PARAMOUNT followed up box-office success TYPHOON (1940) with a remake of ALOMA OF THE SOUTH SEAS (1926). Jon Hall (TANOA) replacing Robert Preston as the male lead with Dorothy Lamour (ALOMA) as his romantic South-Seas interest (again). Lynne Overman (CORKY) is along for the ride as the older male-mentor and for comedy relief.
THE NUTS; TANOA is prepared for Kingship of his tropical paradise by being sent too the U.S.A. to learn Western knowledge with CORKY as chaperon. ALOMA in his absence is being groomed as future consort and Queen. Childhood friend/rival REVO (Phillip Reed) now is more interested in ALOMA then KARI (Katherine DeMille) who loves him. This creates a complicated love QUADRANGLE! It is resolved, unfortunately for two (2) of them not very happily. Then again Murder and Volcanic eruptions are not really the way to solve such problems.
Like THE HURRICANE (1937) and TYPHOON (1940) this film ends with the BIG DISASTER. It is not in there league. Though with Gordon Jennings at the helm of the SFX for PARAMOUNT you get your money's worth, though it only lasts about six (6) minutes. Being in TechniColor it is most impressive. SFX shots were very difficult composites with the Three (3) Strip TechniColor film stock. This is WAY before digital com-positing created seamless effects. Only a master like Jennings can make it credible, he knew the limitations of the time so they had to be over the top and startling, exceeding expectations. The eruption later found itself into other films including WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (1951) and ATLANTIS THE LOST CONTINENT (1961).
Unfortunately it is not possible to judge the film against its silent (1926) predecessor. PARAMOUNT being particularly lax in the preservation of its film library and history. Unfortunately UNIVERSAL the current owner of its library is just as indifferent. No doubt hoping all will rot away so they can just use them for a tax write-off for decades of projected loss income. A typical short-term solution by 'Big Business'.
