Saturday Island

Saturday Island is a 1952 British south seas adventure romance film directed by Stuart Heisler and starring Linda Darnell, Tab Hunter, and Donald Gray. The film was produced by independent company Coronado Productions with the financial backing of RKO Pictures who distributed it in Britain. It was released in America by United Artists under the alternative title Island of Desire.

Saturday Island
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStuart Heisler
Screenplay byStuart Heisler
Stephanie Nordli
Story byStuart Heisler
Based onSaturday Island by Hugh Brook
Produced byDavid Rose
StarringLinda Darnell
Tab Hunter
Donald Gray
CinematographyOswald Morris
Edited byRussell Lloyd
Music byWilliam Alwyn
Production
company
Coronado Productions
Distributed byRKO Pictures
United Artists (US)
Release date
  • 20 March 1952 (1952-03-20)
Running time
94 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1.5 million (North America)[1]

Synopsis

When a hospital ship strikes a mine during the Second World War, the only survivors are Lieutenant Elizabeth Smythe and Corporal Michael Dugan, who become marooned on an island in the South Pacific, where they slowly bond. Their relationship is complicated by the arrival of a third person, a survivor of a plane crash.

Production

The film was based on a novel by Hugh Brooke which was published in 1935. The New York Times called it "a delightful adventure".[2] Film rights came into the hands of David E. Rose who set up the project in England under Warner Bros. Stuart Heisler signed to direct and Linda Darnell agreed to star, her first British film.[3][4] Don Taylor was originally set to be Darnell's co star.[5] Donald Gray signed to play the second male lead.[6]

Location filming started in Jamaica on 1 July 1951.[7] The male lead eventually went to Tab Hunter. Hunter was recommended by Paul Guilfoyle a character actor who heard Heisler was looking for an unknown. Hunter went to see Heisler who asked the actor to take off his shirt. He tested on Saturday and by Monday was getting his passport to travel to Jamaica.[8] Interiors were shot at Walton Studios near London. The film's sets were designed by the art director John Howell.

Cast

See also

References
  1. "Top Box-Office Hits of 1952", Variety, 7 January 1953
  2. Happy Castaways: SATURDAY ISLAND. By Hugh Brooke. New York Times, 11 Aug 1935: BR6.
  3. OBSERVATION ON THE LONDON SCREEN SCENE By STEPHEN WATTS. New York Times 1 Apr 1951: 101
  4. To Film 'Saturday Island' The Christian Science Monitor 23 June 1951: 11.
  5. Drama: O'Keefe Writes White House Thriller; Chaplin Import Will Be Tested Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 21 Apr 1951: 11.
  6. Drama: Mildred Dunnock Deals Multiply; Irish Clan Gathers for Ford Film Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times 4 June 1951: B9.
  7. POWER'S ROLE GOES TO CONTRACT ACTOR: Dale Robertson Will Play Lead in Fox Film Adaptation of Roberts' 'Lydia Bailey' By THOMAS F. BRADY Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES 4 June 1951: 29.
  8. A Critic's Remark and Hard Work Put Tab Hunter on Top: Critic and Work Spur Tab Hunter Hopper, Hedda. Los Angeles Times 13 Feb 1955: D1.

Bibliography
  • Harper, Sue & Porter, Vincent. British Cinema of the 1950s: The Decline of Deference. Oxford University Press, 2007.
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