Whimsical comes to mind as a good word to describe this picture, with a whimsical musical score to match. Of course there's not very much believable to the story, especially once Douglas Fairbanks' character builds a working radio out of sea shells or some such contrivance. It manages to scare the bejezus out of neighboring unfriendly South Sea Islanders who arrive to reclaim the pretty Maria Alba from a fate worse than smooching noses. That was probably the single most difficult story element to contend with, since 'Saturday' did everything possible to be taken seriously as a romantic partner, and Fairbanks just didn't get it. Oh well.
Certainly Fairbanks got on with his little experiment a whole lot better than I would have in the same situation, I don't think I could have come up with half of those inventions. Some were so intricate in fact, that Rube Goldberg would have been proud. For audiences of the era, I'm sure the movie was quite an inventive piece of work, and entertaining as well with a host of charismatic animal characters. I was half expecting the monkey to do a Stan Laurel banana within a banana routine.
Probably the most interesting aspect of the film was Fairbanks doing his own stunt work, like the ocean dive heading for the island and that tree climb later in the story. Somewhat over zealous perhaps in his self satisfaction, it was a little uncomfortable watching him jump up and down like a school boy expressing his appreciation of island life. I was also more than a little surprised to catch his rather serious looking wrestling moves, they would have done Strangler Lewis proud.
This was only my second viewing of a Fairbanks Sr. movie, and in his second to last picture, he's as athletic and agile as ever, even with the additional pounds on his frame. The only other picture I've seen him in, 1926's "The Black Pirate" also deserves a mention and a recommendation.
Certainly Fairbanks got on with his little experiment a whole lot better than I would have in the same situation, I don't think I could have come up with half of those inventions. Some were so intricate in fact, that Rube Goldberg would have been proud. For audiences of the era, I'm sure the movie was quite an inventive piece of work, and entertaining as well with a host of charismatic animal characters. I was half expecting the monkey to do a Stan Laurel banana within a banana routine.
Probably the most interesting aspect of the film was Fairbanks doing his own stunt work, like the ocean dive heading for the island and that tree climb later in the story. Somewhat over zealous perhaps in his self satisfaction, it was a little uncomfortable watching him jump up and down like a school boy expressing his appreciation of island life. I was also more than a little surprised to catch his rather serious looking wrestling moves, they would have done Strangler Lewis proud.
This was only my second viewing of a Fairbanks Sr. movie, and in his second to last picture, he's as athletic and agile as ever, even with the additional pounds on his frame. The only other picture I've seen him in, 1926's "The Black Pirate" also deserves a mention and a recommendation.