''Song of the Islands'' is a 1942

musical comedy Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movement ...

film starring

Betty Grable Elizabeth Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million; for 10 consecutive years (1942–1951) she reign ...

and

Victor Mature Victor John Mature (January 29, 1913 – August 4, 1999) was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include '' One Million B.C.'' (1940), '' My Darli ...

. It was directed by

Walter Lang Walter Lang (August 10, 1896 – February 7, 1972) was an American film director. Early life Walter Lang was born in Tennessee. As a young man he went to New York City where he found clerical work at a film production company. The business piq ...

and released through

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

Plot

Jeff Harper sails to the tropical paradise Ahmi-Oni with his sidekick Rusty. He is there on behalf of his father, to bargain for land with Dennis O'Brien. Jeff, however, falls in love with O'Brien's daughter Eileen, and it is then up to Jeff's father to go to the island and try to break them up. This proves to be a task easier said than done, because Jeff's father also falls under the spell of the beautiful splendor of the islands.

Cast

as Eileen O'Brien *

as Jeff Harper *

Jack Oakie Jack Oakie (born Lewis Delaney Offield; November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) was an American actor, starring mostly in films, but also working on stage, radio and television. He portrayed Napaloni in Chaplin's ''The Great Dictator'' (194 ...

as Rusty Smith * Thomas Mitchell as Dennis O'Brien * George Barbier as Jefferson Harper Sr. * Hilo Hattie as Palola *

Billy Gilbert William Gilbert Barron (September 12, 1894 – September 23, 1971), known professionally as Billy Gilbert, was an American actor and comedian. He was known for his comic sneeze routines. He appeared in over 200 feature films, short subjects ...

as Palola's father *

Lillian Porter Lillian Porter (February 24, 1917, Alameda County, California – February 1, 1997, San Bernardino, California) was an American film and television actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The ac ...

as Paulani * Uncredited actors include Filipino Hollywood actor

Rudy Robles Rudy Robles (born Pastor Lluviosa Robles, 29 April 1910 – 11 August 1970) was a Filipino film and television actor. He was one of the first Filipino actors to appear in Hollywood movies. Career Robles was born in Tacloban, in the Eastern ...

as "Akomi", the native boy.

Background

had recently scored major hits with her leading roles for Fox. Films such as '' Down Argentine Way'' and ''

Tin Pan Alley Tin Pan Alley was a collection of History of music publishing, music publishers and songwriters in New York City that dominated the American popular music, popular music of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It origin ...

'' both in 1940 as well as '' Moon Over Miami'', ''

A Yank in the RAF ''A Yank in the R.A.F.'' is a 1941 American black-and-white war film directed by Henry King and starring Tyrone Power and Betty Grable. Released three months before the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into World War II, it is ...

'' and ''

I Wake Up Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (originally titled ''Hot Spot'') is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of G ...

'' all in 1941. After the success of ''Song of the Islands'', Fox realized they had a gold mine on their hands and kept lavishing Grable with Technicolor musicals and an increasing salary. Her co star was meant to be John Payne but he dropped out so he could make ''To the Shores of Tripoli'' and was replaced by

. Mature had to drop out of ''Highway to Hell'' and was replaced by

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

. Filming began on 20 October 1941. In the 1979 film '' Yanks'', set during World War II, there is a larger poster of the film on the wall.

References

External links

* * 1942 films 1942 musical comedy films 20th Century Fox films Films directed by Walter Lang Films set in Hawaii American musical comedy films 1940s American films {{musical-comedy-film-stub