The Hurricane

Synopsis

A small Pacific island. Two natives Marama and Terangi get married. During a stopover in Tahiti, Terangi strikes a white man who insults him and is sentenced to six months in prison. He tries to escape twice and is sentenced to 16 years in prison. A third escape will be good. A terrible hurricane ravages the small island where he has taken refuge. Terangi is helping the population …

Technical sheet

• Title: The Hurricane
• Original title: The Hurricane
• Director: John Ford
• Director (second team): Stuart Heisler
• Scenario: Dudley Nichols , Oliver HP Garrett and Ben Hecht
• Production: Samuel Goldwyn and Merritt Hulburd  (de) (associate producer)
• Production Company: Samuel Goldwyn Films for United Artists
• Music: Alfred Newman
• Photography: Bert Glennon and Archie Stout (second team)
• Editing: Lloyd Nosler
• Artistic direction: Richard Day
• Set decorations: Julia Heron (uncredited)
• Costumes: Omar Kiam
• Special Effects: James Basevi
• Country of origin: United States
• Language: English
• Format: Black and White – Sound: Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording) – 35 mm
• Genre: Drama, Adventure, Action
• Duration: 110 minutes
• Release date :
  • November 5 , 1937 : first Los Angeles
  • March 3 , 1938 : France

Distribution

• Dorothy Lamour : Marama
• Jon Hall : Terangi
• Mary Astor : M ^me Germaine De Laage
• C. Aubrey Smith : Father Paul
• Thomas Mitchell : D ^r Kersaint
• Raymond Massey : Governor Eugene De Laage
• John Carradine : Warden
• Jerome Cowan : Capt. Nagle
• Al Kikume : Chef Mehevi
• Kuulei De Clercq : Tita
• Mamo Clark : Arai, daughter of Terangi
• Movita Castenada : Arai
• Inez Courtney : girl on the boat
• Anne Chevalier : Reri
• Flora Hayes : Mama Rua
• Roger Drake : Captain of the Guards
• Pauline Steele : Mata
• Mary Shaw : Marunga
• Francis Kaai : Tavi
• Layne Tom Jr .: Mako
• William B. Davidson : Injured man
• Spencer Charters : Judge
• Chris-Pin Martin (uncredited): sailor

French voices

• Jacqueline Porel (Mary Astor)
• Henri Djanik (C.Aubrey Smith)
• Jean Violette (Thomas Mitchell)
• Jean-Claude Michel (Raymond Massey)
• Claude Joseph (Lionel Braham)

Around the film

• Shooting at Pago Pago and Isthmu Harbor from May 3 to mid-September 1937
• Revenue: $ 1,400,000
• Howard Hawks was approached to make the film.
• For the movie Ford has hit a staggering stamp ( $ 100,000 , plus 15% of profits)
• The film was shot in part on Ford’s yacht , Aramer, which became Captain Nagle’s schooner for the film.
• Thomas Mitchell will play a doctor role very similar to that of this film in The Fantastic Ride .
• Part of the film (the one where Terangi is a prisoner in the fortress) takes up the theme developed in I did not kill Lincoln . Moreover, John Carradine plays a role of sadistic guardian, similar to that which he embodied in the previous work.
• The film is representative of the Tiki culture in the United States ¹ .
• Remake in 1979 by Jan Troell with Jason Robards and Mia Farrow .

Awards and Distinctions

• Cinema Oscars :
  • best sound ( Thomas T. Moulton )
  • Nominations for Best Supporting Actress ( Thomas Mitchell ) and Best Music ( Alfred Newman )

Notes and references