''Naked Paradise'' (sometimes credited as ''Thunder Over Hawaii'') is a 1957
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman (April 5, 1926 – May 9, 2024) was an American film director, producer, and actor. Known under various monikers such as "The Pope of Pop Cinema", "The Spiritual Godfather of the New Hollywood", and "The King of Cult", he w ...
. It stars
Richard Denning
Richard Denning (born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr.; March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998) was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including ''Unknown Island'' (1948), ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' ( ...
and
Beverly Garland
Beverly Lucy Garland (née Fessenden; October 17, 1926 – December 5, 2008) was an American actress. Her work in feature films primarily consisted of small parts in a few major productions or leads in low-budget action and science-fiction movi ...
.
Corman later asked Charles B. Griffith, who worked on the script, to reuse his screenplay for ''
Atlas
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of world map, maps of Earth or of a continent or region of Earth. Advances in astronomy have also resulted in atlases of the celestial sphere or of other planets.
Atlases have traditio ...
Duke Bradley's boat is hired to sail a group to the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...
. His passengers include Zac Cotton, alcoholic girlfriend Max McKenzie and a pair of thugs, Mitch and Stony, who following a
lūʻau
A lūʻau (, also anglicized as "luau") is a traditional Hawaiian party or feast that is usually accompanied by entertainment. It often features Native Hawaiian cuisine with foods such as poi (food), poi, ''kālua puaʻa'' (kālua pig), poke ...
, without Duke's knowledge, rob a plantation of its payroll.
The gang intends to continue on to another island in the South Pacific, but tempers flare after Max is struck by Zac, which causes Duke to quit, demanding payment. As he is about to set sail, Max asks to go with him, determined to change her life. A hurricane hits, however, forcing Duke to turn back. On arrival, he is beaten unconscious by Mitch and Stony while the woman is roughed up by Zac.
Zac intends to make off with Duke's schooner and takes a local girl, Lanai, as a hostage, shooting Stony, who objects to this. A fight ensues in which Duke triumphs after Zac is killed by the boat's propeller. Duke and Max sail away.
Cast
*
Beverly Garland
Beverly Lucy Garland (née Fessenden; October 17, 1926 – December 5, 2008) was an American actress. Her work in feature films primarily consisted of small parts in a few major productions or leads in low-budget action and science-fiction movi ...
as Max
*
Richard Denning
Richard Denning (born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr.; March 27, 1914 – October 11, 1998) was an American actor who starred in science fiction films of the 1950s, including ''Unknown Island'' (1948), ''Creature from the Black Lagoon'' ( ...
as Duke
*
Dick Miller
Richard Miller (December 25, 1928 – January 30, 2019) was an American character actor who appeared in more than 180 films, including many produced by Roger Corman. He later appeared in the films of directors who began their careers with Corm ...
Leslie Bradley
Leslie Ernest Bradley (1 September 1907 – 20 July 1974) was an English actor. He died in Desert Hot Springs, California.
Filmography
* '' The Way of Youth'' (1934) as Lieut. Burton (film debut)
* ''Play Up the Band'' (1935) as Jack Heck ...
as Zac
*
Lisa Montell
Lisa Janti (born Irena Ludmila Vladimirovna Augustynowic; July 5, 1933 – March 7, 2023), known as Lisa Montell during her film and television career, was an American actress, author and activist. She appeared in Hollywood films during the 1950 ...
as Lanai
Production
In early July 1956 it was announced Beverly Garland would star in ''Naked Paradise'' by R. Wright Campbell directed by Roger Corman. Garland had made several films for Corman, including '' Not of This Earth'', '' It Conquered the World'', and ''
Gunslinger
Gunfighters, also called gunslingers () or in the late 19th and early 20th century gunmen, were individuals in the American Old West who gained a reputation of being dangerous with a gun and participated in shootouts. Today, the term "gunslin ...
''. A few days later it was announced
John Ireland
John Benjamin Ireland (January 30, 1914 – March 21, 1992) was a Canadian-American actor and film director. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia and raised in New York City, he came to prominence with film audiences for his supporting roles i ...
, who had just made ''Gunslinger'' for Corman under a two-picture deal, would be Garland's costar. Filming was to begin on September 12.
In August it was announced the film would star Lisa Montell, who had been in ''
Shark Reef
Shark Reef Aquarium is a public aquarium on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It is located at and owned by the Mandalay Bay resort. The attraction opened on June 20, 2000. Its main tank is , one of the largest in North America.Robert Wright Campbell's script was rewritten by Charles B. Griffith.Aaron W. Graham, 'Little Shop of Genres: An interview with Charles B. Griffith', ''Senses of Cinema'', 15 April, 2005 accessed 25 June 2012
Filming started 2 September 1956. The film was shot in two weeks on location in
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
, back-to-back with ''
She Gods of Shark Reef
''She Gods of Shark Reef'' is a 1958 B-adventure film directed by Roger Corman that was partially filmed on location in Kaua'i back to back with '' Naked Paradise'' in 1956. The film was distributed in 1958 by American International Pictures as a ...
''.
Samuel Arkoff of AIP has a small role in the movie. Arkoff later recalled:
We went over to Hawaii — me, my two kids and my wife, Jim Nicholson with his wife and three kids. Roger told me to come over to where he was shooting, and he gave me this one line to read to Richard Denning: "It's been a good harvest, and the money is in the safe." Now that's a key line (laughs)! That was my first and last role; I've never been asked back into any of 'em since!
The Cocoa Palms Hotel received an on screen credit in exchange for housing the films stars at a reduced rate.
Garland recalled "We filmed on the island of Kauai, stayed at the Coca Palms Hotel and had great accommodations. Roger really did this one up the right way. I don't know if it was because we were at this beautiful location and Roger simply felt like spending more, but it was one of the best locations ever, especially for a Roger Corman film." However it would be the last film Garland made for the director.
Release
The film was initially released as a
double feature
The double feature is a Film, motion picture industry phenomenon in which theaters would exhibit two films for the price of one, supplanting an earlier format in which the presentation of one feature film would be followed by various short subjec ...
with ''
Flesh and the Spur
''Flesh and the Spur'' is a 1956 American western film directed by Edward L. Cahn. The film stars John Agar as Lucius Random, Marla English as Wild Willow and Mike Connors (billed here as Touch Connors) as Stacy Tanner. The film was released ...
'' It was re-released in 1960 under the title ''Thunder over Hawaii''.
Reception
''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' found the film colorful, with interesting action and a well-knit story.
''
Monthly Film Bulletin
The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...
'' found the picture beautifully shot but average in other facets.
The ''Los Angeles Times'' said "some beautiful Hawaiian scenery, an excellent performance by Richard Denning... and a very believable characterisation by Beverly Garland make the picture quite tolerable."Variety of Violence Found in Double Bill
G M W. Los Angeles Times 22 Mar 1957: A8.