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ABOVE AND BEYOND (1953) MGM   Robert Taylor, Eleanor Parker, James Whitmore and Jim Backus as Gen. LeMay on Guam.  Fact-base story of Col. Tibbetts and the mission of the Enola Gay.  Typical 90% training on the mainland and than serving in the Pacific at the end. This story focused on the conflict of Col. Tibbetts' secrecy and his family life.  The mission was so secret that you couldn't even tell your wife it was secret.  How miserable!  The Enola Gay was based on Tinian of the Mariana Islands before her big visit to Japan.  Filmed in Hollywood, stock footage of the islands.
ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES (1993) ORION/PARAMOUNT  In this sequel Christopher Lloyd as Uncle Fester marries a Black Widow and they honeymoon in Waikiki.  Stock footage of the Halekulani Hotel only with interiors shot in Hollywood.  No natives used but good use of a real Hawaiian Airline plane, on their return, at the Ontario Airport in San Bernardino.
ADMIRABLE CRICHTON,THE (1957) COLUMBIA (British)  Alias PARADISE LAGOON, shipwreck story in the South Pacific were butler Mr. Crichton ends up the obvious leader and savior of this upper class survival party. Crichton ends up being close to marrying one of the debutantes but a ship passes by to save them. Original version of this popular movie was filmed in 1918. Other versions were: MALE AND FEMALE (1919) PARAMOUNT, a silent directed by Cecil B. De Mille and the WE'RE NOT DRESSING (1934) PARAMOUNT starring Bing Crosby.
ADORABLE OUTCAST, THE (1928) UNION MASTER (Australia)  Early Australian movie that experimented on using some American cast and crew but failed.  Filmed in Fiji.
ADORABLE SAVAGE, THE (1920) UNIVERSAL (Silent)  From novel: “Marama: A Tale of the South Pacific” with other quasi Polynesian character names.  Need more information?
ADVENTURE (1925) PARAMOUNT Tom Moore, Pauline Stark, Wallace Beery and Duke Kahanamoku in Jack London story of a girl who saves plantation owner from black fever and collectors. Set in the Solomon Islands.
ADVENTURE ISLAND (1947) PARAMOUNT Rory Calhoun and Rhonda Fleming in remake of Robert Louis Stevenson’s EBB TIDE, A crew of “Kanaks"(locals) lead by former beachcombers with tainted past carelessly burn their stores.  They find a uncharted Pacific island with an evil isle ruler who make natives think he’s a God.  Rag-tag heroes show natives he’s only a mortal and they kill him.  Filmed in California.   Rhonda is a Westerner but she borrows a sarong from a native and looks WOW!  Costumes are mixed up.  Natives are mixed up with a rag-tag of races.
ADVENTURE'S END (1937) UNIVERSAL  John Wayne and Diana Gibson.  The Duke is a South Seas pearl diver.  Near mutiny on ship and he marries captain's daughter.  Character Kalo. Hard to find film. Wayne's first of 14 South Seas movies, which makes him the King of this genre as well as the King of the Western.
ADVENTURES OF MARTIN EDEN, THE (1942) COLUMBIA  Semi-autobiographical account of writer Jack London as South Sea beachcomber, successful writer and mutiny/murder at sea while returning in the Pacific.  Stars Glen Ford, also earned a minor niche in media history as the first major-studio film to be released to television. Early version entitled: MARTIN EDEN (1914) FAMOUS PLAYERS.  Writer tells one of his stories about a love in Tahiti. “Moa Kaloa”  Martin finally beats up captain years later on a Tahitian shore.
ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE (1952) ULTRAMIR FILMS (Mexico)  Dan O'Herlihy received an Oscar nomination when film was released in the U.S. in 1956. Need more information on setting? 
ADVENTURES OF SADIE, THE (1955) 20TH CENTURY FOX (British)  Joan Collins stars in sex satire with Collins marooned on deserted Pacific isle with three love-hungry men.  Note the name of Sadie.  She ends up with the one she likes and they end up shipwrecked again on another island while they were being rescued.
AERIAL GUNNER (1943) PARAMOUNT  Richard Arden in story of Air force training, love triangle and South Pacific fighting with the WWII Japanese.
AFFAIRS OF CAPPY RICKS (1937) REPUBLIC  Walter Brennan as Cappy tries to marry off two of his daughters, he take them and their new beaus on a cruise.  They all shipwreck on a deserted isle, where they find their fiancees are wimps.  After they are saved the girls marry their old boyfriends. Set in the Pacific. 
AIR DEVILS (1938) UNIVERSAL  Larry Blake and Dick Purcell as South Seas flying buddies in love triangles and double crosses.  Parts for Mamo Clark and Al Kikume.
AIR FORCE (1943) WARNER BROS.  John Garfield, Gig Young on B-17 flying to Hawaii but gets diverted, because of Pearl Harbor attack, to Mau'i where "local Japs" attacked them. As one of the first post Pearl Harbor attack films out some unfounded rumors were part of the story like the previous along with locals driving truck while breaking of plane tails and another preventing traffic from returning to base.  They than fly on to Hickam Air Field, than Wake Island to refuel..  They continue on to the South Pacific to fight war.  Directed by Howard Hawks.  No apparent location shooting.
ALL ASHORE (1952) COLUMBIA   Mickey Rooney musical/comedy with Navy theme. At least one luau scene on a beach.  Need more info?   WWII.
ALL THE BROTHERS WERE VALIANT (1953) MGM  Robert Taylor, Stewart Granger, Ann Blyth and Betta St. John in South Sea adventure/drama.  Whaling brothers, beautiful native girl, murderous pearl traders all set the stage for this film.  Set in Gilbert Islands but shot in Jamaica and studio lot.  St. John was also in SOUTH PACIFIC but here she played a brown-painted native girl. Earlier version (1923) MGM and silent remake ACROSS TO SINGAPORE (1929) with Joan Crawford and Ramon Navarro.
ALOHA (1931) TIFFANY Young American in the South Seas marries local Polynesian girl Ilanu, played by Raquel Torres.  He then takes her home to San Francisco where he is disowned by family. They return to island where distraught Ilanu leaps into volcano sacrificing herself to Pele.
ALOHA (1965) LEA PRODUCTIONS (Philippines)  Probably produced locally. Need more information?
ALOHA HAWAII (1930) ???  Locally produced film about ancient Hawaii.  Libby Keanini is one lead.
ALOHA OE (1915) KB/ TRIANGLE/ INCE  Although titled Hawaiian this classical plot involves a drunk and drugged American lawyer who sails to the South Seas becomes a beachcomber and falls in love with native King's daughter.  Complete with phony hulas, grass skirts, paper leis, imitation volcanoes and fake moonlight.
ALOHA SUMMER (1988) SAM GOLDWYN JR  Good flick about teen problems & parental prejudices. Set on O'ahu in 1959.  Local Japanese and local Hawaiians are distinguished.  Stars Chris Makepeace with Hawaiians, Blaine Kia and Andy Bumatai.  Airport lei greeting, surf, hula scenes.
ALOHA, THREE GENTS (1963) TOHO (Japan)  Need more information?       ALOMA of the SOUTH SEAS (1927) PARAMOUNT  Gilda Gray, Warner Baxter both playing natives and William Powell in love story of native girl in love with an American and of native boy returning from a US education to help stop a revolt.; (1941) PARAMOUNT Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall in talkie as native chief's son who just returned to island from an American education and lifestyle.  Local cousin and rival fight over girl and isle's leadership.  Dance numbers, canoe arrival, lagoon swim, culture mix,lots of Moai tikis, big feast and big volcano ending.  Wedding and Tahitian songs.  Not critically liked but popular nevertheless.  Oscar noms for Cinematography and Special Effects.
ALWAYS ANOTHER DAWN (1948) McCREADIE BROS. EMBASSY PICTS. (Australian)  Down under version of WWII battle of Coral Sea.
ANATAHAN (1953) DAIWA (Japan)  True story of Japanese soldiers on stranded on tiny Pacific Island after the WWII.
ANGLE OF DESTRUCTION (1994) NEW HORIZONS (Philippines)  Blond, martial-artist, cop and former stripper in Honolulu, must I say more about this made in Philippines, not for children, “B” movie.
APOCALYPSE 3:16 (196?) MARTIN CHARLOT   Locally produced film about a modern Hawaiian's quest for spirituality.  Surrealistically filmed in black and white with no sync sound.  Good effects.
AROUND THE WORLD (1943) RKO  Kay Kyser and his orchestra travel around to entertain American troops.  One stop was a Pacific locale where starlets appeared in sarongs. .
ARRIVING TUESDAY (1986) WALKER FILMS/NZ FILM COMM. (NZ)  This story involves Maoris. Need more information?
AS MAN DESIRES (1925) FN (8 reeler silent)  Pre women’s lib era film.  Man starts in India where he’s falsely charged with killing his commander, he flees to a South Seas island where he gets rich with pearls and falls in love with island girl.  All is not paradise though because natives now attempt to steal his wealth.  A wealth that he probably introduced to the island.
AT THE END OF THE WORLD (1921) PARAMOUNT/ FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY  Romance in South Seas. Need more information?
ATOLL K (1950) FILMS EGE (France)  Also titled: ROBINSON CRUSOELAND and UTOPIA.   Laurel and Hardy's last film in which they inherit a South Seas island with uranium deposits.  In route they stumble on another island of paradise.  They watch before their eyes how the island develops into chaos with land gratings and greed by incoming haoles.  Unfunny because the aged condition of the stars and the sad but realistic plot.  Poor art direction with cheap sets on a dirt island, filmed in Europe.
ATTACK FORCE Z (1982) AUSTRALIAN FILM COMM. (Australian) Mel Gibson & Sam Neill star in this WWII flick of Aussie soldiers try to rescue a Japanese deflector on a South Pacific island.  One problem, actually thousand problems, the Japanese soldiers.
ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS (1957) ALLIED ARTIST  Roger Corman produced which means “B” movie, like you couldn’t tell by the title.  Set on a South Seas island.  The title also tells you the plot.  Shot at Bronson Caverns in Hollywood Hills.  Radiation mutated the crabs but where did that come from, nuclear test?
AVENGER OF THE SEVEN SEAS (1961) DOCUMENTO FILMS (Italian)  GIUSTIZIERE DEI MARI, IL A sailor joins up with pirates to avenge his captain that made him and others dive into shark-infested waters for pearls.  Set in the South Seas with cannibals.
AWAY ALL BOATS (1956) UNIVERSAL  Jeff Chandler, Richard Boone in WWII naval action in the South Pacific with the typical majority of film on the men in training.

