A brilliant film that helped define a genre

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

If anyone knows of another movie he is in that takes place during Christmas please post that info. Good scenery, fight scenes, etc.

This is the kind of movie that after I've seen it, I wonder why it took so long to get around to it. It's not your typical John Wayne movie, and seeing how it was directed by long time collaborator and director friend John Ford, I found the change of pace from their traditional Westerns a welcome diversion. With Lee Marvin in the picture, I had to wonder how the three of them got any work done as all were prolific drinkers, and Marvin in particular seemed to be playing himself pretty much throughout the entire film. I have to say, I never thought I'd see the day, or the movie, in which Edgar Buchanan showed up in a jacket and tie. As the Boston attorney who encouraged Amelia Dedham (Elizabeth Allen) to 'cheat' on a will, he almost looked like an honest to goodness lawyer. Well, maybe not honest. And with Dorothy Lamour on hand in a small but noteworthy role, I was secretly wishing for Hope and Crosby to show up in a cameo appearance. That would have been kind of cool given the tropical setting; Crosby could have sung 'Mele Kalikamaka', a snappy tune that would have been right at home for the holidays in the picture. Once the premise is set with Miss Dedham's arrival on the island, the story becomes fairly predictable, as all the while one is waiting for the big reveal concerning her three young siblings. So most of the fun is seeing how the story gets there with the various diversions offered by Donovan (Wayne) and Gilhooley's (Marvin) annual birthday brawl and the colorful island dances and traditions. The picture reminded me of a 1955 film that also took place on an island, "We're No Angels" starring Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Rey. The trio are convicts who ingratiate themselves with an elderly couple's family after escaping from Devil's Island. Quite coincidentally, that story also took place on Christmas Day and had a roof that needed patching.

This movie is a lot of fun to watch, the scenery is great, the singing lovely, the people beautiful, the characters interesting and the performances are very good too. My major problem with this movie is the casting of the two youngest children of 'the Doc' and Manulani - Sarah and Luki were in no way children of the Doc and Manulani - Leilani looked the part and played it well but Sarah and Luki each had at least one Chinese parent. They could not have had an Hawaiian mother and a Caucasian father. The visual clash really interfered with their being presented as Leilani's siblings. The two child actors did well - but couldn't overcome their appearance. Trying to pass them off as half Hawaiian and half Caucasian was really an insult to them and their own heritage. My other problem with it was the spanking scene - I know, those kinds of scenes were in several movies of that time period but even then I found the 'it's okay to spank a woman to get her to behave the way you (the man) want her to behave' was objectionable. Other than those two issues .. an entertaining movie.

Wonderful fun this movie but the miscasting is incredible!Wayne looks more like a grand-dad than an uncle to the kids.Lee Marvin steals the film with his superb cameo.Miss Allen is awfully mismatched with Wayne.In fact even Warden who played her father was many years Wayne's junior.Had he made this film 10 years earlier it might have been more plausible with the usual Maureen O'Hara.The story line is apt as well as the script.As usual Mr.Ford uses nature to good effect.A good roll-licking film for the die-hard Ford fans but no more than an escapist farewell to once an heroic star.John Ford probably was not aware of the tremendous changes there were going on.A younger,fresher actor to pair with Marvin would have done more justice.But in his lifetime there was only one man this director had in mind.John Wayne!