Return to Paradise (1953 film)

Return to Paradise
Theatrical poster
Directed by	Mark Robson
Screenplay by	Charles Kaufman
Produced by	Harry Lenart Mark Robson Theron Warth Robert Wise
Starring	Gary Cooper Barry Jones Roberta Haynes John Hudson
Cinematography	Winton C. Hoch
Edited by	Daniel Mandell
Music by	Dimitri Tiomkin
Production company	Aspen Productions
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	July 10, 1953 (1953-07-10) (United States)
Running time	100 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1.8 million (US)

Return to Paradise is a Technicolor South Seas drama film released by United Artists in 1953. The film was directed by Mark Robson and starred Gary Cooper, Barry Jones and Roberta Haynes. It was based on a short story, "Mr. Morgan", by James Michener in his short story collection Return to Paradise, his sequel to Tales of the South Pacific. It was filmed on location in Matautu, Western Samoa (present-day Samoa).

Plot

During the 1920s, itinerant American beachcomber Mr. Morgan (Gary Cooper) is deposited on the island of Matareva in the South Pacific. When he decides to stay he is confronted by Pastor Cobbett (Barry Jones), who lost both his father and his wife as a young missionary on the island. Cobbett rules Matareva as a Puritanical despot, using local bullies as "wardens" to enforce his rules. "Morgan Tane" stays on Matareva by winning the support of the natives after he defeats the wardens with the aid of an empty shotgun. Morgan has an illegitimate child, Turia (Moira Walker), by island girl Maeva (Roberta Haynes). After Maeva's death in childbirth, the distraught Morgan departs the island, leaving Turia behind with her grandmother.

Morgan returns to Matareva during World War II, where he reconciles with Cobbett, who has become a friend and teacher to the islanders, and meets Turia. She falls in love with an American Air Force pilot, Harry Faber, after he crash-lands his cargo plane in the lagoon. An interesting irony is that when Morgan first arrived, Cobbett tried to force him to leave the island lest he get an island girl pregnant. Now he faces the same thing when Faber tries to seduce his daughter, Turia, as a diversion while awaiting pickup by the Navy. Morgan intervenes and makes Faber leave and his crew leave, using the same empty shotgun as an inducement. When Turia forgives him, Morgan decides to remain with her on Matareva.

Cast

• Gary Cooper as Mr. Morgan
• Barry Jones as Pastor Thomas Cobbett
• Roberta Haynes as Maeva
• Moira Walker as Turia
• John Hudson as Capt. Harry Faber
• Le Mamea Matatumua Ata as Tonga
• Hans Kruse as Rori, age 21
• Terry Dunleavy as Mac
• Howard Poulson as Russ
• Donald Ashford as Cutler
• Herbert Ah Sue as Kura
• Va'a as Rori, age 9

Soundtrack

The title song "Return to Paradise," by Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington, was featured in the soundtrack. It has been recorded by artists including Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby and Shirley Horn.

Home media

Return to Paradise was released on DVD on December 31, 2009, as part of the MGM Limited Edition Collection series.

External links

• Return to Paradise at IMDb
• Return to Paradise at AllMovie
• Return to Paradise at the TCM Movie Database
• Return to Paradise at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films