A 1950s "B" movie with endearing charms
Parisonn of Atlantis | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 06/20/2009
(3 out of 5 stars)
"When Jeff Richards and John Smith crash-land on an uncharted Pacific island, they encounter an atomic scientist, Alan Napier, who's fled from society with his three nubile daughters: Venetia Stevenson, June Blair, and Diane Jergens. Romantic complications quickly ensue. Curiously reminiscent of "Forbidden Planet," this unabashed "B" movie -- in passable black-and-white -- avoids hokey humor and cheap titillation in order to tell a story that, while admittedly silly, holds a surprising amount of interest, even after the passage of 50 years. Those amenable to looking below the love-on-a-tropical-isle surface may note a homoerotic connection between Richards and Smith who are presented as close friends and whose "beefcake" qualities are often displayed in bare-chested footage. (Note the scene where Smith applies suntan oil to Richards' back.) Alan Napier, maintaining dignity throughout, achieved later fame as the loyal butler on TV's "Batman.""