BAMBOO BLONDE, THE (1946) RKO-RADIO PICTS.   Frances Langford, Ralph Edwards and Paul Harvey (the radio commentator?).  Original plot about rich, only son who is about to fly a bomber to the WWII South Seas but meets and falls in love with nice torch song singer in New York city.  The problems are that he is already engaged to a self-centered socialite who he is not in love with, he lied to his new girl, that he was a poor farmer and he doesn't even get this Cinderella’s name.  Later down in the South Seas his crew paints her picture on their plane  The crew adorns the mascot with a two-piece sarong, and they name it The Bamboo Blonde.  Shortly the crew and their mascot become famous as war heroes while the singer ‘s manger talks her into reluctantly taking advantage of the publicity and redoes her act with sounding success.  Hollywood hula dance number: Moonlight Over the Islands with Hollywood hula maidens accompanying her in the NY club.
BARNACLE BILL (1941) MGM  Wallace Beery, Marjorie Main  A fisherman in the South Seas avoids hag then finds out he has a daughter between them.  He also fights landlubbers.
BATTLE BENEATH THE EARTH (1968) REYNOLDS-VETTER PRODS.  Chinese tunnel under Pacific to blow up the U.S. but they are stopped by a base built in an extinct Hawaiian volcano.  Ni ha ma choy lin! (I told you dig one more degree north!)  Need more information?
BATTLE CRY (1955) WARNER BROS.  Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, James Whitmore, Raymond Massey, Tab Hunter and Anne Francis all star in this WWII flick.  These American soldiers are trained in New Zealand to fight the Japanese in Saipan.  Directed by Raul Walsh.
BATTLE OF BLOOD ISLAND (1960) BICKMAN/RAPP PRODS.  WWII picture two American soldiers  on a Pacific isle, one, Jewish one Christian and a bunch of Buddhist Japanese who want to bomb them both no matter what their faith is.  Need more information?
BATTLE OF THE CORAL SEA (1959) COLUMBIA  Cliff Robertson in WWII drama of submarine captain imprisoned on Japanese-held Pacific Island trying to send vital information to the U.S. fleet.
BAYWATCH: THE MOVIE: “Forbidden Paradise” (1995) ALL AMERICAN & BAYWATCH PRODS. Released straight to tape world-wide, David Hasselhoff and his Baywatch babes travel to Hawaii for heavy sea lifeguard training.  This TVM quality production was filmed and set on O’ahu just like the pilot of this world’s #1 TV show.  Generic subplots include: surfing contest, bad luck lava rock and shipwreck on a remote Hawaiian Island with fierce natives and with a friendly, pretty maiden that nurses one lifeguard to good health.  Actually the natives are not a lost tribe but a Hawaiian activist group going back to nature and their roots.  Different.  Luau scene with the Baywatch babes dancing sexually along with Tahitian and Samoan fire dancing.  Snorkeling in a Sea life park tank posing as a real reef and if there isn’t enough babeatude, the Hawaiian Tropics bikini girls have a scene.  Lots of parts for locals; Gerry Lopes, Lee Doversola, Sidney Liufau, Wallace Akeo, Buffalo and Brian Keaulana, Laisene Auelua and Celeste Akeo.  Need info. on part of Mark Kealoha?
BEACH RED (1967) UNITED ARTIST/THEODORA PRODS. Cornel Wilde and Rip Torn in generic WWII Americans invading a Japanese held Pacific isle film.  No name of island mentioned nor natives present.
BEACHCOMBER (1915) BOSWORTH INC.   Hobart Bosworth in romance of U.S. sailor and a Hawaiian girl.  Set in Hawaii.  Where shot?
BEACHCOMBER, THE (1938) PARAMOUNT Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester in what seems a film set in the China Seas but some of the natives (the bad ones) look Melanesian. (1955) RANK ORGANISATION/UNITED ARTIST  Glynis Johns and Robert Newton.  White island bum and the missionaries.  Written by W. Somerset Maugham.  Also a Silent by Rex Ingram (1923).  Need more information?       
BEACHHEAD (1954) AUBREY SCHENCK/ UNITED ARTISTS  Tony Curtis is one of four marines looking for French planter who spies for U.S. in the island of Bougainville in Melanesia.  Good WWII suspense.  Filmed on Kaua'i with Steamboat Mokuahi playing bit part as angry,  Japanese killing, Melanesian.
BEAST OF THE DEAD (1970) SCEPTER IND. PRODS. (Philippines/US) Starring John Ashley, which means made in Philippines “B” movie.  Sequel to MAD DOCTOR OF BLOOD ISLAND (1969).  The island is a remote Pacific one with a headless monster is stalking natives.  Need more information?
BEHIND THE NUDIST CURTAIN (1964) JURI PRODS.  Detective circles the world with a stop in Hawaii in pursuit of a spy.  He ends up in a Florida nudist camp.  Filmed in Florida.
BELA LAGOSI MEETS A BROOKLYN GORILLA (1952) BORDER FILMS  Comedy with Bela playing a Dr. Moreau like character on a South Seas island with hula girls and a Martin and Lewis copycats.  Filmed in L.A. with a Hollywood luau scene and Hollywood dance numbers.  Bugs Bunny does a reference to the Lewis character in this film played by Sammy Petrillo. In the short "Hurdy Gurdy Hare" Bugs is an organ grinder with a giant gorilla as his money collector. Bugs remarks at the end of the cartoon "I hope Petrillo doesn't find out about this."
BENIKER GANG, THE (1985) SCHOLASTIC PRODS. Andrew McCarthy in tale of a family of orphans on cross-country journey that takes them to Hawaii.  Do they make it?  Need more information? Possible TV pilot turned straight to video movie.
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL (1956) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Robert Wagner, Broderick Crawford and Buddy Ebsen in typical action, WWII, drama of fighting in occupied Pacific Island.  Shot in Kaua'i (originally DAY THE CENTURY ENDED).
BEWARE OF BLONDES (1928) COLUMBIA  Clerk gets Hawaiian vacation if delivers large emerald on the way meets and falls in love with girl aboard ship who's a cop.
BEYOND PARADISE (1997) KAMA'AINA FILM PARTNERS Good indie film by young director who used to live on the Big Island of Hawaii and it shows with good local young actors.  Coming of age movie of a haole teen moving to Kona and befriending locals.
BEYOND THE BLUE HORIZON (1942) PARAMOUNT   Dorothy Lamour, Richard Denning, Jack Haley Set in Malaysia and in a mainland mansion which has a lagoon like lily pond where Dorothy swims, and don’t forget her sarongs.  Jack plays a ukulele and tapa print on huts... Although not set in the South Seas every other aspect of this film is.
BEYOND THE REEF (1981) UNIVERSAL  South Seas romance in Tahiti by young natives along with a pet shark that grows up with the young lovers. Played by young Hawaiians: Dayton Ka’ne, and California raised part-Hawaiian Maren Jensen.                   
THE BIG BOUNCE (2004) WARNER BROS.  Owen Wilson, Morgan Freeman, Charlie Sheen, Gary Sinise, Bebe Neuwirth, Willie Nelson & Harry Dean Stanton.  Cut out of film was Kris Kristofferson and Minnie Driver.  A young couple plan to heist beach mansion on the North Shore of O’ahu with plot twists. Big stars couldn't save this plot.
BIG HOP, THE (1928) BUCK JONES PROD.  Buck in air race to Honolulu crashes and returns.
BIG JIM MCLAIN (1952) WAYNE-FELLOWS/ WARNER BROS.  John Wayne as Federal investigator with James Arness fighting communists ring in Hawaii.  Mostly filmed on O'ahu.  Airport lei greeting, outrigger surfing with Diamond Head in b.g., Hawaiian  Wedding Song in Hawaiian sung by Hawaiians, very nice.
BIG LIFT, THE (1950) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Montgomery Cliff as pilot from Hickam Air Base and others are sent to Germany for Berlin airlift.  Hickam scenes filmed on O'ahu.
BIKINIS IN PARADISE (1967) CINEMA THREE  Cast of 300 local teenagers in musical/comedy.  Produced and filmed locally.
BIKINI PARADISE (1967) ALLIED ARTIST Two Navy officers are sent to a South Seas island to search for a missing teacher only to be capture by a tribe of women.
BIRD OF PARADISE (1932) RKO PICTS.  Haole falls for chief's daughter with Dolores Del Rio and Joel McCrea, Brown painted, chief decides to sacrifice princess to the male god Pele and she jumps into volcano.  Canoe greeting, diving for coins, shark attack, luau with pig and poi, Hollywood hulas, wedding ceremony with ring of fire, riding and surfing turtle and volcano exploding scenes.  Joel's canoe gets caught in oceanic whirlwind and Delores TRIES to speak Hawaiian throughout the picture.  First role for Lon Chaney Jr. and Napoleon Pukui had a part.  Location shooting but while most indications are Hawaii no landmarks are recognizable?  Directed by King Vidor and David O. Selznick was the executive producer; (1951) 20TH CENTURY-FOX ver. starred Jeff Chandler, Debra Paget and Louis Jourdan.  Filmed in Hawaii with haoles playing Hawaiians and a Jewish Kahuna.  A Prince Leilani listed in credits who was born in Hilo and played the Kahuna in the stage version of the film.  Authentic hulas by Hawaiian Kumu Hula Iolani Luahine and dancer Lydia Bray.  Movie not on video yet and surprisingly sought after by contemporary Kumu Hula.   It has a canoe greeting, feast, dances, tabu, lagoon and a big volcano scenes.  Also a Silent with Lewis Stone and Laurette Taylor.
BLACK BELT II (1993) CONCORDE/NEW HORIZONS  A Roger Corman low budget of Martial Arts action in Hawaii.
BLACK CAMEL, THE (1931) FOX  Warner Oland, Bela Lugosi, Robert Young star in movie star murder in Waikiki.  Location shooting on O'ahu.  Local girl played by haole.  Only Chan filmed in Hawaii.
BLACK LILLY (1921) ??? Locally produced detective thriller with Peggy Aldrich.  Filmed on O'ahu.  How released?
BLACK MAGIC (1929) FOX  Three white derelicts drink away past, set off New Guinea.
BLACK PARADISE (1926) FOX  Couple fleeing the law reach a South Sea island full of escaped convicts.  Man succumbs to hapa girl and volcano destroys village.
BLACK PEARL (1934) URANIA FILM (Polish) Reri, Count Eugene Bodo Polynesian story.  Reri from TABU lived and married in Europe for a while.  Later had a small part in HURRICANE.  Also known as CZARNA PERLA,  Polish sailor return with pearl riches and a Tahitian wife.  He is seduced by a married woman who turns out to be part of a gang who is after his pearls. Shot on stage in Poland even the Tahitian scenes. 
BLACK WIDOW (1986) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Debra Winger follows murdering widow, Teresa Russell, to the Big Island of Hawaii.  Beautiful real volcano in b.g..  Danny Kamekona plays detective.
BLOOD AND STEEL (1959) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  James Edwards, James Hong and others in WWII South Pacific adventure of four sailors on reconnaissance in Japanese held island.  They blow up radio station and some Japanese.  One sailor killed along with a helpful native girl (Ziva Rodann) by accident.
BLOOD CREATURE (1959) VALIANT (U.S./Philippines)  Renamed: TERROR IS A MAN.  All English speaking cast in ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU rip-off.  "South Sea" island 1000 miles west of Peru.  Filmed in Philippines with South Seas natives that are Filipino.
BLUE CRUSH (2002) UNIVERSAL  Three girl surfers, one haole; who can’t surf, two locals; one a New Yorican (Puerto Rican from NYC) who can’t surf, the other a real part-Hawaiian Seone Lake who can surf.  Boring plot where the haole falls in love with an all pro quarterback, in Hawaii for the Pro-Bowl.  Same girl wins pipe.  Lots of good surf footage with visual effects putting on non-surfer faces on real surfer doubles.  Parts for local surfers.
BLUE HAWAII (1961) PARAMOUNT  Classic Elvis Presley hip swing filmed on Kaua'i and O'ahu.  Film made a couple of hapa-haole songs famous; the title song and the Hawaiian Wedding Song. Lots of good Hawaiian/Priestly songs and Hilo Hattie in opening scene.  Also luau, surf, canoe, hula on stage, hukilau, Hawaiian rock and airport greeting scenes.

