Taglines: The place is the West Indies… the sun hides many things.
Island in the Sun movie storyline. Set on a fictitious island in the Carribean during colonial British rule, it focuses on the life of a young charismatic and handsome black male with political aspirations. He finds himself confused on returning home when his romantic liaison with a white female tends to conflict with his political views.
As rumor has it, an interracial screen kiss caused quite a commotion in the U.S. when this movie was released. The plot is further strengthened by a look at the lives of a white expatriate family also living on the island. The family has to deal with problems of infidelity, racism, and murder.
Island in the Sun is a 1957 De Luxe in CinemaScope drama film produced by Darryl F. Zanuck and directed by Robert Rossen. It features an ensemble cast including James Mason, Harry Belafonte, Joan Fontaine, Joan Collins, Dorothy Dandridge, Michael Rennie, Stephen Boyd, Patricia Owens, John Justin, Diana Wynyard, John Williams, and Basil Sydney.
The film is about race relations and interracial romance set in the fictitious island of Santa Marta. Barbados and Grenada were selected as the sites for the movie based on the 1955 novel by Alec Waugh. The film was controversial at the time of its release for its portrayal of an interracial romance.
Filming started 15 October in the West Indies. The film was shot on location in Barbados and Grenada then in late November the unit shifted to London for studio work. The budget was $3 million. Premiering in June 1957, Island in the Sun was a major box office success, opening at number one in the country with a first week gross of almost $500,000 in the 16 cities that Variety reported. The film earned $5,550,000 worldwide, and finished as the sixth highest-grossing film of 1957. It was the 8th most popular movie in Britain of that year.
Island in the Sun (1957)
Directed by: Robert Rossen
Starring: James Mason, Harry Belafonte, Joan Fontaine, Joan Collins, Dorothy Dandridge, Michael Rennie, Patricia Owens, John Justin, Stephen Boyd, Diana Wynyard, Basil Sydney
Screenplay by: Alfred Hayes
Production Design by: Ernest Holding, John Palmer
Cinematography by: Freddie Young
Film Editing by: Reginald Beck
Costume Design by: Phyllis Dalton, David Ffolkes
Art Direction by: William C. Andrews, John DeCuir
Music by: Malcolm Arnold
MPAA Rating: None.
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: June 12, 1957
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