The Sun Never Sets

In the 1930s and into the 40s, Hollywood had a very unusual love for films about the British Empire. Much of this could be to appeal to British film goers....as the pictures were show there as well as in the States. All I know is that it seems odd by today's standards for American films to be promoting a system this country fought against during the Revolutionary War! And, by today's standards, it's hard to get excited by the exploits of colonialism.

Clive Randolph (Basil Rathbone) is a credit to his family, his king and his country. He is a selfless member of the Foreign Service and after many years serving at the Gold Coast in Africa (around modern day Ghana), he's ready for a nicer assignment...one that would be easier on him and his wife. Unfortunately, he's returned to the Gold Coast after a furlough to England. This is because a weirdo named Zurof (Lionel Atwill) is stirring up trouble using his hidden radio antennae...and the British government doesn't know that he's up to it but it is coming from the area around Zurof's mine.

To complicate things is Clive's brother, John (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.). John only joins the service after a lot of family pressure and he just doesn't seem cut out for the work. On top of that, he soon loses a top secret message...and Clive ends up being held responsible for this! Can John regain his and Clive's good name? And, more importantly, can they help maintain the Empire and it's 'benevolent' ways.

As I already mentioned, the film is a bit difficult today, as modern sensibilities tell us that colonialism is wrong as is the paternalistic aspects of it you see in the movie. But is the movie any good technically and is it entertaining? Yes. the acting is quite nice and the production looks very good...and entertains. Some of it is a bit silly...such as the world's reaction to the hidden radio station as well as the totally unbelievable ending. But still, it never is dull!

By the way, as you watch, you may notice that although the film came out in 1939, the baddie and his co-conspirators are NOT Germans! Only months later, war would break out and instead of baddies trying to create problems for the sake of greed or love of chaos, they would be replaced by wicked Nazis in films coming from Hollywood.

THE SUN NEVER SETS on the British Empire, which now must confront the menace of a millionaire madman broadcasting vile invective from a secret radio station somewhere in Africa.

Here is an adventure story which asks unusually serious questions about duty & devotion, both to one's family & to one's country. The moralizing & heart searching is never allowed to throw the film off target, however. It simply gives it some extra depth.

Basil Rathbone & Douglas Fairbanks Jr are well cast as two brothers who must face tough inner stresses, while attempting to fulfill their duties for the Colonial Office in the British Gold Coast - given the task to stop the lying lunatic only adds to their tribulations. It is good to see Rathbone in a heroic role; with his excellent voice & patrician profile he fills it quite nicely. As his younger sibling, Fairbanks displays conflicted motives for his behavior, but the plot helps him resolve the problems of where his duty lies.

As Rathbone's wife, Barbara O'Neil has some good scenes as a diplomatic spouse who loathes Africa & longs for England. However Mary Forbes, as the boys' mother, is largely wasted in a modest role that calls for little beyond looking noble.

Wonderful old Sir C. Aubrey Smith is terrific as the family patriarch who is the epitome of duty; here is an actor who never disappointed and seemed incapable of giving a bad performance. Special mention should also be made of Lionel Atwill, adding yet another portrait to his gallery of grotesques, this time as an entomologist traveling about the African bush in a luxurious land yacht, studying ants & spouting the most frightful nonsense about disrupting human society. Because of the sort of roles he performed it is too easy to forget what an excellent & entertaining actor Atwill was.

Melville Cooper, as a loyal Gold Coast functionary, & Cecil Kellaway, as the head of the Colonial Office - both very enjoyable actors - help to flesh out important smaller roles.

Movie mavens should recognize an uncredited Lionel Belmore, hilarious as a Selection Board member questioning Fairbanks about mad dogs.

The film's biggest debit is the lack of an explanation as to how Atwill's broadcasts could possibly spread riot & ruination around the world. But this is a small quibble...

The Sun Never Sets is a tribute to a family whose service is to the British Empire on which The Sun Never Sets. The Randolphs just go into colonial service as a matter of duty and tradition. At this moment Basil Rathbone is wrapping up a tour of duty on the African Gold Coast now Ghana. And Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. is somewhat reluctantly entering the colonial service as is expected of him. He gets posted to the Gold Coast.

But Rathbone is sent back with a pregnant wife Barbara O'Neil in tow, God only knows why she doesn't stay in the UK. There's a mysterious radio station operating in the area with broadcasts starting world wide panic to the benefit of some unnamed power. Lionel Atwill who is an entomologist is in charge of it and he's as villainous as Lionel Atwill can be.

The gist of the rest of the story is that Fairbanks screws up royally, but gets a chance to redeem himself and save the Empire. Why this African version of Fox News was such a threat we also are never told.

Of course a lot of Hollywood's British colony is here and it starred Hollywood's most noted Anglophile in Fairbanks. This was propaganda with a capital P. It's a given that the British Empire must be saved at all costs. This radio station has global capabilities and we were most definitely not at that stage of communication in 1939.

It's also mentioned that these Randolphs are related to those Randolphs in Virginia to make sure Americans have a stake in this as well. Real subtle I say.

The sun has most definitely set on the British Empire now which renders this film a most horribly dated propaganda flick. A real waste of a lot of talent.