BLUE LAGOON (1949) UNIVERSAL  Jean Simmons as part of young couple who survive shipwreck; (1980) COLUMBIA  starred Brook Shields with Fijians cast as savage natives.  Filmed beautifully in Fuji.  See sequel: RETURN TO BLUE LAGOON.
BLUE SKY (1994) ORION PICTS.  Tommy Lee Jones & Jessica Lang, who won an Oscar for best actress for this role, stars as a military couple who start off stationed in Hawaii where Jessica flirts with the local officers.  They then get transferred to Arizona where it drives Jessica crazy and her husband gets involved and he protests some procedures his unloyal wife supports him greatly in his fight.
BLUE, WHITE AND PERFECT (1941) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Lloyd Nolan in another formula detective series, this time as Irish, Michael Shayne who has his turn in solving a case aboard a cruise liner bound for Honolulu.  First U.S. movie to show war.  Shayne catches bad guys as they disembark in Honolulu.
BOMBARDIER (1943) RKO  Pat O''Brien, Randolph Scott,  Eddie Albert, Walter Reed and Robert Ryan in same-o same-o of more pilots being trained to fly in WWII Pacific.  Their Pacific stay was a short one, on a tropical secret island.  No natives present.
BONDED WOMAN, THE (1922) FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY/PARAMOUNT  Betty Compson follows alcoholic first mate to Honolulu and Samoa and clears his name.
BORA BORA (1968) AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PICTS. (Italy/French)  Man looking for wife on South Seas island.  Ends up with 15 year-old native girl and a mistress.  Does he find his wife?
BORN TO BE WILD (1995) WARNER BROS.  Loosely based on the true story of Bozo the sign language gorilla who ends up retiring in Hawaii except this story revolves around a young gorilla and a young teenage boy who kidnaps the ape for his freedom as a flea market attraction.  The gorilla does end up in Hawaii.  Locations were on O’ahu at the Koo’lau Country Club and the Ku’aloa Ranch.
BOTTLE IMP, THE (1917) PARAMOUNT  Robert Louis Stevenson story of an ancient Hawaiian fisherman with hulas and volcanoes.  Some argument on where filmed.  Though a Lehua Waipahu starred others where of Japanese background including Sessue Hayakawa.
BOUNTY, THE (1984) ORION  Another remake of MUTINY... with another great cast, this one with five, count them five future Academy Award winner actors except for Olivier; Mel Gibson, Anthony Hopkins, Laurence Olivier, Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson with Tevaite Vernette and Wi Kuki Kaa.  Classical escapism of paradise turning into hell.  Canoe greeting scene, white man falling in love with chief's daughter, luau feasts (one with watermelons?) lots of dancing and sensual wahines.
BOYS OF LOST ISLAND (1969) MASS-BROWN PRODS. (Australia) Aka: STRANGE HOLIDAY Base on a story by Jules Verne about boys shipwrecked on a Pacific island where other inhabitants are bad criminals.  Now a matter of real survival.  Low-budget for child audience through it seems to violent of a storyline.
BRIDE OF SAMOA (ca.1930) CENTRAL FILMS  Possible combination of documentary stock footage and suggestive material shot in the USA  Lobby card shows topless women.  "A Thrilling Adventure Among the Siva Dancers".  Need more information?
BROKEN BARRIER (1952) PACIFIC FILMS (New Zealand)   Drama about race relations in New Zealand.  Need more information?  Produced by John O’Shea.
BROKEN ENGLISH (1996) NEW ZEALAND FILM COMM. (New Zealand)  A pretty immigrant moves to Aotearoa and
befriends a Maori young man.
BRUCE LI IN NEW GUINEA (She nu yu Chao)(1977) ??? (Hong Kong)  Bad martial arts movie with natives that are Chinese and fighting Kung Fu.  Some wore, at times, colorful gees.  There is even an ape that knows Kung Fu. Some sarongs with beads for leis.21
BUDDY, BUDDY (1981) MGM Jack Lemmon as a suicidal husband and Walter Matthau as a near retired hit man mix it up at a Riverside hotel.  After both fail they flee to an island near Tahiti which was shot in Hawaii.
BY THE WORLD FORGOT (1918) VIT (5 reeler silent) Man is kidnapped as a joke from his bachelor party, escapes by boat, gets lost, finds remote island in the South Seas of all female descendents of a group of shipwrecked sailors.  Who were the mothers?  And where set?

CABIN BOY (1994) TOUCHSTONE PICTS.  Bad comedy that could of been good. A dumb young man ends up on a ship to Hawaii.  Sort of a cross between THE SEA WOLVES & STOWAWAY.  Real sets could of helped greatly and a consistent sense of time period, all could of been for fun but fails.
CAINE MUTINY, THE (1954) STANLEY KRAMER/ COLUMBIA  Four-star movie with four big stars; Humphrey Bogart, Van Johnson, Fred MacMurray and Jose Ferrer with early roles by E.G. Marshall and Lee Marvin.  Another classic Pacific mutiny, this time, taken from Herman Wouk's Pulitzer Prize novel.  Set in Pearl Harbor, Pacific ocean and San Francisco.?
CALL OF THE JUNGLE (1945) MONOGRAM   Starring stripper Ann Corio in musical of Ann as a South Seas native helping an American cop find sacred pearls in a temple.  Also some murders all involving prevention or provocation of a native revolt.
CALL OF THE SOUTH SEAS (1944) REPUBLIC  Janet Martin and Allen Lane.  The usual story with murder, beachcomber, bar with Polynesian dancers and pretty starlets in sarongs, one playing island princess with 1/8 Polynesian blood and 7/8 French.  Aloha Oe theme song, underwater volcano, moonlight romance stock and backlit screen shots.  Feds catch Haoles taking advantage of islanders.  Filmed in Hollywood.  A Santini Puailoa was credited as a "Kinaki" islander.
CAME A HOT FRIDAY (1985) MIRAGE FILMS/ORION (New Zealand)   Popular New Zealand comedy that did not fair well overseas.  Standout performances from three main actors, one of which is Maori, Billy T. James as Tainuia Kid, a sort of a Maori, comical Zorro.
CAPTAIN CALAMITY (1936) GRAND NATL. FILMS  George Houston, Marian Nixon and Movita.  South Seas trading schooner is attacked by a native and white cutthroat crew.  Simple plot of captain with good boat and loyal crew mostly, of natives, but no money.  Some real Cal/Poly extras as well as two hula dancers doing the real dance.  Filmed in CA.
CAST AWAY (2000) DREAMSCAPE  Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg team again for this film which was shot partially in Fiji over a two year period because of Hanks weight lost.  Nominated a lot but GLADIATOR won most this year but CAST AWAY was the highest grossing film of the year.  Some say this is the award that counts.
CASTAWAY (1987) CANNON/UNITED BRITISH ARTIST  Oliver Reed and Amanda Donohoe in based-on-a-true-story adventure of raggy middle age man advertises for female companion to accompany him for one year on a remote South Sea island.  To his amazement a beautiful, young but independent woman applies but once on the island, his dream year turns very shaky and dramatic.  Set in the tiny Tuin Island near Moa and Bandu Islands but shot elsewhere.  Some natives and nuns from neighboring islands assisted them as needed.  Directed by Nicolas Roeg.
CASTAWAY COWBOY (1974) DISNEY  James Garner shipwrecks on Kaua’i and helps widow Vera Miles in this Paniolo western.  Also co-stars Manu Tupou and Nephi Hannemann.                   
CHARLIE CHAN AT THE OLYMPICS (1937) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Warner Oland, Keye Luke, Katherine DeMille.  Starts in Hawaii with stolen secret plane.
CHARLIE CHAN AT THE RACE TRACK (1936) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Warner Oland and Keye Luke in another Honolulu to L.A. cruise liner murder mystery.  Starts in Honolulu.  No apparent Hawaii location shooting.
CHARLIE CHAN AT TREASURE ISLAND (1939) 20TH CENTURY-FOX   Chan only flies out of Honolulu here.  On board the flight to San Francisco he encounters a murder.
CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON (1931) FOX  Warner Oland now stars and headlines credits as Scotland Yard detective on world cruise is killed in Chan's Honolulu office.  The who-done-it plot continues on cruise ship.  Some stock footage of Honolulu.  Remake: CHARLIE CHAN'S MURDER CRUISE (1940).  Portuguese version, ERAN TRECE (THERE WERE THIRTEEN), was made at same time with different cast.
CHARLIE CHAN IN HONOLULU (1938) 20TH CENTURY FOX  Sidney Toler as Chan. Setting are Chan's Honolulu home interior and in a freighter in city's harbor.  No Hawaii shooting except for stock footage behind the front and rear credits.  Al Kikume as uniformed cop.
CHARLIE CHAN IN RENO (1939) 20TH CENTURY FOX  Sidney Toler as Chan.  Starts in Honolulu police lab then Chan flies to the mainland to help a "Hawaiian girl" in trouble in Reno, Nevada. 
CHARLIE CHAN'S GREATEST CASE (1933) FOX   Remake of HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY (1926)   This time with haole lead Warner Oland.  No location shooting but set is Waikiki.
CHARLIE CHAN'S MURDER CRUISE (1940) 20TH CENTURY-FOX   Remake of CHARLIE CHAN CARRIES ON (1931) this time with Sidney Toler.
CHARLIE CHAN'S SECRET (1936) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Oland as Chan starts in Honolulu in boat than flies to San Francisco for murder case.     
CHINA CLIPPER (1936) FIRST NATL./WARNER BROS.   Pat O'Brian tries to fly across the Pacific.  One stop was Honolulu.  This fiction also starred Humphrey Bogart.
CHINESE PARROT, THE (1927) UNIVERSAL  Charlie Chan caper set in Honolulu and elsewhere.  Filmed in Hollywood with Japanese lead.  Retitled CHARLIE CHAN’S COURAGE (1934).
CLANDESTINA A TAHITI (1958) SILVER FILMS (Italy)  Need more information?
COBRA WOMAN (1944) UNIVERSAL  Maria Montez and Jon Hall star in this early “B” Horror movie about Maria and her evil twin.  Also stars Lon Chaney Jr. And Sabu.  Volcano is in this South Seas island setting.
COCK-EYED WORLD, THE (1929) FOX  Silent, directed by Raoul Walsh   Two marines are sent to a South Seas island where, there they fight over a native girl.
COME ON MARINES (1934) PARAMOUNT  A marine and fellow leathernecks rescue pretty woman and her finishing school friends from a deserted Pacific island.  This comedy/drama stars Richard Arlen, Monte Blue, Ida Lupino and Ann Sheridan.
COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG (1967) UNIVERSAL Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren.  Loren as a Russian émigré, with a spotted past and no visa, stows away in stateroom of an American diplomat, Brando, who is leaving Hong Kong.  As they stop in Honolulu, Brando’s wife meets them, Loren, posing as a Hawaiian with leis and a sarong, jumps ship as though diving for coins.  Brando who is trying to get a divorce but for appearance sake holds off decides to leave wife Tippi Hedren on board.  “What about your career?  I’d rather be happy than be President.”  A lost and lonely Sophia, wet, on a Hawaiian shoreline, almost can't blame him.  Directed, produced and bit part by Charlie Chaplin. Filmed at London’s Pinewood Studios with stock footage of Honolulu Harbor and painted backdrops.  All Hawaiians are Asians.  Bit by Geraldine Chaplin.
CROOKED EARTH (2001) PANDORA FILMS (New Zealand)  Produced by and stared famous Maori actor Temuera Morrison this independent production has mostly native cast engaged in conflicts with the pakea and themselves.  Tem plays a clean-cut, recently retired, military officer who after serving his country well, comes home to a younger brother who is a violent militant fighting for Maori rights.  Great, true and believable conflict for natives.
CROSSWINDS (1951) PARAMOUNT  Stars Rhonda Fleming, Forrest Tucker and John Payne.  Set in New Guinea.  Captain loses his schooner to a couple of gold thieves, he fights to get the boat back along with the beautiful widow left aboard.  Also a native uprising.
CULT OF THE DEAD (1971) COLUMBIA  Boris Karloff  on a South Pacific island with voodoo, zombies, an evil dwarf, a reptile woman and of course a mad scientist.  aka: ISLE SNAKE PEOPLE, THE

