Tonight's Movie: Down Among the Sheltering Palms (1953)

DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS is a lightweight, mildly amusing musical set in the post-WWII South Pacific.

Captain Bill Willoby (William Lundigan) heads U.S. occupation forces on a small South Pacific island. Bill loves a missionary's niece, Diana (Jane Greer), and simultaneously he's being relentlessly pursued by a native girl (Mitzi Gaynor) and a predatory journalist (Gloria DeHaven). Bill's life grows very complicated, especially as soldiers aren't supposed to be fraternizing with women in the first place!

David Wayne plays Bill's righthand man, and Jack Paar appears as another soldier. The cast also includes Gene Lockhart as Diana's uncle and Billy Gilbert as a native king. Lyle Talbot appears in a couple scenes as an army major.

If you don't blink you'll see Lee Marvin as an army private; he pops into the office with a funny line.

Viewers may also recognize Alvin Greenman, who plays semi-illiterate Corporal Kolta, from his role as Alfred, the young man who befriends Kris Kringle in MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (1947).

It's all fairly silly, but the cast is engaging and it's colorful fun, photographed in Technicolor by the great Fox cinematographer Leon Shamroy. Highlights include Mitzi doing an energetic native dance and Gloria singing a sultry version of "All of Me."

This film was directed by Edmund Goulding. It runs 87 minutes.

DOWN AMONG THE SHELTERING PALMS has been shown in the past on Fox Movie Channel. It has not had a video or DVD release.