Starring Betty Grable, Victor Mature, Jack Oakie, and Thomas Mitchell
Directed by Walter Lang
Music and Lyrics by various
Our second Hawaiian trip this week takes us from Honolulu to the mythical island of Ahmi-Oni. Grable had just scored a major hit with another vacation musical, Moon Over Miami, in 1941. Fox was so delighted, they rushed her into this one. How does the story of a father-son duo who falls for both tropical living and the daughter of an Irish landowner look nowadays? Let's begin with the return of Eileen O'Brian (Grable) to the island after she's been away at school and find out...
The Story: Eileen is reunited with her father Dennis (Mitchell) and old family friend Paola (Hilo Hattie). She's not as happy when sailor Jeff Harper (Mature) waltzes into her home with his cowboy buddy Rusty (Oakie), trying to buy her father's land to raise cattle. Harper can't bring himself to tell his father Harper Sr. (George Barbier) that he's fallen hard for the charms of the island and of Eileen. Harper Sr. eventually comes to force the O'Brians off their land...but he becomes so smitten with the island's customs and people that he and O'Brian eventually try to get their children to fall in love instead.
The Song and Dance: Grable almost literally glows in this sweet Hawaiian confection. She's absolutely radiant in her grass skirts and pastel leis. Mature has nearly as much fun playing the girl-chasing sailor who falls almost as hard for the island's charms as hers, and Mitchell is hilarious in his first musical as her bumbling father. Love the lush Technicolor scenery, too, much of it actually filmed on location in Hawaii.
Favorite Number: We open with the natives vigorously performing "Down on Ami Ami Oni Oni Isle" for Grable as she returns, and later when she joins in for a native dance. The natives also get a rather nice reworked version of "Hawaiian War Chant" going. Grable hopefully performs "Sing Me a Song of the Islands" as her boat arrives home. Oakie sings "Home On the Range" on a guitar at the Harpers' home; Harry Owens and His Royal Hawaiians pick it up later. Oakie also sings "What's Buzzin', Cousin?" at Paola's house during dinner.
Hilo Hattie has a great time tearing into her solo "The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakaiai" at the St. Patrick's Day party in the finale. The film ends with the unique Irish-Hawaiian mix number "O'Brian's Gone Hawaiian," as Grable and the chorus amusingly cross a tap routine with traditional hula dancing.
What I Don't Like: I definitely don't appreciate how the natives are treated here. Not only is Hilo Hattie the only actual Hawaiian in the entire cast, but they're all either looked at condescendingly or played for laughs. Rusty treats Paola like the dirt under his shoe, and not just because she's trying too hard. There's her uncle, too, an annoying and ugly pest played by Bill Gilbert who exists to disgust the audience and annoy Oakie. Not to mention, neither the songs nor the story are in any way distinguished or all that interesting.
The Big Finale: Fun bit of nonsense if you're a fan of Grable or looking for pleasant background noise for an hour or so.
Home Media: DVD only from the 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives.
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