DAMIEN (1950) ???   Hawaii produced story of the "Leper Priest".  Location shooting on O'ahu and Kalaupapa.  Purportedly new producers added new scenes in 1952 and then released on mainland U.S.. Need more information?
DAMIEN (1977) P.H.A.  Starred Humberto Almazan.  Fictionalized account of the famous Leper Priest.  Filmed in and around Koko Crater as Moloka'i.   Was made at this time but not released.  This one was directed by Don Murray also an actor who directs Christian films.
DANGER IN THE PACIFIC (1942) UNIVERSAL  WWII spy movie set in the Pacific with Andy Devine.  Need more information?
DANGEROUS INNOCENCE (1925) UNIVERSAL  Cruise ship mystery filmed aboard the S.S. Calawaii in route from L.A. to Honolulu.
DANGEROUS PARADISE (1930) PARAMOUNT (Silent)  Set in the South Seas with Richard Arlen and Warner Oland.  Remake of: VICTORY (1919) PD Need more information? Hula dancers, Hawaiian music.
DEATHWISH (1974) PARAMOUNT  Big Charles Bronson film which opens in Hawaii as he and his wife are on a happy vacation.  The rest of film is set on the mainland.
DEMON OF PARADISE (1987) WARNER  Can you believe a remake of one of the worst films of this filmography, Roger Corman’s UP FROM THE DEPTHS.  Fake-looking man in a sea monster suit attacks people in Hawaii.  Not made in Hawaii.
DEEP RISING (1998) WALT DISNEY PRODS.  Group of professional pirates are about to raid a luxury liner in the South Seas only to find the ship empty except for SEA MONSTERS!!!  Treat Williams stars along with Maori Cliff Curtis in cast.  No “B” movie, big budget effects.  South China sea is mentioned but they head east.  Besides Cliff as a Polynesian pirate there are two Tahitian and one Samoan dance troupe in the main promenade of the ship.
DEAD CALM (1988) WARNER BROS.  Sam Neill stars in murder-thriller on the high seas, somewhere between Tahiti and Fiji, but actually filmed off Australia.  More haoles escape to, not paradise but hell.  No natives portrayed. First big role for Nicole Kidman.
DEATH WARMED UP (1984) TUCKER PRODS./NZ FILM COMM.  An ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU rip-off of a brain doctor who turns humans into mutants on a Pacific Island.
DECEMBER 7TH: THE MOVIE (1922) US WAR DEPT.  Eighty-two minutes restoration of John Ford’s award winning W.W.II movie.  Ford won his fourth Oscar for his thirty-four minute censored docudrama.  The fuller version includes Japanese roles and how the US screwed up twenty-four hours before the infamous Pearl Harbor attack.  Ford deserved the award even more. Lots pictures of pre and post Pearl attack, including the Academy of Arts, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and many other locations and people.
DELIGHTFUL ROGUE, THE (1929) RKO-RADIO  Man's tries to win heart of a dancer in a South Seas cafe.
DEVIL AT 4 O'CLOCK, THE (1961) COLUMBIA  Spencer Tracy and Frank Sinatra, Tracy as alcoholic Priest and Sinatra as convict both helping leper children escape from catastrophic volcano eruption of a small Tahitian isle.  Compare escaping volcano scene in WHEN TIME RAN OUT (1980).  Filmed in and around Lahaina, Mau'i.
DEVIL MONSTER (1946) WEISS & LANDRES   A Schooner disappears in the South Seas.  Years later a Mother of one of its sailors hears rumors that he might be alive.  She hires another boat to find him.  They do find him on a South Seas island and he doesn’t want to leave.  They then kidnap but as they return him home he leads the boat through a group of giant manta rays and other sea creatures.  Also native rituals feast, dance.  Comedy or drama unfortunately not sure.  Possibly reedited from THE SEA FRIEND (1938).
DEVIL'S MOUNTAIN (1976) MILAS HINSHAW   Docudrama about filmmakers bad luck after taking human bones from an ancient Tahitian marae (temple).  Film was completely narrated with lots of live action. Canoe greeting scene in a reenactment and a dancing scene.  Good morale to story because he returns bones and then he climbs dangerous cliffs of Bora Bora where he finds small religious caves and a large burial cave all with artifacts which they photograph only and replace.  Also lots of sharks.    
DEVIL’S PIPELINE (1940) UNIVERSAL  Richard Arlen, Andy Devine, Jean Brooks and Mala as Talamu in this South Seas drama of evil oil man who enslaves anyone who comes to his island for free labor.
DEVIL'S PIT, THE (1929) UNIVERSAL  Son of a Maori chief kills rival for hand of another chief's daughter, leading to war.  Filmed in New Zealand.  
DIAMOND HEAD (1962) COLUMBIA  Charlton Heston stars as hypocritical prejudice kamaiana family head.  Filmed all over Hawaii.  Also starring Yvette Mimieux, Francis Nuyen and James Darren.  Luau scene where Darren a hapa haole gets killed.
DIE BLUME VON HAWAII (FLOWER OF HAWAII, THE) (1933) RIO FILMS GmbH (German)  Film version of the 1931 operetta by Paul Abraham.  A Hawaiian queen disguised as waitress in a Paris cafe (did she uses Michael Jackson's white skin treatments?) is kidnapped and taken back to Hawaii to marry the king.  She had already fallen deeply in with an American officer so the king then nobly stands aside.  Any location shooting? Remade in 1953 with filming in France. This musical was also remade for TV in 1971.
DIVE BOMBER (1941) WARNER BROS.  Errol Flynn, Fred MacMurray, Ralph Bellamy and Alexis Smith star in formula war story about pilots experimenting to eliminate blackouts.  Set in "the Hawaiian Waters".  The detailed footage of Pearl Harbor, shot earlier by Errol Flynn might have been used by Japan for the Pearl Harbor attack preparations.  Need more information?
DO OR DIE (1992) A. SEDARIS  Another low budget movie with same Moloka'i federal agent characters as SAVAGE BEACH, HARD TICKET TO HAWAII, GUNS and PICASSO TRIGGER  but this time co-starring Erik Estrada and Pat Morita.  Also locations in Nevada and Louisiana.  Film opens with Polynesian revue.
DONOVAN'S REEF (1963) PARAMOUNT  John Wayne, Dorothy Lamour & Lee Marvin.  Classic film about white folks living on Pacific isle.  Directed by John Ford and filmed on Kaua'i with lots of Hawaiiana while the set was on the fictitious island of Haleakaloha. Only film with both the King and Queen of the genre in same movie but unfortunately they are not a couple.
DON'T GIVE UP THE SHIP (1959) PARAMOUNT/HAL WALLIS PROD.  Jerry Lewis stars in comedy about him losing a ship at the end of WWII.  After his ship served in the Pacific it returned to Pearl Harbor where Lewis as an Ensign was to return the ship to San Diego but he got lost and ended up on a tropical Pacific isle instead.  There the Japanese found him after getting lost from his landing party and they captured him not knowing the war was over.  His ship left him thinking he was dead.  Note giant octopus scene and spoof of Humphrey Bogart in another South Sea Cinema film THE CAINE MUTINY (1954) as Lewis fumbles with ball bearings in his hand during his Naval trial.      
DON'T GO NEAR THE WATER (1957) MGM  Glenn Ford, Anne Francis, Keenan Wynn and Eva Gabor star in WWII South Pacific Island movie of a Naval P.R. unit stationed on this island called Toura with Naval nurses and pretty natives. The "simple minded" natives, who live in the village of Tanoloa, have early Spaniard blood and use the Spanish language.  Note brown body makeup on Gia Scala.
DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS (1953) 20TH CENTURY FOX  Jane Greer, Mitzi Gaynor, Gloria DeHaven, Gene Lockhart and Jack Paar in musical with love problems of two army officers in post WWII Pacific.  Gaynor plays "lovely native".
DOWN TO THEIR LAST YACHT (1934) RKO RADIO PICTS.  Group of rich people shipwrecked.  Need more information?
DRIFTWOOD (1928) COLUMBIA PICTURES   Stars Jim Curtis in silent about wanderer who is helped by beautiful girl with lots of resistance from society whites on a tropical island.  Not sure of setting? But natives women in b.g. are in sarongs with pearl necklaces & flowers in hair.
DRUMS OF TABU (1967) SPLENDOR/FISA (Ital./Spain/US)  Set in South Seas near Fiji.  A native girl is forced to marry cruel night club owner, she refuses and is tabu because marriage was arranged by High Priest.  A drunken beachcomber finds her, disregards tabu, and they live
happy ever after. Aka LA VERGINE DI SAMOA (Italy), FUGITIVOS DE LAS ISLAS DEL SUR (Spain)
DRUMS OF TAHITI (1953) COLUMBIA  Dennis O'Keef helps revolt against the French annexation of Tahiti.  Volcano and hurricane at the end of this one.  Also originally shot in 3-D.

