for three weeks and write glowing accounts of the islands. The winner, Georgia Smith (Shirley Ross), isn't exactly glowing. Her first week was mostly spent being shuttled around to various locations for publicity stunts. She and her best friend Myrtle (Raye) are dying for a little island romance.

To keep the girls from leaving, Tony, Shad, and the natives concoct a plot that involves waylaying Martha and Georgia at the docks and giving them a black pearl, claiming it must be returned to the native village or the volcano will go off. Kimo, a young native (Anthony Quinn), takes the group to the village in his boat to return the pearl. Meanwhile, Tony writes press releases praising Hawaii with Georgia's name on them, but he's having second thoughts when he sees how much Georgia is now enjoying her experiences and how well Myrtle is getting along with Shad and his pig Walford. And then, her fiancee Dr. Victor Quimby (Leif Erickson) calls and demands for her to be sent home...

The Song and Dance: This may be one of Bing's more unusual movies. For one of his films, there's a decent cast and some great numbers, including two excellent native dances. Speaking of the natives, they're treated surprisingly well for this time. Tony defends them, respects them, and brings them in on his plot from the start. They have a couple of nice comic bits that don't talk down to them. Some of the movie was even filmed in the real Hawaii for even more authenticity. Raye and Bob Ross are funny (if a bit over-the-top) as the second couple, and Leif Erickson comes off much better here as the stick-in-the-mud fiancee than he did as one of the romantic leads in The Big Broadcast of 1938.

Favorite Number: Bing and Ross introduce "Blue Hawaii" in a lovely sequence on the boat to the native village and have fun with the natives in "A Little Hula Heaven." Raye gets to lay into "Okolehao," on a native liqueur. Bing sings "Sweet Lelani" to a native girl in a very sweet sequence. The two native dance routines, including the fairly authentic-looking marriage ceremony in the opening, have some really excellent choreography.

Trivia: This is not the last time Hawaii or the song "Blue Hawaii" would figure into a Paramount musical. Elvis Prestley would do a tropical-set movie called "Blue Hawaii" in 1961 and would make the song an even bigger hit.

What I Don't Like: The story, while original, is pretty flimsy. Georgia comes off as a bit ungrateful in the beginning, complaining over winning a vacation most people would throw a year's worth of pay towards. Bing is a little too laid-back to suggest a decent publicity agent, and their desperation to keep the girls there can get pretty silly.

The Big Finale: One of Bing's better musicals of the 1930's, this is a fun flick with a game cast and some nice tropical-flavored tunes.

Home Media: Another Bing vehicle that can only be found on the Universal Vault collection or as part of a DVD set.

DVD - Universal Vault
DVD - Bing Crosby: Screen Legends Collection