Le lagon bleu

I first saw this film on the late, late, late show in 1978 when I was seventeen. I actually videotaped it on our new '78 RCA VCR and showed it to everyone. Everybody enjoyed it. I, myself, thought it was a very good movie and when I heard of it's remake a couple of years later I thought, "Oh, no! They're going to ruin it!" which they did. The original with Jean Simmons was so innocent and left to the imagination. In the Brooke Shields/Christopher Akins version, I didn't exactly want to see them "do it." That took away the innocence of the story of two kids shipwrecked on an island.

The film was shown again on late night television in 1980, but that was the last time it was ever broadcast in the Los Angeles area. I later taped over my original taping not realizing that it would never air again. All these years later it still hasn't been released on video, nor have the cable channels picked it up. I hope others will continue to post their thoughts and comments on this film.

When i saw the movie, it was the "B" movie, i.e. it had second billing of a two-movie presentation. But I loved the story, and the children, and I've always loved the name "Michael" because of this movie. I still love to hear the neighborhood children calling for their friend, "Michael"

The best part was when they discovered each other on the beach after he rescued her---when she (or he) says, "You're trembling."

I'm sorry to hear the movie is no longer available. I was wondering why there were no longer any re-runs.

One of my favorite ballads is of British origin and it's If You Were The Only Girl In The World. It became popular in the Twenties right around the time that the silent British cinema came out with the first version of The Blue Lagoon. I didn't even know there was one until researching it only today. The song certainly could have served as a theme for all the versions.

I can only compare this version to the one done by Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins that came out in 1980. That one of course had the full frontal nudity and the accompanying scandal, something that the high minded J. Arthur Rank would never have put into one of his films. Still Jean Simmons and Donald Houston are something to look at.

This is another of those universal stories that everyone knows, a boy and girl shipwrecked at sea at the ages of 10 and 9 and stay for ten years on a desert island. At first one of the sailors from the boat they were on, Noel Purcell is shipwrecked with them. He apparently teaches them enough to survive because he dies and the kids have to fend for themselves.

And as these are Edwardian era English kids they aren't exactly schooled in the facts of life. Never mind with her the only girl and him the only boy they figure it out.

Besides the sensationalism the main difference between this and the Atkins/Shields version is that Simmons and Houston are thoroughly British and Chris and Brooke cannot be mistaken for anything, but Americans. Still the sexual tension is there as we know the first time we see them as adults. We know, but they have to figure it out.

This version is dated in time because when they do get their first visitors in a pair of cutthroats played by James Hayter and Cyril Cusack they are identified as coming in the summer of 1914. Life does play funny tricks because soon enough there would be any number of British boys and girls who would love to be playing house in the south seas as opposed to being in the trenches in France and hearing bad news about a loved one there.

And in researching The Blue Lagoon I learned there is yet another version coming out soon. Maybe that might give impetus to some film preservers to go to work on this one. It's a good film, but the color is pretty washed out and it needs a visit to the film labs.

I saw this movie years ago (on a snowy b/w portable before cable).

The remake is true to this original with the exception of the ending. The fate of the trio was left in the air, unlike the promise of a "happy ending" of the remake. Nudity was not as blatant in this version. It was natural and more innocent than the remake.

I loved it. A true classic original that I would love to see again! I was disappointed when I wrote to England to find out that this movie is indefinitely withdrawal from future viewing.

One of my lifetime favourite movies. Saw it circa 1950 as a 10 year-old and it fired my imagination. Apart from causing me to fall in love with Jean Simmons, it's believability and innocence was mesmerizing. Of all of the movies I have ever seen, I think I remember this one the best.

Is there anywhere to purchase a copy of it on tape. Am not a movie collector, but would love to have this one.

Jean Simmons was truly one of the most beautiful and talented movie actresses of all time.