El ave del paraíso

One really couldn't ask for more than hunky Joel MCrea and gorgeous Delores del Rio as eye candy in "Bird of Paradise," a 1932 film - which makes it precode and quite sexy. McCrea plays a young man on a yachting trip who is saved from a shark by a South seas beauty named Luana; he decides to stay on awhile. When it becomes clear to him that she is to be sacrificed to the volcano Pele, the two escape to an island, where they lead an idyllic life together. Eventually his friends return for him, and he assumes Luana will go with him.

Not a huge amount of dialogue, but lots to look at in this King Vidor film, which has jungle choreography by Busby Berkley and music by Max Steiner, both pre-Warner Brothers. Del Rio doesn't wear much; in fact, she has a nude swimming scene. McCrea here is very athletic.

Amazing what they were able to do precode that in a couple of years would be taboo. Worth seeing. Del Rio was one of the most beautiful stars ever, and McCrea one of the most appealing.

A very beautiful & romantic film. It's about a lovely native woman named Luana (Dolores del Rio) and the man that falls in-love with her, Johnny Baker (Joel McCrea). Luana is chosen by the other island natives to be sacrificed to the volcano. This is a story we've all heard of by now but this might be the first film on the subject matter.

I discovered this film via Creighton Chaney. I was looking to watch a film from him that I have yet to see. He's not in this one very much, his character Thornton is more of a supporting role, but he did not have to be in this film for me to enjoy it. I'm glad to discover it because it's a wonderful story.

8/10

Dolores del Rio is a South Seas island princess who has a taboo affair with a young American sailor after she saves him from a shark; he considers their flirtatious clinches "a lark", but after she's swiped from him by her people, he re-captures her and sails for the remote island of Lani. It took three writers (Leonard Praskins, Wells Root, and Wanda Tuchock) to adapt Richard Walton Tully's play for the screen, though the story is told mostly in visual, elemental terms. Athletic Joel McCrea slides down a steep hill on a leaf, scales a coconut tree without slipping, and jumps from a high cliff into a palm tree without getting so much as a nick. His passion for Dolores' Luana is convincing, though rushed along. The screenwriters tease us with tidbits about a volcano curse, and it isn't long before the lava starts flowing. Executive produced by none other than David O. Selznick, this early "Radio Picture" benefits from the pre-Code era (with some sensual behavior between the leads, and a lovely underwater duet wherein Miss del Rio appears to be nude). McCrea's happy team of mariners come and go and come back again (right on schedule), yet their salty, digging rapport is very lighthearted and amusing, and there's a charming moment at the beginning where they throw souvenirs to the natives. Not a bad early talkie, although special effects certainly had a long way to go--ditto for dramatic acting. Remade in 1951 with Debra Paget. ** from ****

Bird of Paradise is based on a 1912 play and the story of the beautiful native girl being sacrificed to a volcano is probably familiar to most moviegoers, but it was done here first and it showcases it's beautiful stars, Dolores Del Rio and Joel McCrea. It features some of the most beautiful black-and-white photography I've ever seen, and the music by Max Steiner is lovely. This piece of exotica has gotten a bum rap by many reviewers in the past, but it stands as a pleasant time-waster that will pass about an hour-and-a-half painlessly enough. The Alpha DVD print shows scratches and wear, but not enough to mar the enjoyment of the film.

A young man, sailing the South Seas with friends, is saved from a shark by a lovely chief's daughter. They fall madly in love, only to have him learn that his beautiful BIRD OF PARADISE is destined to be sacrificed to Pele, the volcano god.

Essentially a piece of fluff, this film is enhanced by the performances of Dolores Del Rio & Joel McCrea. They handle the romantics quite nicely (her skinny dip providing proof this is a pre-Production Code movie). The rest of the cast, which includes Lon Chaney Jr. & 'Skeets' Gallagher, exist purely to provide support to the stars.

Location filming in Hawaii and a beautiful, evocative score by Max Steiner emphasize the languid mood of the plot.