Based on a novel by Alec Waugh, Robert Rossen's 1957 Island in the Sun is a race-relations story set on a West Indies island during colonial British rule. Featuring James Mason as a rich man running for political office against a black labor leader (Harry Belafonte) whose aspirations become complicated after he has a romance with a white woman (Joan Fontaine), the strong cast also includes Joan Collins as Mason's sister, and knockout Dorothy Dandridge. While Mason and Belafonte are both solid in their roles, the film is a bit of a potboiler that is somewhat hamstrung by the prevailing Hollywood codes of the ‘50s, taking a conservative approach to fairly explosive (in its day) material. Presented with a beautiful transfer, DVD extras here include an audio commentary by film historian John Stanley and the A&E Biography episode “Dorothy Dandridge: Little Girl Lost.” An optional purchase. (T. Keogh)
Island in the Sun
Fox, 119 min., not rated, DVD: $19.98 Volume 21, Issue 3
Island in the Sun
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: