Figure 1.--Near the end of the film the children are in a formal procession following their older sister who is the queen. Luki played by Tim Stafford wears a Fauntleroy suit and his suster native garb.

A snooty girl from a respected Boston family arrives on a small island in French Polynesia in the South Pacific after World War II in search of her missing father. She finds two salty old sea dogs that conspire to hide the doctor's secret, interacial children. The mismatched trio provided comic relief. This John Wayne film dealt with racism and inter-racial marriage in a light-hearted way. Not very exciting John Wayne movie, but there are some nice touches here and there. A boy and his two sisters are being brought up on a French South Pacific island by his widowed father who is a doctor. During a nativity play the boy (Kevin Concoran I think) comes in as an angel, but wearing his baseball cap. (He plays in a lot of Disney movies, but this is the only sissy outfit I can recall. I bet he wasn't too happy about wearing it.) A disgusted nun snatches it from him which irritates him. In another scene he is in a procession, dressed in a velvet Fauntleroy suit with a lace collar which he wears with above the knee white stockings. He is visibly disgusted about the sissy outfit. He takes off his wide-brimmed straw hat with the long streamer in back. His sister calls him a brat and tells him to put it back on, but he tells her to shut up. Later he is pictured sitting down with his little sister, still dejected. His new found sister comes up to him to ask him what the matter is. Still pouting, he stands up and bends over, telling her his britches are too tight. She gives him a playful little pat on his bottom.

Filmography

Not very exciting John Wayne movie, but there are some nice touches here and there. Directed by John Ford.This John Wayne film dealt with racism and inter-racial marriage in a light-hearted way. While the theme on interacial marriage is similar to that of South Pacufic, the Chinese ae certainly not dealt with very sympathetically amd modern women certainly won't like the ending.

Cast

The film is one of many vehicles for John Wayne who plays Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan. Elizabeth Allen plays Ameilia Sarah Dedham--this is the female role often played by Maureen O'Hara in John Wayne films. Jack Warden plays Dr. William Dedham who married the island queen after World War II and had three children. His son Luki Dedham is played by Tim Stafford. The girls are played by Jacqueline Malouf (Lelani Dedham) and Cherylene Lee ( Sally Dedham). All three children play their parts quite well. Also included in the film is Lee Marvin who plays Thomas Aloysius 'Boats' Gilhooley who is constantly fighting with Guns Donovan. Further comic relief is provided by Cesar Romreo who plays the lecherous Marquis Andre de Lage.

Plot

A snooty girl from a respected Boston family arrives on a small island in French Polynesia in the South Pacific after World War II in search of her missing father. She finds two salty old sea dogs (the feuding Guns Donovan and Boots Gilhooley) that conspire to hide the doctor's secret, interacial children. The mismatched trio provided comic relief. This John Wayne film dealt with racism and inter-racial marriage in a light-hearted way. Rather a low brow South Pacific. A boy and his two sisters are being brought up on a French South Pacific island by his widowed father who is a doctor.

Figure 2.--Kevin Cocoran plays the younger brother who is dressed up in a short pants Fauntleroy suit for a formal occasion.

Costuming

Three children play a prominent role, including the Doctor's son Luki. He usually wears play shorts and a baseball cap, but for a formal event, he is dressed up in a Fauntleroy suit and wide-brimmed cap--much to his disgust. He keep his baseball cap in the back pocket of his velvet shorts. The boy is played by Kevin Cocoran, a Disney stalwart. He played in costume films like Polyana.

During a nativity play Liki comes in as an angel, but wearing his baseball cap. A disgusted nun snatches it from him which irritates him.

In another scene he is in a procession, dressed in a velvet Fauntleroy suit with a lace collar which he wears with above the knee white stockings. (Tim played in a lot of Disney movies, but this is the only sissy outfit I can recall. I bet he wasn't too happy about wearing it.) In the film he is visibly disgusted about the sissy outfit. He takes off his wide-brimmed straw hat with the long streamer in back. His sister calls him a brat and tells him to put it back on, but he tells her to shut up. Later he is pictured sitting down with his little sister, still dejected. His new found sister comes up to him to ask him what the matter is. Still pouting, he stands up and bends over, telling her, "My britches are too tight". [HBC note: I don't know of any American boy at the time referring to his pants, short or ling, as "britches". It was a common term in the early 20th century.] His sister gives him a playful little pat on his bottom.The Fauntleroy suit is quite old fashioned for the 1940s. I believe this is the latest setting that I have ever seen a Fauntleroy suit used in the costuming. Perhaps because it is a John Wayne film or the French Polinesian setting. The boy wears a frilly lace collar and matching wrist cuff trim with a floppy bow. His short pants even have buttons like knee pants. Kevin is one of the few boys costumed in Fauntleroy suits that is not portrayed as a terrible brat. His outfit includes a broad brimmed hat, which he soon replaces with a more respectable baseball cap that he carries in the back pocket of his his velvet shorts.

Last updated: April 13, 1999
Last updated: August 8, 2003