Themes: On the Campaign Trail, Interracial/Cross-Cultural Romance, Infidelity
Main Cast: James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Dorothy Dandridge, Joan Collins, Michael Rennie
Release Year: 1957
Country: US
Run Time: 119 minutes
Plot
Political intrigue and romantic gamesmanship send an already torrid Caribbean community to the boiling point in this drama. Maxwell Fleury (James Mason) and David Boyeur (Harry Belafonte) are two men running for political office in a British-controlled island in the West Indies. Maxwell is the son of a wealthy and socially prominent white family, while David is a black labor leader with a groundswell of popular support but little money. A scandal erupts in the press alleging that Maxwell is of mixed racial ancestry, but Maxwell is actually pleased about the news, thinking that it may endear him to black voters. Maxwell is not pleased, however, when he hears that his wife Sylvia (Patricia Owens) has been having an affair with the urbane but rootless Carson (Michael Rennie), taking the matter seriously enough to murder Carson himself. Maxwell's younger sister Jocelyn (Joan Collins) is also in hot water, romantically speaking; she has set her sights on Eun Templeton (Stephen Boyd), the son of the Island's governor, and she hopes to snare him into marriage by allowing him to get her pregnant. Elsewhere on the island, David is secretly having an affair with a white woman, Mavis Norman (Joan Fontaine), while David's former girlfriend, Margot Seaton (Dorothy Dandridge), has become involved with a white man, Denis Archer (John Justin). Based on the novel by Alex Waugh, Island in the Sun also features songs from Harry Belafonte, including "Lead Man Holler" and the title tune. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
The film follows several characters both black and white. Maxwell Fleury (James Mason) is a white plantation owner's son who suffers from an inferiority complex and makes rash decisions to prove his worth. He lives with his beautiful wife, Sylvia (Patricia Owens), who is extremely jealous of her husband and his younger sister Jocelyn (Joan Collins). Jocelyn is being courted by Evan Templeton (Stephen Boyd), a war hero visiting the Governor of the island, his father Lord Templeton (Ronald Squire).
The film also follows David Boyeur (Harry Belafonte), a young black man emerging as a powerful politician representing the common people and seen as a threat to the white ruling class. Mavis Norman (Joan Fontaine), a woman from the elite white class strikes up a romantic interest in Boyeur and much of the film explores the tension between these two.
Finally, the film takes a look at the interracial romance between Margot Seaton (Dorothy Dandridge), a black drug store clerk, and Denis Archer (John Justin), aide to the Governor.
Other characters include Hilary Carson (Michael Rennie) who Maxwell Fleury thinks is having an affair with his wife; Colonel Whittingham (John Williams), the head of police, who investigates the murder of Hilary Carson central to the plot; a journalist named Bradshaw (Hartley Power); and finally Julian Fleury (Basil Sydney) and his wife (Diana Wynyard) who are both hiding secrets from their children.
The characters and their relationships with each other are all shown to be complex and the issues being addressed were rather taboo for 1957. Furthermore, the film can be enjoyed for the lush, beautiful scenery and unpredictable plot dynamics.
Belafonte breaks his character to sing a calypso title song.
Cast
James Mason as Maxwell Fleury, white plantation owner's son
As of 2009 a proposal was floated to demolish the remains of the real mansion used in the film.[1] The mansion is located in Farley Hill, Barbados. The mansion was gutted by fire just after the filming of the movie and all that remains are the foundations and exterior walls of the building.[2]