EARTH'S FINAL FURY (see WHEN TIME RAN OUT)
EBB TIDE (1922) PARAMOUNT/FAMOUS PLAYERS-LASKY (silent)  A Robert Louis Stevenson story with Noah Beery Sr.  In a flight of jealous rage a shipwrecked man kills wife and friend on a South Seas island.  He then forces natives to get pearls.  Later three sailors get stranded on same island, two of them are evil.  At end the mad man and two evil sailors die.  The third sailor marries mad man’s beautiful daughter and don’t dominate the natives. Remake (1937) PARAMOUNT/ ZUKOR  Barry Fitzgerald, Ray Milland, Frances Farmer, and Lloyd Nolan.  Fate of ship members hinge on uncharted South Sea island's mad religious ruler. Also ADVENTURE ISLAND (1947) a PARAMOUNT remake. Also (1915) & (1932) British.
EDDY DUCHIN STORY, THE (1956) COLUMBIA PICTS.   After fighting in the Pacific in WWII a band leader comes home to his motherless son in NYC.  Eddy doesn’t really know how to be a single parent and lead his band so a big generation gap forms.  He finally hires a good nanny and as his relationship improves with his son he finds out he has a terminal illness.  Sad saga.
ENCHANTED ISLAND (1958) WAVERLY PRODS./WARNER BROS.  Sailor jumps ship &
falls in love with native, stars Jane Powell and DanaAndrews.  Story based on Herman Melville's book of Marquesas Islands entitled "Typee". Realistic Polynesian background players but key native roles are obviously played by white actors, noticeably the Kahuna and Powell as Andrew's native lover.  
ENSIGN PULVER (1964) WARNER BROS. Sequel to MISTER ROBERTS but with Robert Walker Jr., Burl Ives, Walter Matthau and Tommy Sands.  Some islands mentioned: Elision, Apathy and Ramos where the Ensign and the Captain land after going overboard in a storm.  Ramos is filled with sexy native women who greet this half-dead men upon their arrival with leis but not rendering aid.  Kava is experienced.  Bits by Jack Nicholson, Larry Hagman, James Farentino and others. Directed by Joshua Logan.
ETERNAL SEA, THE (1955) REPUBLIC  Sterling Hayden, Dean Jagger and Alexis Smith. in bio. of Admiral John M. Hoskins.  Set in the Pacific, scenes in Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Base.
EXCUSE ME (1925) METRO-GOLDWYN (Silent) Lieutenant ordered to Honolulu tries to marry first. First made (1915) HENRY SAGE INC. Need more information in plot? Did they make it to Honolulu?

FAIR WIND TO JAVA (1953) REPUBLIC PICTS.  Fred MacMurray stars as captain going after treasure in the South Seas.  Native girlfriend and volcano ending.  Does Fred make it to Java?
FALLEN IDOL, A (1919) FOX A Hawaiian princess and composer visits California and gets courted by wealthy host's nephew and prejudices are exposed.  Island scenes filmed in Miami.  Was Evelyn Nesbit the princess?
FATHER GOOSE (1964) UNIVERSAL  Cary Grant, Leslie Caron, Trevor Howard in WWII comedy/adventure.  Beachcomber Grant gets traPped as sea watcher on a remote island off New Guinea, he ends up sheltering seven young girls and their teacher.  Filmed in Hollywood.

FEET FIRST (1930) HAROLD LLOYD CORP./ PARAMOUNT  Lloyd as Honolulu shoe clerk delivers shoe aboard S.S. Malolo at pier 11 and the fun starts.  Early talkie.  Location shooting at Honolulu Harbor.          
FERRYMAN, THE (2006) SOUTH PACIFIC PICTS. (NZ)  Group of New Zealanders, including Maori go to Fiji only to encounter great horror.  Need more information?            
FIFTY CANDLES (1921) WILLAT PRODUCTIONS  Sentenced to be deported to China from Hawaii this Chinese man, played by Bertram Grassby, pledges twenty years of service to family, of which frustrates him.  He later slays master after they move to San Francisco.
50 FIRST DATES (2004) COLUMBIA  Stars Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore and Rob Schneider.  Adam falls in love with Drew but because of an auto accident earlier Drew has short term memory. Because of Adam’s love has Drew fall in love with him from scratch everyday.  Filmed & set on O’ahu.  Hapa Philipino Rob plays a Hawaiian with decent pidgin English.
FIGHTING SEABEES, THE (1944) REPUBLIC  John Wayne, Susan Hayward, WWII Wayne wins girl and battles the Japanese with shovels.
FINAL COUNTDOWN (1980) UNITED ARTISTS  Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen sails in modern aircraft carrier and goes back in time, right before the Pearl Harbor attack.  Good movie with little notice.
FIRE BRIDE, THE (1922) WID GUNNING (Silent) Set and shot in Tahiti.  Need more information?
FIRST TO FIGHT (1967) WARNER BROS.  Stars a young Chad Everett and veteran movie actors,  Dean Jaggar, Claude Akins and Gene Hackman in this WWII Pacific flick.  William Conrad was the Executive Producer.
FISTS OF STEEL (1989) SANFORD ENTERTAINMENT (limited release)  Carlos Palomino plays one of first Spanish-American leads as ex-boxer, ex-CIA on revenge in Hawaii tracking down killer international syndicate.
FIT TO KILL (1994) A. SEDARIS  Another low budget movie with same Moloka'i federal agent characters as SAVAGE BEACH, HARD TICKET TO HAWAII and PICASSO TRIGGER but this time Hawaii is only stock footage.  Filmed in California, Nevada and Arizona.
FLAMING SIGNAL (1933) INVINCIBLE  Noah Beery Sr. in story of daredevil pilot who is forced to land on small South Seas island in the middle of a native uprising.  An evil German trader tries the reputation of a pretty native girl named Manu.  The pilot saves a missionary daughter but all other whites are massacred.  Also stars dog, Flash.
FLAT TOP  (1952) REPUBLIC  Sterling Hayden in WWII film about aircraft carrier pilot training in the Pacific.  Need more information?
FLEETS IN, THE (1928) PARAMOUNT Clara Bow, Jack Oakie; (1942) PARAMOUNT Dorothy Lamour, William Holden, Betty Hutton, Eddie Bracken, Rod Cameron and Leif  Erickson in musical/comedy, need more info?  Early remake: LADY BE CAREFUL (1936) than remade as: SAILOR BEWARE (1951).
FLIGHT COMMAND (1941) FRANK BORZAGE PROD./MGM  Stars Robert Taylor and Walter Pidgeon in a Navy training and life in the Pacific movie.  Need more information?  Set in San Diago and filmed off Hawaiian waters but is it also set off Hawaiian waters?.  Story of the “Hell Cats” squadron with pre FROM HERE TO ETERNITY military romance of Taylor and his commander’s wife.
FLIGHT FOR FREEDOM (1943) RKO  Loosely based on the Amelia Earhart story with Rosalind
Russell but at the end Rosalind is on a spy mission for the war efforts and disappears.  Also
stars Fred MacMurray.
FLIGHT TO HONG KONG (1956) UNITED ARTISTS  Rory Calhoun as thief running from gang all over the East to San Francisco with stop in Hawaii.  B.g. shots only.
FLIGHT TO NOWHERE (1946) SCREEN GUILD PICTS.  Alan Curtis and Evelyn Ankers.  Movie opens in Honolulu where a Korean courier is set to hand over an important map of South Seas uranium deposits to a former U.S. G-man.  The courier is murdered and the drama begins.  The plot is also set in Death Valley and Las Vegas. 
FLIRTATION WALK (1934) FIRST NATL./ WARNER BROS.  Green soldier at Schofield Barracks chauffeurs general's daughter, has romantic time at luau and gets in trouble than story and character move to West Point short years later.  Dick Powell, Ruby Keeler and Pat O'Brien star.  Chorus line of 100 island dancers.  Oscar nominations for best picture and sound.
FLYING FLEET, THE (1929) MGM  Young naval pilots attempt flight to Honolulu and fail with Ramon Novarro and Anita Page.
FLYING FOX IN A FREEDOM TREE (1989) GRAHAME McLEAN (New Zealand)   Drama of a young Samoan man's rite of passage.  Written by Samoan Albert Wendt and an Afatia Aloese listed as one of the stars.  Need more information?
FLYING LEATHERNECKS (1951) RKO RADIO  John Wayne and Robert Ryan in WWII Pacific story of famous flying squadron fighting in Guadalcanal Island in the Solomons.  Movie starts from the squadron's base Ewa Marine Airbase on O'ahu with stock footage of base. Diamond Head shot opens the movie. Compare HIGH & THE MIGHTY opening. Quote: "No one of those beautiful gals on those lovely tropic isles couldn't tempt me."
FORBIDDEN ISLAND (1958) COLUMBIA Jon Hall dives for treasure.  Filmed on O'ahu and set in the Philippines and a forbidden isle.  Martin Denny and Peter Kaluna credited.
FORBIDEN WOMEN (1948) LLOYD FRIEDGEN (Philippines)  Camp film of women enslaved on an unknown island in the South Pacific.  Need more information?  There is an evil Sultan who rules the island.  A South Seas prince returns home to change the evil ways.
FORCED LANDING (1941) PARAMOUNT  Richard Arlen stars as an ace pilot for hire goes to work for a South Pacific island air corps.  He finds the island leader is a pilot and a bad guy who also leads the air corp.  Arlen falls in love with the leader’s girlfriend.  There is a dog fight at the end which Arlen wins.  He wins the girl also.  A part for Eva Gabor.
FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL (2008) UNIVERSAL Song writer breaks up with actress girlfriend, on advice he gets away from it all and goes to Hawaii only to find ex there with new famous boyfriend. By hard luck they are staying at same hotel, ajointing rooms, restaurant researvations are at same time with next door table, etc.. all a stage for a good comedy.
FROGMEN, THE (1951) 20TH CENTURY FOX  Set in WWII Pacific of underwater demolition divers. Stars Dana Andrews, Jeffery Hunter, Robert Wagner, Jack Warden and Richard Widmark.
FROM HELL IT CAME (1957) ALLIED ARTIST PICTS.  50’s “B” Horror movie of giant tress growing on grave of South Seas chief’s son.  Walking tree terrorizes villagers.
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953) COLUMBIA  Classic drama starring Burt Lancaster, Frank Sinatra, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr and Donna Reed in O'ahu army life story before the Pearl Harbor attack.  Exteriors filmed on O'ahu.  Oscars for Reed and Sinatra and six others for a movie that no studio wanted to touch.  Too racy.  Most famous love scene on beach was mostly a big argument and spoofed in AIRPLANE, 10, and PRIVATE NAVY OF SERGEANT O'FARRELL, THE among others.

G.I. JANE (1951) LIPPERT PICTS.  Lobby card shows soldiers on beach watching the silhouettes of two hula maidens dance behind white sheets.  Need more information?
GAPPA THE TRIPHIBIAN MONSTER (19670 NIKKATSU/MANSON CORP Another South Seas 60's Japanese "B" Monster movie. Theory is after Hiroshima and nuclear testing on Pacific Islands by France and US, most of these monsters were born from these test, they seem to later destroy Japanese cities like the bomb itself. Anyway no difference in this movie. South Pacific island natives worship their god Gappa. Compare MOTHRA. Japanese scientist on the island find strange giant lizard like hatchling in a cave that was opened up by resent earthquake. Compare GODZILLA. Against native warnings they take the hatchling home to Japan. Soon after Ma & Pa Gappa destroy city to find their baby.
GARGANTUA (1998) FOX TV Made for cable movie, released widely on video.  Scientist and son arrive on a Polynesia island of Malau to study the effects of marine life due to resent large earthquakes. The effects are big, monsters from the deep. Cheap looking, in a time of good inexpensive computer visual effects monster movies.  Made in Australian.
GALLANT HOURS, THE (1960) UNITED ARTIST/CAGNEY-MONTGOMERY   WWII Biography of Admiral "Bull" Halsey detailing his account of the battle for Guadalcanal.  Some narration, not much battle scenes and no natives.  James Cagney making the perfect Halsey and Co-starred Dennis Weaver and Richard Jaeckel.
GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1965) TOHO (Japan)  The second Mothra but this one as a caterpillar.  One scene in his Polynesian island where the natives are dancing and worshipping the under developed moth in the typical, tacky, Japanese way.
GIDGET GOES HAWAIIAN (1961) COLUMBIA   Beach party type movie with James Darren, Deborah Walley, Michael Callan and Carl Reiner.  Set and filmed at Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  Mixed Polynesian dance number.  Darren sings snappy title number:  "Gidget Goes Hawaiian". Surf scenes.

