The Tuttles of Tahiti

If Pacific Islanders can be considered a race, and in some questionnaires they seem to be, then The Tuttles of Tahiti may be considered a pioneering (for its time) film representation of a racially integrated family. But there's not a bit of preaching to shove race mixing down anyone's throat. The Tuttles are naive and incompetent in their attempts to maintain financial solvency. They are also materialistic and fun-loving. The clan's females are impressively hip-swinging in dance, and the males offer seemingly authentic Polynesian grunts to the music. Charles Laughton is, of course, an acting genius as the doltish elder on whom dozens of family members depend for leadership. His spectacular failures are the stuff of which this charming comedy is made. I first saw this film when it was released in 1942, when I was 14 and too young to appreciate its subtle qualities. (After all, Lost Horizon author James Hilton was one of the writers.) But seeing it again at age 89 was a fulfilling experience. Nobody makes movies like this anymore, so we've got a special gem here.

Like the Capra film, this one is all about the maxim of, "Work to Live, don't Live to Work".

In today's parlance, the Tuttles would be considered 'white trash'. Working only enough to get by, 'mooching' off of their friends, wasting their money on fun and games. In truth, they live the sort of life that everyone secretly wishes that they themselves could live. Fortunately for them (and the film), instead of envying them, others around them love them for it.

While their home may be run down, and their credit is no good, the Tuttles themselves are rock solid people who have their values straight. Family, Fun, and Fishing. That's about as fundamental as it gets.

The plot is thin, but that's OK. It's the characters that carry this movie.

Frankly, it's the sort of film one doesn't see anymore. What with the breakdown of the family unit, and the now foreign idea of large family's living under a single roof, the setup alone may be one that modern audiences no longer understand. It very much perpetuates the matriarchal/patriarchal social dynamic that one used to find in the U.S.A. While the setting may be in the far flung south pacific, no doubt that Midwestern families back when this movie premiered could see certain of themselves in the Tuttles.

It's an ode to a slower (and richer) pace of life that too many people in our 'go-go-go' world have lost touch with these days.

So, get a little money, get a little gasoline, do a little fishing, and then have a party with your friends. Life is all about the living of it.

Here in the 21st century, it's very hard to imagine a mainstream family movie whose plot involves cock fighting! But, very oddly, this is a major plot element in "The Tuttles of Tahiti"--a very strange film from 1942. Times sure have changed and I am pretty sure PETA-types won't appreciate this movie.

The casting of "The Tuttles of Tahiti" is quite strange--though in the 1940s, such odd casting was not unusual. While you might expect French-speaking (or at least French-accented) actors since the islands are French, there are none. While you might expect Polynesian-looking actors, many are just white guys who are painted a bit dark to look kinda Tahitian! As I said, this was the norm in the good 'ol days. So, don't be too surprised when you see Charles Laughton in this inappropriate role.

The story is about the Tuttles--sort of like the Waltons set in Polynesia. The patriarch of the family (Laughton) seemed like a bit of a schemer and lazy guy. After all, gambling everything he has on a cock fight! And, throughout the course of the film it gets worse--but you'll have to see to that yourself. All I know is that I had a hard time liking or connecting with any of them. And so, when he gets himself into serious trouble, I just didn't care. However, I noticed the other reviewers did like the film--so maybe you will, too. Well made but the script just didn't wow me at all.

Anyone want to see Charles Laughton in a comedy that's also incredibly sad? I did, so I rented The Tuttles of Tahiti. He plays a member of a large, unruly family living on Tahiti. The matriarch is Charles's mother, Adeline De Walt Reynolds, and through the generations, no one has learned very much responsibility or forward-thinking. Charles summarizes their life view by saying they'd rather be happy than rich, and he soon gets to put his theory to the test.

To me, this movie only works because of Charles Laughton. He's so lovable, and when he pouts, it just makes you want to cry and hug him. If he's flawed, you feel sorry for him; but if he knows he's flawed, it's so much sadder. He could have just played his character as an irresponsible beach bum, but since he's a great actor, he lets a bit of self-awareness show through to the audience. He knows he could have a better life, but he also knows he won't.

This film has two of the great ones, Charles Laughton and Florence Bates. She was one of the great character actors and he was just great. However, when you add a Nordhoff and Hall story to the mixture, you get a delightful story about a ne'er-do-well dreamer whose sons salvage a ship and Papa, Laughton, spends the prize money. I especially loved it when Papa Tuttle has spent all the money and gets a note from the bank that he's overdrawn and sends one of his kids with a check to cover the checks he's been writing. How many times have we all wanted to do that? The story is a bit too romantic and commonplace for today's audiences who demand slice 'n dice bloody scenes along with spectacular eye-dazzling effects. It's still a wonderful tale and has a great deal of charm about a lost time and place before it all turned to modernity. If that sounds too maudlin or nostalgic, I guess that's just how it is. Check it out. Bates and Laughton are great as is Hall out of his usual sarong roles with Dottie Lamour.