Saturday Island (1952)

Handsome blond Tab Hunter (as Michael "Mike" Dugan) and desirably beautiful nurse Linda Darnell (as Elizabeth "Lizzie" Smythe) are shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean during a World War II bombing. They bicker about his being too boyish a "pride of the Marines," and which of the two is top commander. She's a lieutenant. He's a corporal, but pulls rank as the duo's captain. They find a skeleton on "Saturday Island" (known in the US as "Island of Desire") and read the diary of "Grimshaw"… In a flashback to 1930, John Laurie (as Grimshaw) loses native lover Sheila Chong (as Tukua) and is attacked by a sea serpent…Back in the present, Mr. Hunter finds himself increasingly aroused by his island mate, but Ms. Darnell plays very hard to get. She calls herself an "old maid," but still looks mighty attractive. Hunter is a young Adonis. As soon as things heat up for the couple, a plane crash lands British pilot Donald Gray (as William "Bill" Peck) on the island. He loses his left arm to the crash, but his heart to Darnell. This is more interesting as a story about loyalty than it is about sex, but it's too awkwardly played.**** Saturday Island (3/14/52) Stuart Heisler ~ Tab Hunter, Linda Darnell, Donald Gray, John Laurie

I first saw this movie when it came out in 1952 and for years have looked for it for my collection. It is sad that Hollywood has not tried to save this film and others like it. Tab Hunter was exciting to young women at that time because he was young and had a great body. Ms. Darnell was a sexy nurse that Tab (a young U. S. Marine) saves after their ship is torpedoed by the Japanese. They make it to a lush tropical island where a budding romance begins. The scenes are beautiful and so are the suggestive scenes of their attraction for each other. Their romance is interrupted when Mr. Laurie crashes his plane in the water off their island and is rescued by Tab. Darnell and Laurie are closer in age and their love grows. I loved this movie and hope that someday technology will allow the distribution on DVD this film.

What a stinkeroo this turned out to be!!! At one time, much earlier in her career, Linda Darnell was one of my favorites - no great shakes as an Actress, but very beautiful and pleasant (particularly in films like "The Mark of Zorro" and "Blood and Sand") but when I saw this monstrosity, the memories of her golden days faded quickly. The story is unbelievable and farcical, the acting second-rate, the supporting cast insufferable. I cannot think of a more immature performance by anyone when compared to Tab Hunter, and Donald Gray had to be the most boring leading man they could have picked. Added to this, was the terrible photography (and I am not just referring to the color!) Everyone associated with this, must have shuddered whenever it was shown.

BBC radio actor Donald Gray was selected to play one of the leads as a Pilot Officer and the story was manipulated around the actor only having one arm having lost it in combat in the War. The story concerned Linda Darnell playing a Canadian Nurse to Tab Hunter playing a US Marine who are stranded during wartime on a Desert Island. A romance develops between the two until Gray is shot down over the Island and Darnell uses her nursing skills to save him. A triangle developes there is a film fight described by Director Henry Hathaway " he intended to make cinema history by staging the toughest and most earthy battle between two love struck beasts for a woman that had ever been filmed.Hunter and Gray took all day to rehearse clout by clout and fall by fall. It came out very hammy with both actors bruised. It was most unlikely a 19 year old ex Life Guard losing to a 37 year old Gray supposedly recently having had his arm amputated. In the end Darnell chooses Gray but only thing about film described as any good was Darnell appearing sultry dressed in rags revealing more flesh than the censor would then have considered decent. The filming set in Jamaica won prizes and Gray's acting was praised. Otherwise it was a flop but did raise money for limbless ex servicemans association. Gray commented that cast were in a 5 star hotel with all expenses paid with warm twilights soft calypso music and the unbelievable beauty of caribbean beaches. Palms waved, frogs whistled and dressing for dinner in a white tuxedo. Gray was rather sad when weather broke and film completed in Elstree Studios. Gray went on to become a Newsreader and then Mark Saber whereas Darnell and Hunter made a name for themselves in Westerns. Unfortunately film shot in technicolour is now sadly not available on video but though dire outdoor locations were breathtaking.