Malfaiteurs au paradis

I was very much looking forward to this one, mainly due to Michael's favorable comments but, while I enjoyed it quite a bit, I also thought the material unworthy of its director (who happens to be one of my all-time favorites)! Featuring multiple characters (though the cast itself is rather second-rate!), the film evokes memories of GRAND HOTEL (1932) and LOST HORIZON (1937) but also looks forward to FIVE CAME BACK (1939) and STAGECOACH (1939). FIVE CAME BACK is especially comparable in view of its plot similarities but, while probably no more elaborate a production, that RKO film - directed by John Farrow and featuring one of the best performances by Maltese actor Joseph Calleia - is considerably more compelling and a much better film in every way.

Given Whale's customary lavishness, then, it's distressing to see how his fortunes dwindled at the change in the studio's management and the miniscule budget and B-movie status afforded SINNERS IN PARADISE hurts the film considerably! Still, the opening scenes (featuring an uncredited cameo by Whale regular Dwight Frye) are nicely handled and the airplane crash, while an obvious model, is nonetheless exciting. However, once on the island (and the introduction of its 'master' John Boles, who's miscast but not bad), the film kind of stops dead in its tracks; while it provides a couple of villains, there is no real menace a' la the headhunters closing in on the stranded party in FIVE CAME BACK - and the film merely relies on the obligatory if tepid romance (which mainly revolves around two separate couples) and some resistible comic relief to prod the story along (though Gene Lockhart's typical fooling in the role of a pompous politician is amiable enough)!

Having so far watched four non-horror films by James Whale, it's interesting to note that two were set in stylish surroundings and the other two in exotic locales; still, while equally ramshackle, I found GREEN HELL (1940) - due, in no small measure, to its remarkable cast - to be a lot more satisfying than this one!

For a film from the late 1930s it's not a bad film. The technological limitations for special effects and cost of shooting on stage verse on location are apparent, but the story is fairly compelling enough.

A band of assorted individuals with various pasts and agendas take flight aboard a "flying boat", and find themselves challenged in a new environment.

The film by today's standards may seem somewhat racist in regards to one Asian character, but is more or less a product of its time, and the character in question is noble to a fault, and in fact key to helping the rest of the characters.

Marion Martin shows that her acting chops weren't quite there yet (and she had yet to engage in an exercise regime), Bruce Cabot of King Kong fame shows his range, and a number of other well known actors of the time do well to bring to life the characters in this film.

Again, the shortcomings are the technical aspects, Martin's lack of theatrical training, and money. Otherwise it's a solid B-performer that'll help whittle away a lazy Sunday afternoon.

If you need a classic film on your TV or computer, you could do worse, but you could also do better. Either way, give it a shot and see what you think.

Not a great film, but nor a bad film.

Give it a shot.

Sinners in Paradise (1938)

*** (out of 4)

Universal drama directed by James Whale about a plane load of people who crash on an island ran by a loner (John Boles). This one here doesn't have a very good reputation but I found it to be highly entertaining until the last fifteen minutes when things started to drag a bit. Whale's direction is right on the mark mixing some nice drama with some comedy and using the oddball characters to full effect. Boles, from Whale's Frankenstein is very good in the lead and the supporting players are good as well. The plane crash is handled with a master's touch. Madge Evans and Bruce Cabot co-star.

Sinners in Paradise was next up in my DVD set.Featuring an intriguing cast and the inimitable James Whale as director, I thought it might be worth a good look.

But no. This Adventure/Morality Play gets off to a good start,but quickly bogs down into a clichéd potboiler which is neither compelling or suspenseful. The Disparate-Characters-Stranded-on-a-Desert-Island fizzles out almost as soon as they hit the island. Comic relief is forced and unfunny and all characters are painted in extremely broad strokes.

The best part of the film is the interesting cast which is comprised of B and lesser A actors. Madge Evans is lovely and John Boles is dashing and manly. Gene Lockhart and Bruce Cabot might have deleted this one from their film credits, as it does them no credit.

I guess it fills out the boxed set but it wasn't worth the trouble.

I don't know what director Whale told actor Lockhart, but the actor's buffoonery just about kills the movie. After a plane crashes in the Pacific, the survivors manage (we're never shown how) to get to an island where a mysterious man (Boles) lives with his Chinese servant. It's a motley crew of survivors, including a rich woman, a gangster, a state senator, two fast-talking operators, a floozie, and several others. Meanwhile, forming new relationships and making needed adjustments carry the narrative.

Perhaps the biggest influence on the film is leftist screenwriter Lester Cole, later one of the blacklisted Hollywood Ten. The movie's subtext shows how social distinctions lose their meaning on the island. Even money. At the same time, the working people's skills take on vital value in new surroundings, while the privileged can contribute little. Then too, I expect Lockhart's generally useless character amounts to Cole's shot at politicians of the time. Good lessons here, and ones not restricted to that Depression era.

Anyway, helping the film are good special effects, especially the frenzied plane crash. Even the studio blended beach shots are well done, a surprise for cheapjack Universal studios. Too bad the acting's uneven, but then the hour-long format doesn't provide for much character development among the large cast. Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was Ping (Fung), the manservant. I expected he would be nothing more than the usual foolish stereotype. But, not so.

Anyway, there's a good movie stymied somewhere inside the brief runtime and Lockhart's over-acting. Check out the thematically similar Five Came Back (1939) to see a much better version.