Sinners in Paradise

USA 1938
produced by
James Whale for Universal
directed by James Whale
starring Madge Evans, John Boles, Bruce Cabot, Marion Martin, Gene Lockhart, Charlotte Wynters, Nana Bryant, Milburn Stone, Don 'Red' Barry, Morgan Conway, Willie Fung, Alan Edwards, Dwight Frye
screenplay by Harold Buckley, Louis Stevens, Lester Cole, based on the story Halfway to Shanghai by Harold Buckley, music by Oliver Wallace

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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A China-bound plane full of passengers from all walks of life crashlands on an uncharted island somewhere in the Pacific, an island inhabited only by Taylor (John Boles), a surgeon on the run from the law, and his servant Ping (Willie Fung). Taylor wants to be left in peace and is less than hospitable, and he refuses to take his visitors back to civilisation in his boat - to the effect that they have to band together and form a sort of society. Eventually though, thanks also to the fact that Taylor has fallen in love with one of the newcomers, selfless nurse Ann (Madge Evans), Taylor agrees to borrowing his guests his boat and Ping to take several of them to China - not all of them though because the boat's too small. Munition dealers Honeyman (Milburn Stone) and Brand (Morgan Conway) though, who are not among those bound for China, kidnap Ping and the boat though on the day before the departure, leaving everyone else really stranded and without hope.

While marooned, everyone seems to learn a valuable lesson, like rich and spoiled daughter Thelma (Charlotte Wynters) that there is some value in manual labour, or gangsters Iris (Marion Martin) and Robert (Bruce Cabot) that there's more to life than money, but the man who learns the most valuable lesson is Taylor himself - he learns he can't run away from responsibility.

Eventually, Ping has gotten rid of the munition dealers and has navigated the boad back to the island - before dying from exhaustion - and now Taylor is ready and willing to take everybody to China, even though that means almost certain arrest for him.

Pretty much your typical story about people finding themselves and learning about true values while marooned on an island, this one is better than others of its ilk because of its very light-footed and light-hearted approach coupled with a cast of great characters (and able performers to portray them), carried by a subtle directorial effort. This all makes Sinners in Paradise no classic, but it's at least worth a look.

For those inclined, also check out the video review of Sinners in Paradise I did with filmmaker Sean Weathers, with the movie in its entirety playing afterwards.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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