Review of Return to Paradise

Fresh from his Oscar win for "High Noon", Cooper took off to Samoa to film this colorful, rather simple tale of a drifter who makes a difference in the lives of an island tribe. The island, which is filled with obedient natives, is run by iron-fisted missionary Jones, who governs the people through the force of his wardens, beefy islanders who have taken his side in exchange for special privileges. Jones makes the people attend church frequently, adhere to strict curfews and basically abandon their previous ways which once included much lighter clothing and relaxed sexual mores. One day Cooper is dropped off and immediately he and Jones are at each other's throats. Everyone is afraid to assist Cooper with anything, though one young girl (Haynes) stands up and declares that she will aid him in building his home. Eventually, Jones' power is decreased and the people begin to enjoy their freedom again. Cooper, however, is restless and longs to go off on adventures, though circumstances keep bringing him back to the island, hence the title. Things become a bit contrived by the end, but it's not a bad little film and remains interesting through much of it's run time. Location filming and the use of Samoan people (and their dances, etc...) help make the picture unique. Cooper is actually rather fit for a man of 52 and occasionally is caught by the lens in a way that reveals his earlier boyish good looks. He gives a nice performance in the straight-forward, no-nonsense style that was his own. Jones gets to run the gamut from annoying Jim Jones-ish dictator to softened do-gooder. He and Cooper develop nice chemistry together. Haynes is surprisingly authentic and appealing, eschewing a lot of the syrupy and over-stated qualities that many Caucasian actresses brought to their portrayals of island women during the studio era. It's a restrained, but strong performance and she is quite lovely with virtually no make-up. Kruse is wholesome as a young islander who also narrates the film. One of the most striking things about the movie is the fact that sex and pregnancy are treated with a frankness that is surprising for 1953, though, obviously, nothing is shown.