South Pacific Review
On the heels of such hit films as Oklahoma!, Carousel, and The King and I, the Broadway songwriting duo of Richard_Rodgers and Oscar_Hammerstein produced this Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical based on James_Michener's novel, -Tales of the South Pacific. The film version is the epic story of a young American Navy nurse (Mitzi_Gaynor) who falls in love with a French planter (Rossano_Brazzi) during World War II. Long-awaited, the lavish, big-budget film was shot almost entirely on location in Hawaii and became a box-office hit even though it disappointed many critics. Director Joshua_Logan changed color filters to emphasize the moods of different characters, an experiment that looks dated and amateurish in retrospect. But the lush photography and well-staged musical numbers carry the ambitious, three-hour film, in which Gaynor holds her own despite her controversial casting over Broadway veteran Mary_Martin, who originated the role (and who also saw Julie_Andrews take the the role that she originated in The Sound of Music). Memorable songs include "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair" and "Some Enchanted Evening." Michael Betzold, Rovi
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