CELEBRATING 70 YEARS! : ISLAND IN THE SUN .. 20TH CENTURY FOX .. USA 1957 ..

 20TH CENTURY FOX

Presents

A CINEMASCOPE PRODUCTION

ISLAND IN THE SUN

Starring 
 JAMES MASON as Maxwell Fleury 
JOAN FONTAINE as Mavis Norman 
DOROTHY DANDRIDGE as Margot Seaton 
JOAN COLLINS as Jocelyn Fleury 
MICHAEL RENNIE as Hilary Carson 
DIANA WYNYARD as MRS Fleury 
STEPHEN BOYD as Euan Templeton 
PATRICIA OWENS as Sylvia Fleury 
BASIL SYDNEY as Julian Fleury 
HARRY BELAFONTE as David Boyeur

RONALD SQUIRE as Govenor Lord Templeton

JOHN WILLIAMS as Col. Whittingham

Assistant Director - Gerry O'Hara           Director of Photography - F.A.Young F.R.P.S   
         Art Director - William C Andrews      Music by Malcolm Arnold   Screenplay by Alfred Hayes 
            From the novel by Alec Waugh   Edited by Reginald Beck   Costumes by David Ffolkes
                              Produced by Darryl F Zanuck       Directed by Robert Rossen

(c) 1957 .   20TH CENTURY FOX . 119 MINS .COLOR 

On the island of Santa Marta, the influential Fleury family are known to all.. But the peace of the island is soon to be shattered by murder, scandal and racial tension. Can the Fleury family name survive the storm that is brewing.. on an Island in the Sun?

Like "Sea Wife", this film is based on a novel which had it's share of controversial subject matter. This was Darryl Zanuck's first production as an independent producer. He had promised Alec Waugh, the author of the original novel of the story, that he would remain faithful to the book. But that promise was hard to keep, as America was not ready for an inter-racial romance. In the novel the characters of Mavis Norman and David Boyeur, played by Joan Fontaine and Harry Belafonte, had a romance. But even before the film was released, Fox and it's two stars received death threats from the Klu Klux Klan! Even South Carolina went as far as to introduce legislation that would fine theaters $5000 if they dare screen the film! Fox relented and cut all scenes depicting the romance between the characters and it is barely hinted in the released version. The film itself was shot on the islands of Grenada and Barbados and islanders welcomed the cast and crew with open arms. They even nicknamed them Foxies and when filming was finished they threw an elaborate farewell party. While shooting the film the cast stayed at the Santa Maria hotel and as days were short, it meant filming finished early and it allowed them time to enjoy the island night life...

Joan with Stephen Boyd & Dorothy Dandridge

The film's director Robert Rossen who had won an Academy Award for "All the kings Men" and had himself been blacklisted on the McCarthy blacklist. Joan loved her time on the islands and was particularly smitten with the dark and handsome Belafonte.. Joan had been originally offered the role of Sylvia, but she had set her heart on the much meatier role of Jocelyn, who discovers that her fiance Euan Templeton (Stephen Boyd), might indeed be related to her! Zanuck had originally wanted Patricia Owens to play the role, but Joan stood her ground and insisted she be offered the role. Zanuck did get involved with every aspect of the production, even down to insisting the actors got extra perspiration! He had viewed the rushes and thought to himself they looked far from sweaty! The interior shots were shot in London and while back there Joan spent time and money buying lots of sophisticated clothes. She had been voted one of Hollywood's worst dressed women and was determined to change that title. The film had a dual gala premiere in both New York and Los Angeles and went on to do good box office. It spawned the hit song, sung by Harry Belafonte, which has since been covered by over forty artistes to date.

The mansion used in the film was located in Farley Hill in Barbados and was burnt down after filming. All that remains to this day are the foundations and exterior walls. The grounds are used to host reggae concerts and call for the remainder of the building to be demolished are underway to this day! Joan at this time was beginning to become disillusioned at the roles Fox were giving her, just as she had with Rank.She had read a script she loved called "Oh! Men! Oh! Women!".. she begged Zanuck for the part, but to no avail, maybe he had other things in mind! The film was made and starred Ginger Rogers, Dan Dailey and David Niven, while the role she wanted  was filled by Barbara Rush.  Joan also lobbied for Fox to make a film of a play she had just done in England, which she loved called "The Skin Of Our Teeth". But again her lobbying fell on deaf ears and she was disappointed. But she was winning all kinds of trivial awards including..

           " The Most Promising Actress"       "Favourite Newcomer"   "The Face Of The Year"

Many of the cast had worked with Joan in her other films... Basil Sydney and Ronald Squire had appeared in "Sea Wife", Patricia Owens had an uncredited part in "The Good Die Young", Joan Fontaine had starred in "Decameron Nights" while Stephen Boyd was to star in "The Bravados"..Even the film's assistant director Gerry O'Hara would go on to direct Joan in her 70's hit "The Bitch"..

Item on the film from Daily Express 1957

'Island In The Sun' was released on dvd in 2006 by 20th Century Fox as part of their Cinema Classics Collection, but this release is no longer avaialble.. However you can look at the dvd sleeve below..