LOVE ISLAND

Tropical Thunderbolt of Romance

1953 · 1h 6m · NR · Comedy / Romance · IMDB TMDB

US Navigator Lt Taber relates the account of his parachuting from his damaged plane onto the island of Tuba Tara ("Love Island" in English). He falls in love with one of the local beauties and fights for her.

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Quick Answer

What is Love Island about?

Love Island is a 1953 American comedy-romance film directed by Bud Pollard about a US Navy pilot who crash-lands on a South Pacific island, befriends a local beauty, and faces rivalry from a jealous islander.

Programmer's Pick

Love Island delivers a heady mix of Pacific paradise, mid-century romance, and a villain who plays dirty with island justice. It’s a brief but breezy escape into a world where even forced marriages come with a side of slapstick.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

When US Navy pilot Lt. Richard Taber crash-lands on a remote South Pacific island known as Love Island, he finds himself far from home and in the company of the captivating Sarna. As Richard and Sarna’s friendship blossoms, jealousy brews in the heart of Jaraka, an islander with his own designs on Sarna. To force Sarna’s hand, Jaraka has her father Aryuna arrested and pressures her to marry him for Aryuna’s release. The film blends romance and light comedy against an exotic, sun-drenched backdrop, exploring the complications of love, loyalty, and cultural clash, all within the compact, escapist framework of a 1950s B-movie.

Details & Specs

Director: Bud Pollard
Writers: Daniel Kussell, John E. Gordon
Release: 1953
Runtime: 1h 6m
Country: United States of America
Language: English
Genres: Comedy, Romance

Why This Matters

Love Island marks Bud Pollard's final film as a director and features extensive footage from the 1935 film Legong: Dance of the Virgins, blending new material with earlier Bali-set visuals. Originally released in Cinecolor, it stars Paul Valentine and Eva Gabor.

— SassyFlix Curator