GIRL OF THE PORT (1930) RKO-RADIO  Burlesque girls stranded in Suva, English Lord turned beachcomber and an interracial triangle.  With Duke Kahanamoku.  Women of questionable past. 
GIRLS OF PLEASURE ISLAND (1953) PARAMOUNT  Gene Barry, peaceful lives of Englishman and three daughters on South Seas island are disrupted by a group of Marines arriving to build a airstrip.  Despite title it is a very proper movie.
GOBS AND GALS (1952) REPUBLIC  Two sailors on a remote South Seas island weather station where through boredom and loneliness they trick gals from all over the states to send them gobs of goodies by using a photo of their handsome commander.  As they get loaded with cookies and candy Russian spies appear.     
GODLESS MEN (1920) GOLDWYN PICTS.  Captain of a schooner in the South Pacific confronts his bad son.  Need more information?
GODZILLA (1998) TRI-STAR PICTS.  Big American budget of this Japanese “B” movie classic.  Starring Matthew Brodwrick.  This time the big lizard destroys New York city.  The movie establishes that he was created by nuclear explosions from French Polynesia.  Years later Godzilla comes out with a feeding frenzy, French secret service and secret US military and science group take notice of this unusual attack pattern that starts near Tahiti, Panama, Jamaica (filmed in Hawaii) and the east coast.  Looks like something going to take a big bite out of the Big Apple.
GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH (1991) TOHO (Japan) This newer version of Godzilla gives the history of Godzilla as a surviving dinosaur on a small island Ragos near Kwajalein during WWII.  This dinosaur saves the doomed Japanese soldiers there from the Americans.  Its wounded badly but the Japanese can’t save him.  American nuclear test in near by Bikini Is. in 1954 strengthened the dino and mutated him into Godzilla.  A complicated plot in this film involving time travel confirms this history, mutates three cute pets into three-head Ghidorah, a new bigger meaner Godzilla and a newer bionic King Ghidorah.  Interestingly, the US version blames French nuclear tests, the Japanese blame US tests.
GODZILLA VS MOTHRA (1962) TOHO PRODS. (Japan)  Classic Japanese cult movie, stars a giant, city destroying, moth.  Ooohhhh I'm scared!  Interestingly, this monster mother of a moth comes from a "enchanted South Seas Isle", named Alilena, inhabited by natives who speak in "a Polynesian dialect".  Natives are Japanese extras with badly dark painted skin and two very Japanese looking, one foot tall, singing twins who get captured and Mothra seeks to find them.  Mothra is worshipped much like King Kong but he is a friend to the natives.  Two stagey musical dance numbers (Japanese style), one is purposefully tacky on stage, the other by the real natives is just as tacky.
GODZILLA VS. THE  SEA MONSTER (1966) TOHO (Japan)   Godzilla beats a giant Lobster and wrecks a nuclear plant on this island which is near Mothra's Polynesian Infant island.  Lots of the giant moth's Polynesian friends are captured and held slaves to the nukes and at the end Godzilla elects not to fight Mothra but lets the moth fly the now free natives to safety before the island blows up. 
GOIN' COCOANUTS (1978) OSMOND FILMS  Donny & Marie Osmond bomb.  They chase down Marie's necklace all over O'ahu.  TVM quality.  Donny does the Samoan Slap dance.
GOODBYE PARADISE (1991) LATITUDE 20  Hawaii produced feature with Pat Morita, James Hong and Danny Kamekona as well as lots of Hawaiian talent including: Varona Tiki, Richard Vales, Don Nahaku and Ray Bumatai.  Limited plot, limited budget and limited release film about old local bar about to shut down in Honolulu's Chinatown.  
GREEN DOLPHIN STREET (1947) MGM  Lana Turner, Van Heflin and Donna Reed in film of two French sisters madly in love with Richard Hart who has started a lumber company in New Zealand with Van Heflin.  Hart being drunk sends for the wrong sister to marry but out of pity and force and decency by Heflin he marries her after traveling so far for him.  All this during the Maori Wars against the early white settlers and that Heflin without telling Hart loves the wrong sister that he forced Hart to marry.  Lots of interplay with Maori friendly to the whites as they were his
neighbors, friends and employees.  Oscar for great earthquake special effects.  Al Kikume credited as Maori.  A bell gets knocked over in quake.
GUADALCANAL DIARY (1943) 20TH CENTURY FOX  Lloyd Nolan, Richard Conte and Anthony Quinn in WWII account of the battles of Guadalcanal in the South Pacific.  This story is more true than most movies because the author was an actual military reporter on the Guadalcanal battle fields.  Hula aboard ship before fight with Aloha Oe song.
GUNG HO (1943) UNIVERSAL/WALTER WANGER  Randolph Scott, Grace McDonald, Noah Berry Jr. and Robert Mitchum in WWII story of tough Marine unit which invaded the Japanese occupied Makin Islands.  This unit finished their training on O'ahu with a Pearl Harbor shot as they arrived and a Diamond Head shot as they departed to the South Seas.  This true story of the 2nd Raider Battalion started the first ground offensive in the Pacific theater.  There are glimpses of Polynesian type natives of Makin who "helped care for the wounded".  South Seas movie connection: one officer yelled at private (Mitchum) because of his ignorance of their destination; "What did you expect, movin' pictures of Dorothy Lamour on them islands!".  Another soldier always dreamed from the wheat fields about the South Pacific.  Basically L.A. shooting only.    
GUNS (1990) SEDARIS/RCA  Another low budget movie with same Moloka'i federal agent characters as SAVAGE BEACH, HARD TICKET TO HAWAII and PICASSO TRIGGER  but this time costarring Erik Estrada.

HALLS OF MONTEZUMA (1950) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Richard Widmark, Jack Palance, Robert Wagner, Karl Malden, Richard Boone and Jack Webb in WWII, Marine action in the South Pacific.  Directed by Lewis Milestone.
HARD HUNTED (1992) SEDARIS/COLUMBIA  Low budget, low grade, and low neckline movie.  One in a series filmed on Molokai and in this case also Arizona.
HARD TICKET TO HAWAII (1987) SEDARIS/WARNER  Low budget, low grade, and low neckline movie. One in a series filmed on Molokai.
HAWAII (1966) MIRISCH/UNITED ARTISTS  Very good movie of James Michener's tell-it-like-it-was account of the 1800's missionary influence on the islands.  Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Richard Harris, Gene Hackman, Carroll O'Connor star with Manu Tupou, a South Seas Polynesian starring as young Hawaiian chief.
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HAWAII CALLS (1938) RKO-RADIO  Two young stowaways on liner from San Francisco become involved in hunt for spies and are befriended by locals.  Mamo Clark has an early role while Pua Lani plays one of the young boys, a Hawaiian.  Songs: Hawaii Calls, Aloha Oe and That's the Hawaiian in Me. Good use of LA real locals but writing, acting average.  Big hula dance number at a big luau.  Boys diving for coins scene.  Filmed in a L.A. sound stage with lots of rear projection and stock footage. Hulas choreographed by and lead dancer Aggie Auld.  Produced by Sol Lesser.
HAWAII CHINDOCHU (UNUSUAL TRIP TO HAWAII) (1954) SADAO SUGIHARA/SHINTOHO (Japan) Japanese comedy filmed on O'ahu and Kaua'i.
HAWAII NO IKIRU (LIFE IN HAWAII) (1967) ??? (Japan)  Need more information?
HAWAII NO WAKADAISHO (YOUNG GUY IN HAWAII) (1963) TOHO (Japan) Adventurous Japanese young man comes to Hawaii and returns to Japan to win a sailboat race.  Filmed on location. One movie in a series, later MINAMI TAIHEIYO NO WAKADAISHO 1967 (YOUNG GUY IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC) TOHO which was filmed in Hawaii.
HAWAII NO YORU (HAWAIIAN NIGHT) (1953) SHINTOHO (Japan)  Japanese swimmer meets local Japanese girl, falls in love, returns as POW and dies.  Hawaii shooting.
HAWAIIAN BOY (1960) ??? (Philippines)  Fernando Poe Jr. play a pineapple worker who gets fired and becomes a singing boxer.  Like an Elvis movie.  "A Giant Rock-n-Roll Hit."
HAWAIIAN BUCKAROO (1938) 20TH CENTURY-FOX / PRINCIPAL PRODS. Smith Ballew and Pat O'Brian in movie of young man who buys pineapple land only to find it a lava flow.  He should of known, the land he bought was part of Kalapana Ranch.  Works, fights and sings at cattle ranch nearby where he helps pretty girl owner.  Backgrounds filmed on Parker Ranch on the Big Island.  Couple of hula solos by natives wearing cellophane skirts.  The Hawaiian cowhands were the loyal good employees while the haole and Spanish guys were the bad guys.
HAWAIIAN DREAM (1987) FUJI TELEVISION (Japan) Low-life events in Honolulu with two young Japanese men.  Starred Saburo Tokito, Johnny Ohkura, Kaori Momoi with Americans Tamlyn Tomita and G.W. Bailey.  Filmed entirely on O'ahu.  Good role for Esmond Chung.
HAWAIIAN NIGHTS (1939) UNIVERSAL  Hotel magnate sends son to run chain's Honolulu hotel, he takes his band with him and plays at rival hotel and woos the owners daughter.  Some Hawaiian music, hulas and a "pineapple king".  Waikiki background shots only.
HAWAIIANS, THE (1970) UNITED ARTISTS  Sequel to HAWAII with second generation missionary hoarding land, exploiting Chinese immigrants and the overthrowing of Queen Liliokalani. Starred Charlton Heston and Geraldine Chaplin as a part Hawaiian.  Bit by Danny Kahalekini. Filmed on Mau'i.       
HEAVEN KNOWS, MR. ALLISON (1957) 20TH CENTURY-FOX   Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr as a U.S. marine and a nun, both stranded on a small Pacific isle, called Tuvasiva? of possibly the Tu'a? group, during WWII.  Good male/female surving on an island conflict. We he be an officer and gentelman? Will she keep her faith? The Japanese take the island over shortly after then it's back to being a war picture..  Directed by John Huston.  Filmed in the West Indies.

