Virgin Island (film)
Virgin Island is a 1958 British drama film directed by Pat Jackson and starring John Cassavetes, Virginia Maskell and Sidney Poitier.[2] It is an adaptation of the memoir Our Virgin Island by Robb White and was filmed on the British Virgin Islands. The American release in 1960 followed the title of the novel.[3][4]
| Our Virgin Island Virgin Island | |
|---|---|
1959 theatrical poster | |
| Directed by | Pat Jackson |
| Written by | Ring Lardner Jr. |
| Produced by | Leon Clore |
| Starring | John Cassavetes Virginia Maskell Sidney Poitier |
| Cinematography | Freddie Francis |
| Edited by | Gordon Pilkinton |
| Music by | Clifton Parker |
| Distributed by | British Lion Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Premise edit
A British woman (Virginia Maskell) marries an American writer (John Cassavetes) in spite of her family's disapproval and goes to live with him on a tropical island.
Cast edit
- John Cassavetes as Evan
- Virginia Maskell as Tina
- Sidney Poitier as Marcus
- Isabel Dean as Mrs. Lomax
- Colin Gordon as Commissioner
- Ruby Dee as Ruth
- Howard Marion-Crawford as Prescott
- Arnold Bell as Heath
- Gladys Boot as Mrs. Carruthers
- Alonzo Bozan as Grant
- Edric Connor as Captain Jason
- Reginald Hearne as Doctor
- Julian Mayfield as Band Leader
- Nancy E. Roy as Baby
Production edit
Freddie Francis said he was "pressured" into doing the film by producer Leon Clore.
I don't think Pat Jackson particularly wanted me to do it. But Leon wanted me to do it. Not that there was any bad feeling between dear old Pat and myself but once again Pat was the wrong guy I think for the picture because the two stars were John Cassavetes and Sidney Poitier. And let's face it, those two guys with dear old Pat whose such a nice bloke and basically a documentary director, he was way off...I remember one night I was having dinner in the yacht club in one of the Virgin Islands and Sidney Poitier and Cassavetes came over and said would I take the picture over. I said listen I can't do that, you better go and speak to Leon. So anyway they went to Leon and obviously Leon said no you can't do that. So it was a very unhappy picture from that point of view. [5]
References edit
- ^ Film Review 1959-60, p.98
- ^ . Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk. 16 April 2009. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
- ^ British Virgin Islands, Report - Page 6 Great Britain. Foreign and Commonwealth Office - 1958 GENERAL The Colony was the location for the film Virgin Island shot by Countryman Films Ltd. of London during the period September to November, 1957. The film was based on Robb White's book Our Virgin Island which had its setting on ...
- ^ Film Review - Page 22 F. Maurice Speed - 1959 But one girl who did get a really big chance in 1958 and made the most of it was Virginia Maskell, the girl from Shepherd's Bush who made a delightful impact with her performance in her first major role in the British Lion film Virgin Island.
- ^ "Interview with Freddie Francis". British Entertainment History Project. 1993–1994.
External links edit
- Virgin Island at IMDb