Le seigneur d'Hawaï

The people are pretty. The scenery is spectacular. What more do you want?

I wonder if the late J. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina ever saw this film. He would have understood the character of Charlton Heston in this movie as few others are capable of. As we all know, several years after Thurmond's death in 2003 at 101, a black woman who was his illegitimate daughter came out with a book about the South's long standing segregationist and Dixiecrat candidate for president in 1948.

The film is set in Hawaii in 1959 just upon Hawaii's admission as a state and Charlton Heston comes from a family not unlike the Parkers who still have a ranch on Hawaii's big island that takes a lot acreage there and is the state Ponderosa. Heston's being touted as someone who could be one of their first two US Senators. He's a widower whose wife and son were killed years ago in the famous tidal wave at Hilo and lives at the ranch with his wife's sister Elizabeth Allan and his sister Yvette Mimieux.

Having visited Hawaii for a glorious week I can speak to Hawaii's reputation for tolerance, but even paradise will have a few racial trolls. Even though he's got a Eurasian mistress, France Nuyen of long standing whom he's just put in a family way, he objects mightily to the proposed interracial marriage of native Hawaiian James Darren and Mimieux. When his objections become the underlying cause of tragedy, Heston's political career is shot to pieces. What might fly in Alabama has no place in Hawaii.

During his career Heston also played Thomas Jefferson which came out the same year as Diamond Head. I'm wondering if he didn't channel some of Jefferson into playing 'King' Howland who had a well known backstairs interracial relationship with Sally Hemmings. If Patsy or Polly Jefferson had ever come to father and said they were going to marry some free black man, I imagine Jefferson would have reacted the same way as Heston does with Mimieux.

Diamond Head is a nice Hawaiian soap opera which could have made some great prime time Dynasty like viewing with a pineapple twist. But it fails utterly in conveying any serious message about racial tolerance. Still you can't shoot a bad looking film on Hawaii and since the cast shot it on location, they're all ahead of the game if they got to spend time on the islands. Charlton Heston even got to do it again several years later in The Hawaiians.

Besides those I've mentioned look for George Chakiris as Darren's half brother, Aline McMahon as their mom and Philip Ahn as a most efficient police inspector. What I liked about what Ahn did with the part is that it could have been played like Charlie Chan and it wasn't.

You can never go wrong with a Hawaiian based film. Even the worst films are never bad looking and Diamond Head is far from the worst.

Charlton Heston does a great job of acting by becoming the opposite of what he is in real life. His sister comes home from college only to tell him that she is in love with a Hawaiian native (James Darren) to which he is opposed because of his race. Little does anyone know that "King" (Heston) is seeing a Hawaiian woman himself who carries a secret. The story moves well and does not lag or leave you confused. There are also some great supporting roles played out. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that this is a great movie to watch for the first time and also a great addition to your film collection.

Set in 1950 Hawaii , there a powerful, obstinate owner : Charlton Heston prohibites his sister : Yvette Mimieux to marry a native : James Darren , resulting in fateful consequences . As Richard Howland and his political ambitions bringing misery and destruction to his family via his stubborness . Along the way, ruthless Richard is in love with a beautiful native girl : France Nuyen who is secretely impregnated . The Giant Story of Modern Hawaii !!

A Soap Opera and unpretentious entertainment movie about an ambitious pineapple , US Senatorial candidate and his family including drama, love stories and tragedy . Based on the Peter Gilman novel titled Such Sweet Thunder and screenplay by prestigious Margueritte Roberts . Charlton Heston gives a nice acting in his usual style as the tough and bigoted land baron who will stop at nothing to get his political purports . Heston also starred a similar film The Hawaiians 1970 by Tom Gries in which he played another pineapple owner . Costars the gorgeous Yvette Mimieux as the Lady in distress due to jealous and ambition his brother . Accompanied by a good plethora of actors delivering acceptable interpretations , such as : George Chakiris , France Nuyen, James Darren, Aline MacMahon , Elizabeth Allen , Vaughn Taylor , Philip Ahn , among others .

It contains a wonderful and spectacular cinematography from the sunny Hawaii by cameraman Sam Leavitt . As well as emotive and rousing musical score by incombustible John Williams . The motion picture was professionally directed by Guy Green . He was a notorious cameraman , in fact he photographed some David Lean films . And occassionally directing some films with penchant for Dramas , as he made the following ones : River Boat , Posmark for danger , Sea of Sand , SOS Pacific , The Mark , A Patch of Blue , Walk in the spring rain , Luther , Once is not enough , The incredible Journey of Dr Meg Laurel , Strong Medicine , among others . Rating : 6/10 . The movie will appeal to Charlton Heston fans .

MGM had a group of young stars Richard Chamberlain, George Peppard, Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton, George Hamilton, and beautiful Yvette Mimieux.

Charlton Heston is very fine in this drama with great colors photography.

The film made a lot of Hawaii as being admitted to the USA. MGM loaned Yvette Mimieux to Columbia for above the title star billing. Columbia's contract player James Darren also is cast. Columbia had its own contract roster: Mr. Darren, along with Michael Callan, Deborah Walley, Cindi Carol

Yvette Mimieux and Charlton Heston would re unite back at MGM years later in Skyjacked.