Glynnis John, Donald Sinden, and Robert Newton all give sterling performances in this delightful Somerset Maugham story about a neer-do-well and a missionary in the South Seas. I have read everything that Maugham has written, as I was obsessed with Tahiti and the South Seas in my youth. No one writes about this venue better than Maugham. He gets the European colonial and he also gets the natives down as well. This is a simple tale of gradual seduction (but we really don't know who is seducing who). John has one of her career best roles, as does Newton. Sinden is perfect as the magistrate of the island. If you like Maugham, you will enjoy this film immensely.
Review of The Beachcomber