HE IS MY BROTHER (1975) CINEMA FINANCIAL OF AMERICA Starred Bobby Sherman and Keenan Wynn.  Survivors of a shipwreck land on an island leprosy (Hansen's Disease) colony.  Set where?  Need more information?
HEI TIKI (ca.1930) FIRST DIVISION (New Zealand?)  "A weird Maori drama created by Alexander Markey on the Isle of Ghost."  Need more information?
HELL IN THE PACIFIC (1968) CINERAMA/ABC PICTS. CORP.  Lee Marvin & Toshiro Mifune in small version of NONE BUT THE BRAVE with aforementioned actors as enemies on a remote Pacific isle.
HELL SHIP MUTINY (1957) REPUBLIC   Jon Hall, John Carradine and Peter Lorre in tale of a ship's captain helping natives from being exploited.
HELL TO ETERNITY (1960) ATLANTIC PICTS. PRODS.  David Janssen, Vic Damon and Jeffery Hunter who was raised by Californian Japanese Americans and later becomes WWII war hero in the Pacific.  Honolulu bar - with non Hawaiian bad girls.  Not filmed in Hawaii but battle scenes were set in Saipan.  Sessue Hayakawa also stars.  
HELLCATS OF THE NAVY (1957) COLUMBIA  Ronald Regan stars as WWII submarine commander based out of Guam, trying to figure out why sonar will not detect Japanese mines.  Regan then sees lots of action on the Strait of Japan.  Nancy Davis co-stars as his love interest and we all know what happened after that.
HELL'S HALF ACRE (1954) REPUBLIC  Evelyn Keyes seeks missing husband in seedy side of city.  Good location shooting of the seedy side of Honolulu. Rare Film Noir pacific island film.
HER JUNGLE LOVE (1938) PARAMOUNT/ ZUKOR  Dorothy Lamour, Ray Milland in romance between pilot who wrecked on a South Seas island and mysterious white goddess/ruler of crocodile-worshipping natives.
HIDDEN PEARLS, THE (1918) PARAMOUNT  Fictitious Pacific island filmed in Hawaii, lots of Hawaiian/Hollywood culture.  Haoles (whites) as islanders and a Hollywood hula with Sessue Hayakawa.     
HIGH AND THE MIGHTY, THE (1954) WAYNE-FELLOWS/ WARNER BROS. First modern passenger air disaster film, flight leaves from Hawaii and heads to San Francisco.  Starring John Wayne and Robert Stack.  Shot in Hollywood. Compare latest Air disaster film SNAKES ON A PLANE.

HIGH TENSION (1936) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Brian Donlevy in comedy of brawling cable layer who doesn't want to get married but after dangerous work in Hawaii and rescuing a friend he changes his mind and marries.  Shows people are lazy in Hawaii.  Cable runs between Honolulu and San Francisco.
HIS CAPTIVE WOMAN (1929) FIRST NAT. PICTS.  Fugitive dancer, Dorothy Mackaill, is caught in South Seas but on returning, herself and captor are shipwrecked on deserted isle where they fall in love, swim nude and get attacked by shark.  Some Hawaii scenery at Kalapana.
HIS MAJESTY O'KEEFE (1953) NORMA PRODS. (U.K.)  Burt Lancaster in title role as over thrown captain of mutinous ship who washes ashore on the island of Yap.  The opportunistic Yank tries to export copra and tries to get the natives to help.  He marries hapa-haole girl from Palau, a brown-painted Joan Rice and defeats the notorious Bully Hayes who is bullying the natives.  The natives in turn make him king.  Based partially on a true story and filmed in Fiji on the island of Viti Lemu.  Set in Palau with Micronesians portrayed by Fijians who are Melanesian.  The large money stone used by the Yaps call, Pai, was heavily featured.  Also there were Hawaiian tikis and Rapa Nuian (Easter Island) Moi (giant tiki) incorrectly shown.
HOLY MATRIMONY (1943) 20TH CENT. FOX  Painter and his butler on a tiny Pacific island alone. He later gets recognized back home by the king who wants to knight him.  On the way home the butler dies and the shy and humble painter takes on his identify but lots of problems arises from the shift.
HOME OF THE BRAVE (1949) UNITED ARTIST/SCREEN PLAYS II  James Edwards, Lloyd Bridges and Frank Lovejoy.  WWII African/American soldier in Pacific being taunted by fellow white GIs.
HONEYMOON IN VEGAS (1992) CASTLEROCK  James Caan, Nicolas Cage, Pat Morita, Danny Kamekona and Peter Boyle.  Crazy story of a young man (Cage) who mentally has trouble getting married to his lovely girl friend.  He finally takes her to Vegas for a quick marriage but instead gambles her away for one weekend to a big time, mob gambler (Caan).  She finally agrees because Caan guarantees that he would be a gentleman and tempts her with the fact that the weekend would be in Kaua'i.  There at his beautiful beach house they have the time of their lives traveling all over the scenic areas of the island and even to the big island to see the volcano erupt which was stock footage.   Kamekona is his housekeeper.  When Cage arrives to retrieve her he's diverted by a Taxi driver (Morita) and taken to a crazed and insulting Hawaiian Chief (Boyle) who barely speaks English.  The chief loves movies, especially (South Seas movie connection) SOUTH PACIFIC, and he begins to sing Bali Hai and all the others.  Bit by Hawaiian doorman, need name?  Also Willie Nelson sings Blue Hawaii in the score.    
HONOLULU (1939) MGM  Teenage idol, movie star and look-a-like plantation owner switch places. Musical with George Burns, Gracie Allen, Eleanor Powell and a young Robert Young.  Powell did a "black face" number.  Why?  Cellophane grass skirts, hula dance numbers (some tap dancing and one elaborate MGM style) moonlight on beach romance scene, waterfall-slide.  Filmed in Hollywood with stock shots of tropical island scenes and of course a stock backdrop of Diamond Head.  A Kealoha Holt credited as "Native Dancing Girl" with no speaking lines.  Hapa-haole songs: Honolulu and Hawaiian Medley with the second played by Andy Iona's Islanders.  All haole cast with L.A. Polynesian extras as playful natives.        
HONOLULU LU (1941) COLUMBIA  Mexican performer in Honolulu night club is named "Miss Honolulu" by gang of sailors with whom she gets involved.  Stars Lupe Velez.
HONOLULU-TOKYO-HONG KONG (1963) TOHO (Japan)   Romance comedy about love triangle with a Japanese student at the University of Hawaii his visiting brother and a beauty queen.
HORIZONTAL LIEUTENANT, THE (1962) MGM  Jim Hutton, Paula Prentis, Jack Carter and (GILLIGAN'S ISLAND's) Jim Backus in naval comedy during WWII.  Hutton while stationed in Honolulu seeks Prentis' for a girlfriend but he gets shipped out to a remote Pacific isle.  His assignment is to capture a Japanese legend who steals supplies from base.  Later Prentis gets transferred there also. Native villagers are Japanese country folk.  Try to figure that out?
HORROR ISLAND (1941) UNERVERSAL  Based on the story “Terror of the South Seas.”   Need information? But because the low, low budget the South South Seas setting is not noticeable nor revealed just a generic island.
HORRORS OF SPIDER ISLAND (1962) PACEMAKER PICTS.  Campy sexploitation 60s “B” movie about a group of loose dancers on the way to Singapore who crash land in the South Pacific. Man is bit by a giant spider and he turns into a sort of a hairy werewolf? Go figure? The women scream and scream. To bad for him because the women out number the men about 6 to 1. Talk about paradise Lost! First released in West Germany as EIN TOLER HING IM NETZ aka IT’S HOT IN PARADISE.
HOUSE WITHOUT A KEY (1926) FOX  Set in Honolulu this Charlie Chan mystery was shot in Southern California.  Chan, Chinese, was based on a Hawaiian but this time shot with a Japanese who was listed twelfth on the credits.  Also entitled CHARLIE CHAN’S GREATEST CASE.
HOW TO STUFF A WILD BIKINI (1965) AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL   Beach classic with Annette Funicello, Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman (Dobbie Gillis), Mickey Roney and Buster Keaton.  Annette is in Malibu fighting off Dwayne while Frankie is in the Navy reserves stationed on a South Pacific island called; "Guna Guna" were the local native girls are fighting over him.  Frankie seeks a Kahuna type witch doctor, Keaton, who keeps Annette loyal long-distance.  The tropical island setup is typical Hollywood tack with haole and Asian natives.  Keaton's scenes would make great still photos though with his tacky grass skirt outfit and pretty, sarong-clad, hibiscus over ear, babes at his side.  Only thing real are stock scenics. 
HULA (1927) PARAMOUNT  Clara Bow starred in this "shot in Hollywood" Hawaiian tale of which she played a local haole (Caucasian), independent young woman in the fast lane, hanging with the Hawaiian workers not the conventional westerners, does a Haolewood hula at a luau.  Duke Kahanamoku also had short role but not credited.  Part of opening read: "...where volcanoes are often active and maidens always are.".  Hula was a spoiled and naive daughter of a drunken plantation owner, falls in love with an English builder who later confesses of being married.  Happy ending with gold digging wife finally granting him a divorce.  Hula is raised by a Hawaiian farmhand played by a Mexican/American.  All other cast were haole.  Directed by Victor Fleming (THE WIZARD OF OZ).
HULA-HOPP CONNY (1959) H.P. FILMPRODUKTION (Germany)  Stars Cornelia Forboess.  Sounds like a German Giget. Need more information?  Aka VACANZE A HONOLULU (Italy)
HULA HONEYMOON, A  (1922) EDUCATIONAL PICTURES  Early silent comedy about zany couple winning a trip to Hawaii. Lots of location filming but all natives were haoles with painted faces, like locals couldn't act even in a silent comedy, when most white actors couldn't act either.  Extras on pier and boys diving for coins were real Hawaiians.
HURRICANE (1979) PARAMOUNT/DE LAURENTIIS  Multi-million remake of 1937 film classic, starred Jason Robards, Mia Farrow, Max von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Timothy Bottoms and Hawaiian, Dayton Ka'ne with Manu Tupou.  Samoans protested use of Tahiti, with its people and culture, as Samoa.  Retitled: FORBIDDEN PARADISE for TV.  Canoes greeting ship scene.  Good effects.  Note: This is the movie Roman Polanski was set to direct but he was charged was rape.  Forced color in art direction, not realistic.  Aka: FORBIDDEN PARADISE for later TV release.                       
HURRICANE, THE (1937) SAMUEL GOLDWYN/UNITED ARTIST John Ford directed Dorothy Lamour, Jon Hall, Raymond Massey, John Carradine and Mary Astor in film classic of jailed native who finally escapes back to his island and bride.  Hurricane wipes out atoll and the couple paddle off to a new life.  Filmed in the Goldwyn Studios with background footage of doubles shooting possibly in Samoa?  Also roles by Mamo Clark, Kuulei DeCleag and many Hawaiian/Polynesian L.A. extras.  Oscars for Sound and SFX.  Famous song The Moon Of Manakoora sung by Lamour during intermission.  A bell scene.

HURRICANE SMITH (1952) PARAMOUNT  Yvonne De Carlo, John Ireland are shipwrecked on a South Sea island.  Sound familiar, note big shark scene.

