Captain David O'Keefe, seeking his fortune in the 19th century South Pacific, decides to enlist island natives to harvest copra, but runs into a wall of cultural problems. Backed by a Chinese dentist, he obtains a ship and sets about harvesting copra while fending off cantankerous native chieftains and ambitious German empire-builders. The natives, happy with their existence, see no reason to work hard to obtain copra, either for a German trading company or for O'Keefe. He finally motivates them by showing them how to produce large quantities of Rai stones, the stone money of Yap, and their valued coinage.
An 8-foot "coin" from the village of Gachpar, on Yap.
The story is based on the life of a sailor named David O'Keefe[3] who in 1871 was shipwrecked on Yap in the Caroline Islands, where he found the natives highly prized Rai stones quarried at great effort and danger on the island of Palau. He organized the natives to produce the large stone disks by employing modern methods and then used them to buy copra for coconut oil. The stones he produced were not valued as highly as those obtained by traditional methods due to the lack of personal sacrifice in their production, and the effect of an inflationary over-production.[4]
Production
Original book
O'Keefe's life was turned into a 1950 book by Lawrence Klingman and Gerard Green.[5] The Los Angeles Times said the writers did "a magnificent job".[6] The Chicago Tribune called it a "well told story".[7] The New York Times called it "interesting" and "curious".[8]
Development
Film rights were optioned in December 1950 by Norma Productions, the company of Harold Hecht and Burt Lancaster.[9]
In April 1951 Lancaster announced Fred Zinnemann would direct.[10] Lancaster was very busy at this time in his career and the film was not made immediately. In January 1952 Frank Nugent was reported as working on the script.[11] In May 1952 Byron Haskin signed to direct.[12]
Haskin arrived in Sydney, Australia in June 1952 and five Australian actors had roles in the supporting cast, including Lloyd Berrell, Guy Doleman, Muriel Steinbeck, Grant Taylor and Harvey Adams.[14]
Max Osbiston was offered a role but turned it down due to his film commitments.[15][16]
Later in June Haskin moved to Fiji where the bulk of the movie was shot.[17][18]
The film was made with "frozen" English funds, so many English technicians and cast were used and it was decided to shoot on location in Fiji, a British colony at the time.[17][19]
Filming took four months, mostly on location in the South Pacific in Fiji – not Yap. Also, indigenous people and customs/dances portrayed in the movie were Fijian.[21]
The unit was based at the Beachcomber Hotel at Deuba Beach in Viti Levu. The entire village of Goloa five miles west of the hotel was rented. Two miles east of Deuba the unit built a temporary sound stage as well as a darkroom and lab. The village was handed over to the locals after the unit left[17][19]
"I can't say that we'd ever want to remake O'Keefe," said Lancaster later. "It was so tough working in the humidity that one day I actually watched fungus grow on my clothes. Every day blazing sun or tropical rain beat down upon us and at night there were always mosquitos."[19]
Haskin spoke highly of Australian actors saying:
American actors are hothouse plants by comparison because they don't have such an exacting apprenticeship as Australian radio and repertory give. Few of the unknowns we try out can pick up any script and do any kind of part with out rehearsal. But your boys can. And they don't mess about. Put them up in front of a camera and they get on with what's required of them.[23]
The film was popular. According to Kinematograph Weekly the film was a "money maker" at the British box office in 1954.[27]
However Warner Bros were unhappy by the fact it went over budget. Hecht and Lancaster later welcomed His Majesty O'Keefe's screenwriter, James Hill, as an equal partner and renamed their company Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions in 1956.
^"THE MAN WHO RULED OVER YAP". Truth. No. 3248. New South Wales, Australia. April 27, 1952. p. 31. Retrieved February 13, 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^'King of Yap' Again Lives Lusty Life of South Seas
Guzman, Don. Los Angeles Times October 8, 1950: D8.
^Shrewd Yankee Trader Who Became King of Yap
Krogman, Wilton M. Chicago Daily Tribune October 22, 1950: i5.
^On Yap He Was King: Author's Query
New York Times October 22, 1950: BR14.
^LANCASTER TO STAR IN SHIPWRECK TALE: Norma Productions Buys 'His Majesty O'Keefe' for the Actor's First '52 Role By THOMAS F. BRADY New York Times January 1, 1951: 14.
^Drama: Zinnemann to Direct 'O'Keefe' With Lancaster; 'Blue Veil' Expanded
Schallert, Edwin. Los Angeles Times April 14, 1951: 9.
^STUDIO BRIEFS
Los Angeles Times February 7, 1952: B8.
^JERRY WALD IS SET TO BUY OUT KRASNA: Completes Deal for Interest in Film Firm They Share -Company Stays at R.K.O.
By THOMAS M. PRYORSpecial to THE NEW YORK TIMES May 3, 1952: 18.
^Burt Breaks Mold When Typed: Burt Balks at Typed Film Roles
Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times December 14, 1952: D1.
^"A different variety show". The Sun. No. 13287. New South Wales, Australia. September 9, 1952. p. 23 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved February 13, 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^ abcWitness of Cannibal Feast Helps in Production of Fiji Island Film: Natives Aid Stars Doing Film in Fijis
Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times November 23, 1952: D1.
^ abcLEAVES FROM LANCASTER'S LOGBOOK
By WILLIAM H. BROWNELL Jr.HOLLYWOOD. New York Times January 18, 1953: X5.
^GARSON, ALLYSON NAMED FOR ROLES: Former Will Play Marjorie Lawrence, 'Met' Opera Star -- Latter in Comedy
Special to THE NEW YORK TIMES July 11, 1952: 13.
^"Work ending on Fiji film". The News. Vol. 59, no. 9, 125. South Australia. November 6, 1952. p. 5. Retrieved February 13, 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
^"From ... The Bookshelf". Narrogin Observer. Vol. 49, no. 2495. Western Australia. June 12, 1953. p. 16. Retrieved February 13, 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
