If it isn't a monkey pulling out fleas from the hair of the dog, it's the parrot talking back to the monkey or a turtle pulling it's weight as one of Douglas Fairbanks' weird contraptions. A wild goat caught in one of his traps becomes a willing source of milk, and every one of these creatures does what they can to help Fairbanks in his new home on this abandoned south sea Island where he has taken refuge as part of a contest. For a good half of the film, it's nothing but the white so silliness of watching Fairbanks create his own little midtown Manhattan, human population one. By watching this film, something told me that Sherwood Schwartz utilized a lot of the gimmicks for the castaways on "Gilligan's Island", and why not?
Only one of the handful of takis that Fairbanks Sr. Made, this is mighty entertaining, even if surviving prints are not all that great. The rest of the human cast is pretty small. William Farnham is one of his yachting buddies, given a date to return for him, barring that he hasn't been turned into cannibal stew. There's also a native girl apparently one to escape from an unwanted marriage as well as some headhunters that he needs to deal with towards the end of the film.
Fairbanks is not playing Crusoe here, so there aren't the racial overtones of the famous novel. The atmosphere for the most part is light-hearted, with Fairbanks trying to make nice with all that he encounters, referring to the lone headhunter he captures as Friday the 13th. He still has plenty of energy in him, so it's pretty surprising that he only lived for a few more years. I'd love to see it completely restored as there's more than just curiosity.
Only one of the handful of takis that Fairbanks Sr. Made, this is mighty entertaining, even if surviving prints are not all that great. The rest of the human cast is pretty small. William Farnham is one of his yachting buddies, given a date to return for him, barring that he hasn't been turned into cannibal stew. There's also a native girl apparently one to escape from an unwanted marriage as well as some headhunters that he needs to deal with towards the end of the film.
Fairbanks is not playing Crusoe here, so there aren't the racial overtones of the famous novel. The atmosphere for the most part is light-hearted, with Fairbanks trying to make nice with all that he encounters, referring to the lone headhunter he captures as Friday the 13th. He still has plenty of energy in him, so it's pretty surprising that he only lived for a few more years. I'd love to see it completely restored as there's more than just curiosity.