I BOMBED PEARL HARBOR (1961) TOHO (Japan)  Toshiro Mifume starred in Japanese made movie released in the U.S. in 1961.  Despite its title it's about the entire WWII Pacific not just the Pearl Harbor attack.
I SAILED TO TAHITI  WITH AN ALL GIRL CREW (1968) REPUBLIC PICTS.  Gardener McKay in "B" movie.  In the story they do reach Tahiti and stop at other islands but for filming, cast and crew never left Hawaii.
IDOL DANCER, THE (1919) 1ST NATIONAL  Famous D.W. Griffith directed film about drunken beachcomber revived by hapa-haole girl in a South Sea village.  Lots of brown painted skin whites, some blacks playing Polynesians and Melanesians, poor art direction, wardrobe and very inaccurate cultural portrayal especially the dance.  Filmed in the Bahamas.  That explains a lot. Also tiki worship, prejudice preacher and an evil blackbirder looking for pearls and slaves.
IDOLS OF CLAY (1920) PARAMOUNT  Set on a South Seas isle. Need more information?
I'LL GET BY (1950) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  June Haver, Gloria De Haven, Dennis Day, Harry James and Steve Allen star in film of a couple of down song writers who meet a couple of singing sisters with success.  Writer boycott breaks them up but they later reunite in WWII South Pacific.  Guest; Victor Mature and Dan Dailey.
IN GODS HANDS (1998) SONY PICTS.  90s surf movie with a decent budget and believe it or not a script.  A reporter follows three great surfers, one Hawaiian, across globe.  The three end up training for giant Hawaiian tow-surfing with an elite surf group including Hawaiians; Brian Keaulana and Pete Cabrinha.  One of the three drowns because he insisted on surfing the giants without tow, natural.  Another one of the three jumps on a plane, train and hitches to catch the same swell in Mexico without tow to honor his friend.
IN HARMS WAY (1965) PARAMOUNT John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Henry Fonda, Patricia Neal and many others star in this WWII ship out of Pearl Harbor.  Directed by Otto Preminger.  Filmed partly on O'ahu with the Kaneohe Marine base used as featured location.  Very dramaic and very dark & scary end-credit sequence.

IN LOVE AND WAR (1958) 20TH CENTURY-FOX  Robert Wagner, Jeffery Hunter, Hope Lange, Sheree North, Frances Nuyen, Mort Sahl and Bradford Dillman.  Fighting in WWII South Pacific by three soldiers, one falls in love with "Hawaiian" nurse, Nuyen.
IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS (1962) DISNEY  Maurice Chevalier and Hayley Mills in classic Jules Verne story and Disney style of sister and brother looking for lost British naval captain father.  They search in the Andes with help of native Indians and in New Zealand with hindrance of the fierce Maori.  Although the Maori looked, sounded and danced culturally correct they were portrayed as dummies.  Volcano scene, Maori warrior dance and white man trading guns to natives.  Filmed in England with real Maoris, like Inia Wiata who was credited.     
IN THE NAVY (1941) UNIVERSAL  Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell, Claire Dodd and the Andrews Sisters.  Two bungling sailors, Powell as a famous singer hiding in the Navy from the public and Dodd hiding from the Navy as a female reporter trying to get Powell’s story all aboard a battleship bound for Hawaii .  They do make to Hawaii (in some versions they don’t), actually they make it to a sound stage with a classical Hawaii set.  Hawaiian music in b.g. lots of flowers, coconut trees, moonlit shore, native feast, real Hawaiian band, fake hula dancers with fake cellophane grass skirts and the Andrew sisters singing and dancing an old Hawaiian Hula Ba Luau big band boogie number. 
IN THE WAKE OF THE BOUNTY (1932) CHAUVEL PRODS. (Australian) Errol Flynn as Fletcher Christian in his first, untrained movie role.  His good looks and cockiness probably landed the lead role.  This version was distributed as widely as an Australian movie could go at this time, not very far.  The Pitcarin Island scenes where documentary style with the first film footage of the skeleton remains of the Bounty which might not exist today due to deterioration.
INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN (1957) UNIVERSAL  Man and wife are vacationing on boat in the Pacific when radioactive fallout from test bomb causes exposed man to shrink.
INFERNO IN PARADISE (1973) MANSON PRODUCTIONS  This locally produced film was released in Latin American countries and released on video in the U.S. in 1985.  Originally titled; SMOKEATERS, then HFD, this story was about a warehouse fire and the mystery of how it was started.  One of the producers was Bob Smith former “Captain Honolulu”.
INVITATION FROM BEACH (1978) (Japan) ???  Need more information?
ISLAND CAPTIVES (1937) FALCON FILMS  Eddie Nugent and Joan Barclay.  Producer, Stephen Tabor.  Plantation Owner in Tahiti is murdered by thugs hired by a cannery company boss and his handsome son.  The same son is traveling on a cruise liner as daughter of deceased Plantation owner but thinking she will fall for him she falls for the ship’s communication officer instead.  Ship wrecks on a reef and the main characters are found stranded on a remote Polynesian isle.  But there is more, the isle is also home of a large smuggling ring with an evil leader with a wahine (played by Mexican /American)  that has a crush on the ruler.  Stock of Tahiti with Hawaiian steel guitar music. Evil leader is also connected with the murder.
ISLAND OF DESIRE (1952) (British) UNITED ARTIST  Tab Hunter and Linda Darnell in WWII story of plane crash on deserted tropical isle with Marine, nurse and pilot surviving.  “A South Seas Shangri-La” with sharks.  Filmed in Jamaica. Also 1930 PACIFIC PICTS (UK) aka THE LOVE TRADER with Noah Beery.
ISLAND OF DESIRE, THE (1917) FOX Three haoles (Caucasians) sail from Honolulu for pearl-lined lagoon in South Seas, they find hurricanes, exploding volcanoes and cannibalistic natives.
ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU, THE (1977) AM. INTL. PIC./ORION  Burt Landcaster, Michael York, Barbara Carrera and Richard Basehart. Remake of ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1933).  This H. G. Wells horror story is about a mad doctor who creates half-animals half-men who could terrify anyone walking though the jungles if they escape.  The 1977 version takes place smack in the middle of the pacific one thousand miles from anywhere.  Filmed in the Virgin Islands.  (1996) NEW LINE CINEMA  Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer star in this remake.  Make up effects by the great Stan Winston but the movie doesn’t excite in this time of computer animated dinosaurs.

ISLAND OF REGENERATION (1915) VITAGRAPH   Youth shipwrecks and is raised alone on a South Seas island. Later a woman who escapes from a boat of a bad suitor lands on same island of now older wild child. She tries to teach him and falls in love with him. New version by VITAGRAPH (1920)  Story by Cyrus Townsend Brady.
ISLAND OF THE LOST (1967) PARAMOUNT/IVAN TORS   From the creator of FLIPPER and SEA HUNT TV shows.  The quality of this show is much the same.  Scientist with two assistants and his family set sail from Honolulu to discover an uncharted island in the South Seas that the scientist theorized existed.  On the island is a island prince abandoned there to prove is manhood and kingly potential.  All discover man-eating ostriches, German shepherds with large fangs, and dino/alligators and each other.  Also discovered are rival Polynesian warriors, who fight the white explorers but parish by the ostriches and a typhoon, three went down with the scientist ship. Also volcano, shark, hula, steel guitar music, outrigger canoes and waterfalls scenes.  Filmed in Florida with a Hawaiian lady played by Chinese which she says was adopted by Hawaiians. Compare MYSTERY ISLAND.
ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1933) PARAMOUNT  Charles Laughton, Bela Lugosi in an adaptation of a H.G. Wells story involving a mad scientist on a South Seas island who tries to create humans from animals by speeding up their evolution.  His many failures result in half human creatures.  Early horror classic.  Remade as Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) with Burt Lancaster and another remake (1996) release with Marlon Brando.  The mad doctor’s best success is his panther woman who he passes off as a Polynesian woman.  He also tries to mate her with one of his guest for the ultimate test of his success.  Early scenes in Apia, Samoa, with bad results of back lot set.  The Island is 15 degrees, south and 170 west.
ISLAND OF LOST WOMEN (1959) JAGUAR PICTS./WARNER BROS. Another genius or mad Doctor (this time a nuclear scientist) on a Pacific Island with three beautiful and innocent daughters.  Two handsome men on their way to Australia hit a typhoon get lost and crash land on this forbidden isle.
ISLAND OF WOMEN (1953) CINEMAGRAFICA FILMEX (Mexico)  Famous Mexican comic character Tin-Tan on a tropical island of women.  Need more info?  AKA ”ISLA DE LAS MUJERES.
ISLE OF DESIRE (ca.1930) ADVENTURE PICS.  Filmed on some Pacific island with actual natives. Produced by Sol Lesser.  Need more information?
ISLE OF DESTINY (1940) RKO  Rich adventurer is flying around the world decides to stop on a pacific Island to visit her Marine brother.  There a local smuggler tricks her to use her plane, they crash on a neighboring island.  The rescuer on a speed boat races to save her but he has a native jealous wife.  Trouble ahead.  June Lang & Gilbert Roland star.
ISLE OF ESCAPE (1930) WARNER BROS.  Myrna Loy, Betty Compson, Duke Kahanamoku as an exotic South Seas head-hunting native who kidnap Compson.
ISLE OF FORGOTTEN SINS (1943) PRC  John Carradine, Gale Sondergaard and Sidney Toler. Carradine is a deep sea diver looking for gold treasure in a South Seas shipwreck. Sondergaard is a den mother of a gambling whorehouse.  Women in sarongs, midnight swims and a furious monsoon.  Later renamed: MONSOON.
ISLE OF FORGOTTEN WOMEN (1927) COLUMBIA PICTURES  Stars Conway Tearle in silent about white man in love with native (brown-painted white) girl.  Appears to filmed on a Hollywood stage.
ISLE OF FURY (1936) WARNER BROS.  Humphrey Bogart invalid in Somerset Maugham love triangle set on a South Seas island.  Sinking ship, pearl-fishing, man against giant octopus and fugitive against detective.
ISLE OF LOST MEN (1928) TREM CARR/RAYART PICTURES   “A thrilling Melodrama of the South Seas”.  A silent about a Bad captain dumping a young man overboard.  The young man ends up on a remote isle and is found by a native white girl (she was raised by a native. What did you expect he fall in love with a brown girl.  She later gets “sold” to the bad captain.  The drama builds. A Maude George play Kealani. Not to be confused with ISLAND OF LOST MEN (1939) PARAMOUNT with Anthony Quinn and Broderick Crawford of which is set in Malaysia.
IT HAPPENED IN HONOLULU (1916) BLUEBIRD/ UNIVERSAL Probably really happened on a Hollywood sound stage  Comedy of a Honolulu wedding of an American to an English Lord.
IT’S GREAT TO BE ALIVE (1933) 20TH CENT. FOX   Man is marooned on a Pacific island for five years while the rest the men in the world die of a decease.  Female sailors find him and he is eventually taken to an all world court, where he is ordered to service all woman.  
IT'S A DATE (1940) UNIVERSAL  Deanna Durbin, Kay Francis and Walter Pidgeon in musical/romance.  An actress and daughter vacation in Honolulu.  A double conflict arises between the two over who should get the lead for the next big play and over who should marry the handsome haole pineapple king that the daughter had met aboard the S.S. Honolulu on the way over.  Appearances and music by Harry Owens and the Royal Hawaiians with a Hula number performed on a shinny ballroom, studio floor and with two songs of note: It Happened in Kaloha and Rhythm of the Islands.  No Hawaii shooting.