So, you decide you want to make a film with a strong social statement about prejudice. You want to show the stupidity and hypocrisy of folks hating mixed-race people...and they then get folks like George Chakiris and James Darren to play these 'mixed' characters!! The actors were lovely men...but looked about as much like they were from mixed ancestry as Shirley Temple! In other words, despite a great story idea they cop out and pick the very white actors to play these characters!! What a mistake...and it clearly was a sign of the times in which it was made. Perhaps the producers had a hard time finding mixed actors suitable for the roles...but finding pretty teen heartthrobs seemed inappropriate given the serious plot. My assumption is that the writer probably felt a bit sick about this...but they almost never have any influence on who plays their characters. But I will excuse some of this--for its day it was rather broad-minded. Plus, Charlton Heston should be applauded for such a role, as he was one of the few white actors who stood along side the Freedom Marchers...so it's pretty obvious that this film meant something to him. After having recently completed BEN HUR and THE BIG COUNTRY he could have chosen any project and chose this.
The film is a soapy affair in which a supposedly liberal-minded and very powerful Hawaiian man, 'King' Howland, is horrified when his sister (Yvette Mimieux) falls in love with a guy of mixed white and Hawaiian blood (James Darren). But he's also a complete hypocrite, as on the side he has an Asian woman (France Nuyen) of his own!! And, when she become pregnant he refuses to have anything to do with her or the child! Nice guy, huh?! What's next? See the film...or not.
Overall, this is a decent film...though if you're looking for Heston in a better film about Hawaii, I prefer THE HAWAIIANS (a sequel to HAWAII). The story is interesting and engaging but loses a bit due to the casting and the soapy elements which deter from the film's believability. The worst is some of the dialog (particularly some of the drivel given to Mimieux to deliver). Not bad entertainment but that's really about it.
