''White Savage'' is a 1943 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

South Seas Today the term South Seas, or South Sea, is used in several contexts. Most commonly it refers to the portion of the Pacific Ocean south of the equator. In 1513, when Spanish conquistador Vasco Núñez de Balboa coined the term ''Mar del Sur'', ...

adventure film An adventure film is a form of adventure fiction, and is a genre of film. Subgenres of adventure films include swashbuckler films, pirate films, and survival films. Adventure films may also be combined with other film genres such as action, an ...

directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, '' Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the '' Francis the Talking Mule'' series and created the talking-horse TV ...

and starring

Maria Montez María África Gracia Vidal (6 June 1912 – 7 September 1951), known professionally as Maria Montez, was a Dominican motion picture actress who gained fame and popularity in the 1940s starring in a series of filmed-in-Technicolor costume ...

, Jon Hall and Sabu. The film was re-released by

Realart Realart Pictures was a motion picture distribution company founded in 1948 by Jack Broder and Joseph Harris. The company specialized in reissues of older pictures, particularly from the library of Universal Pictures, but also handled an occasion ...

in 1948 on a double-feature with the same three stars in ''

Cobra Woman ''Cobra Woman'' is a 1944 American South Seas adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Robert Siodmak that stars Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu. Shot in Technicolor, this film is typical of Montez's career at Universal, and, altho ...

'' (1944) and again in 1953, under the title ''White Savage Woman''. It was choreographed by

Lester Horton Lester Iradell Horton (23 January 1906 – 2 November 1953) was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher. Early years and education Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on 23 January 1906. His parents were Iradell and Poll ...

Plot

Montez is the ruler of the tropical Temple Island. Thomas Gomez plays the villain, who schemes to marry her and get hold of the gold bars lining the submerged floor of the island's temple (about which the innocent islanders remain blissfully unconcerned). Jon Hall plays a heroic shark hunter who wins the day and the heart of the princess.

Cast

as Princess Tahia * Jon Hall as Kaloe * Sabu as Orano *

Thomas Gomez Thomas Gomez (July 10, 1905 – June 18, 1971) was an American actor. Life and career Born Sabino Tomás Gómez, Jr., in New York City, Gomez began his acting career in theater in 1923, studying under actor Walter Hampden in a production of Cy ...

as Sam Miller *

Sidney Toler Sidney Toler (born Hooper G. Toler Jr., April 28, 1874 – February 12, 1947) was an American actor, playwright, and theatre director. The second European-American actor to play the role of Charlie Chan on screen, he is best remembered for his ...

as Wong *

Paul Guilfoyle Paul Vincent Guilfoyle () (born April 28, 1949) is an American television and film actor. He was a regular cast member of the CBS crime drama ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', on which he played Captain Jim Brass from 2000 to 2014. He retu ...

as Erik *

Turhan Bey Turhan Bey (born Turhan Gilbert Selahattin Şahultavi, 30 March 192230 September 2012). was an Austrian-born actor of Turkish and Czech-Jewish origins. Active in Hollywood from 1941 to 1953, he was dubbed "The Turkish Delight" by his fans.. Aft ...

as Tamara * Don Terry as Chris *

Constance Purdy Constance Purdy (August 3, 1887 – April 1, 1960) was an American film actress and classical music performer. Early life Purdy was born in St. Louis, Missouri on August 3, 1887 to American railroad executive Thomas C. Purdy (April 13, ...

as Blossom *

Al Kikume Al Kikume (9 October 1894 – 27 March 1972), born Elmer Kikume Gozier, was an American actor and stuntman of Hawaiian descent. He was born in Topeka, Kansas and died in Los Angeles. Beginning with his first credited role, in the independ ...

as Guard * Frederic Brunn as Sully *

Anthony Warde Anthony Warde (born Benjamin Schwartz; January 1, 1909 – January 8, 1975) was a noted American actor who appeared in over 150 films between 1937 and 1964. Early years Born as Benjamin Schwartz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on New Year' ...

as Clerk

Production

''White Savage'' had been the original title for Montez's first starring vehicle, ''

South of Tahiti ''South of Tahiti'' is a 1941 American south seas adventure film directed by George Waggner and starring Brian Donlevy. It helped launch Maria Montez as a pin-up star. She played a leading role; response was such that Universal then cast her in ...

'' (1941). ''Arabian Nights'' was so popular that Universal commissioned two follow-up movies to star Montez, Hall and Sabu – ''White Savage'' and ''Cobra Woman''. Gene Lewis wrote the original script for ''White Savage''. Montez's costumes in some scenes were considered to be too skimpy, requiring those scenes to be cut.

Reception

''Diabolique'' said "Not as well known as Montez's later camp classic ''Cobra Woman'' (1944) (to be fair, all her American films are camp classics), ''White Savage'' is actually a better movie – Montez and Hall seem to genuinely like each other (not always the case in their films), Richard Brooks’ script is clever and there's plenty of action and gorgeous photography."

References

External links

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Review of film
at Variety {{Arthur Lubin 1943 films Films directed by Arthur Lubin Films set on islands Universal Pictures films 1943 adventure films Films scored by Frank Skinner American adventure films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films