THE BEACHCOMBER
UK, 1954, 90 minutes, Colour.
Robert Newton, Glynis Johns, Donald Sinden, Paul Rogers, Donald Pleasence, Walter Crisham, Michael Hordern, Ronald Lewis.
Directed by Muriel Box.
The Beachcomber is based on a story by W. Somerset Maugham. Filmed in the '30s with Charles Laughton and his wife, Elsa Lanchester, this version is brief, colourful (on location) and a star vehicle for Glynnis Johns and Robert Newton. The film is superficially reminiscent of The African Queen with its theme of the missionary with her primness and her attraction towards the beachcomber. Glynis Johns is believable as the schoolmarmish missionary, Robert Newton (not rolling his eyes so much as with Long John Silver and other roles) is the Honourable Ted. A young Donald Sinden is the Resident and Paul Rogers is the missionary brother. Under black disguise one can find Michael Hordern as the chief and Donald Pleasence as the secretary.
The film is a production of Sydney Box and his sister, writer-director Muriel Box.
1.Entertaining Somerset Maugham story? A story of empire and colonies? Of remittance men and missionaries? Of the clash of cultures?
2.Location photography, islands in the Indian Ocean, the tropics? The colonisation by England - towns, residences? The contrast with the native villages? The musical score?
3.The title, the focus on the Honourable Ted, his experiences and background, his heroism, conversion?
4.The viewpoint of the Resident, his going to Africa, youthfulness, inexperience, British presuppositions, severity? Arrival, being met by the secretary, his demands about his residence? The visit from the Joneses, his going to the meal, the Grace, the Scripture reading, non-smoking, non-drinking, his decision to return to the residence? His administration, justice? Relationship with the native peoples? Condescending? The clash with the Honourable Ted - the friendship, the initial drink? Condemning Ted to hard labour? Yet the remaining friendship? Urging him to go to Australia? The cholera outbreak? Ted and his visit with Martha, the epidemic and its control? The secretary and his support for the controlling of the epidemic? The Resident and his growing mature in this island experience?
5.The Joneses, Welsh missionaries? Severe? Non-drinking, non-smoking? The welcome to the Resident, the meal, Grace and the Bible reading? Disdain of the Honourable Ted? Martha and her complaints about Ted and the mission girl? Her going to treat the chief for his appendicitis? Her success? The return with Ted, on the island, her fears, his honourable behaviour? Her attraction towards him? Trying to invite him to dinner? The outbreak of cholera, the Resident's decision that she should go to the outlying islands? Going with Ted? Their hard work? The daughter of the chief, the girl's death? Their being condemned to die, to be crushed by the elephant? The irony of her having treated the elephant and its sparing them? The return to the island? In love with Ted, the kiss? His conversion - and playing the organ at the mission? Owen and his dour manner, his mission work? His illness, reliance on his sister?
6.The Honourable Ted, the old story of the remittance man? His cheque coming from England? Drinking, the girls on the island? The visit to the Resident and drinking? The brawl in the bar? The court case, hard labour - and yet his being on good terms with the Resident, winking at him? The shortening of his term? The return, on the boat with Martha, his not even thinking of approaching her? Her reaction? His drinking, avoiding the dinner? His being slated for going to Australia? The cholera epidemic, his not wanting to go with Martha? The decision to go, the hard work with her, condemned to death? The conversion - and his playing the organ?
7.The secretary, deferential to the Resident? With the staff? In the courts? Organising things?
8.The chief, the natives on the island? Traditional lifestyle? Medicine, the appendicitis, Martha and the operation? The cholera, his allowing her to work? The death of his daughter? Condemnation to death? The reprieve? The sketchy background of island peoples at the time? Part of the empire? Control by the British?
9.A popular Maugham story? Story of the colonies, empire? Conversion?
