Search - Joel McCrea Double Feature: "The Most Dangerous Game"/Bird Of Paradise on DVD

McCrea Double feature

Professor Emeritus P. Bagnolo | DOWNTOWN NYC/Chic. NM USA | 07/15/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"BIRD OF PARADISE
The plot is that of a young and apparently naïve' adventurer played by Joel McCrea meeting and falling head-over-heels for a tantalizing native girl, Dolores Del Rio who, it seems has a fate which precludes losing virginity, but may include her being BBQ'd .

While McCrea lustfully leaps into the relationship with all abandon, his pals discuss whether he and the head-turning beauty, of the primitive native Del Rio can find happiness as a couple back on US soil. Add to that the predilection Island natives in films seem to have had for sacrificing young and beautiful virgins to the god's of the volcano's. One could within the first few moments see that the romance of McCrea and Del Rio's characters was ill fated, unless he stays alert, out-thinks the enemy and is able to indoctrinate Del Rio away from her primitive superstitions.

While one reviewer called the film "heavy," I saw its plot as frail and silly. What was plodding and heavy, was its desire to destroy the sexual relationship of the young couple, as some sort of sin, which must be somehow punished. However, despite its flaws I found it to be naively charming, but never the less, burdened by silly, trite, and badly constructed plot.

Another reviewer stated, "After initial resistance, the heroine nobly resigns herself to her fate, realizing that there is no place for her in her white lover's civilization." I saw nothing noble about the impending and wasteful self-sacrifice of the life of Del Rio's character. It was not hard to ascertain the future of this romance, and in watching it one constantly and with great frustration, asks why after a bold and semi-climatic rescue of the lovers three quarters of the way into the film, their rescuers did not immediately set sail for the good old USA which, despite the raging Depression, back then, was certainly a kinder gentler place than an Island which served up gorgeous virgins to a volcano for breakfast. I wasn't around in 1932, but I certainly do not recall many American virgins being tossed into volcano's, here. Of course, we have none, but still... (I meant we are lacking volcano's, not virgins... I think.)

In this film there was a rush to a "romantic," melodramatic, martyrdom, for no noble cause, and with much theological error. Consider the following points that an intelligent screenplay would not have overlooked, but which Bird of Paradise ignored. But the greatest flaw, which the director and producers seemed have thought would be forgotten 30 minutes later, was that Del Rio's character was no longer a viable candidate for being thrown into the volcano, here is why:

In the swimming scene of Del Rio and McCrea, it was obvious that Del Rio was nude, ala Maureen O'Sullivan in Tarzan of the Apes. It was also obvious that after such a nude swim and their living together on a nearby Island for an undetermined period, embracing and necking atop one another in almost every scene, the lustful look in the eyes of both of them, that unless they were both gay, she was no longer a "virgin." That being considered, the natives of that island specifically liked to toss virgins into volcano's as "pure" sacrificial lambs-Del Rio's Character was, by then, surely not virgin. The volcano seemed to be a perverted one, preferring to BBQ and gobble up virgins, rather than experienced women. But still, most mature minded men prefer non-virgins as sexual partners. Further complicating the ridiculous plot was that the volcano was already spewing lava, so how would the natives, without getting scorched, navigate the lava flow and get anywhere near the apex of the volcano into which they would toss their no-longer virginal sacrificial lamb? Nevertheless, the film had a certain innocent, archaic charm.

If one watches closely and has seen King Kong (made the following year-1933) and The Most Dangerous Game (made in 1932) which is partnered here with Bird of Paradise, there were some jungle and shark attack scenes which appeared to be repeated stock inventory shared in the three films (The third of which was King Kong, which is NOT included in the double feature), two of which starred McCrea and two of which starred Fay Wray.

Despite the silliness of the plot, Del Rio's exotic dance scenes, though a bit weak, were still alluring and nude swimming scene was worth the effort of suffering through the corn-pone lines of a poorly conceived and written screenplay. Also, notable; Dolores Del Rio was well known as perfect in every way from head to toe (thus scarcely needing the heavy make-up they slavered on her beautiful face). Even as she aged her perfect skin maintained a freshness, smoothness, and line free beauty of a much younger college girl. The heavy make up was probably a residue of the weaker lighting of even older films and the habit carried over because they knew that poor lighting could fade features, but the lighting in this film appeared to be adequate, presumably eliminating the need for the emphatic make-up.

Perhaps many moviegoers in 1932 were not as sophisticated as today's viewers, but after watching the sort of silly films, which are hits lately, one has to consider that either today's audiences are made up of primarily lower primate viewers or a multitude of adolescents. I give this 3 stars, era considered.

THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME
This film, also produced in 1932, was only 62 minutes long, but was one of the most furiously, fast moving and action packed films ever. It was on par in its action sequences which were almost non-stop, to an Indiana Jones movie, though admittedly not up to the present day, technical perfection of such modern films. The fight scenes were, however, archaically staged/choreographed, but for its era, were not bad.

Story Line
As his ship approaches an uncharted island, traveler McCrea suspects that the harbor warning lights of the island are ill-placed, but his warnings fall on deaf ears and the boat goes down in record time, as some of the same shark's which devoured a few natives in BIRD OF PARADISE, appear to still be hungry and make a fast-food meal of all but McCrea and Wray. Thus the couple was the sole survivors of the mysterious shipwreck on what at first blush appeared to be a deserted jungle island. Soon, however, the couple find that is, indeed, not the case. They quickly discover the castle-like mansion of one, Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks), whose fascination with hunting has reached the ultimate goal of tracking and killing the "most dangerous prey," Humans.

Zaroff, has read books by McCrea's character, who is a Big Game Hunter extraordinaire, and Zaroff, appears to be one of the McCrea character's greatest fans. That hero worship, however, turns rapidly to a competitive brainstorm, spurred on by lust after Wray's character, he seeks to hunt McCrea, a sport that apparently enhances his sexual appetite.

It is no surprise that the film, made a year before King Kong, shared sets, crew, and Wray with it. The quality of this film, considering its age, 77 years old, is very good. The set moves along beautifully and Banks chews up the scenery as the sophisticated, yet decadent and villainous mad-hunter, with a large pack of bloodthirsty, man sized, Mastiffs as his hunting dogs. Suspense is high, as McCrea with Wray in tow, promised freedom by Zaroff, if they survive the hunt until the 5:00 AM dawn Deadline, uses every wile and hunting skill in his experience, to not only survive, but to emerge victorious.

Outnumbered and out gunned, (they begin with only a knife as a weapon, to Zarf's long bow and later high powered rifle), they fight valiantly and desperately to beat the clock, the sunrise, Zaroff, his wild dogs and henchmen. Will they succeed? Don't touch that dial and hang on, for it is a short, but fast moving and sweet 62 minutes, and just when things look hopeless, surprise! They then take a turn for an even worse fate for the lovers. You will not be bored. I give this one 4.5 stars, era considered.

Bonus Features of the two film set are,: Scene Selection, A "King Kong" Trailer, a Betty Boop Cartoon ("Bamboo Isle") Specs: DVD9; Dolby Digital Mono; 142 minutes; B&W; 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio; MPAA - NR; Year - 1932;

How can you lose?
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