The Tuttles of Tahiti

The Tuttles of Tahiti
The Tuttles of Tahiti
	theatrical poster
Directed by	Charles Vidor
Written by	Lewis Meltzer; Robert Carson; James Hilton (adaptation)
Based on	novel: No More Gas by; James Norman Hall; Charles Nordhoff
Produced by	Sol Lesser
Starring	Charles Laughton
Cinematography	Nicholas Musuraca
Edited by	Frederic Knudtson
Music by	Roy Webb
Production; company	Sol Lesser Productions
Distributed by	RKO Radio Pictures
Release date	May 1, 1942 (U.S.);
Running time	91 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$847,000

The Tuttles of Tahiti is a 1942 American adventure comedy romance film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Charles Laughton and Jon Hall. It was based on the novel No More Gas by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff.

According to one reviewer the film was "not really a South Seas movie so much as a “wacky family” tale, with Hall as the son of paterfamilias Charles Laughton. You can see what the filmmakers are going for but despite a healthy budget and talented people involved...the film is marred by odd decisions (the film noir-like photography, Laughton’s make-up, the lack of a decent romance and action for Hall). It lost RKO money, which may explain why this was the last time Hall depicted a Pacific Islander on screen."^[2]

Plot[edit]

When merchant sailor Chester Tuttle (Jon Hall) returns home to Tahiti after several years away, his family, headed by Jonas Tuttle (Charles Laughton), welcomes him with open arms. The Tuttles are a happy-go-lucky bunch who give little thought to the future and do as little work as necessary. Jonas often gets loans, which he never gets around to paying back, from Dr. Blondin (Victor Francen). Chester has brought with him a fighting rooster for Jonas's cockfight with the more industrious and prosperous Emily (Florence Bates).

Shrewd businessman Jensen (Curt Bois) persuades the doctor to transfer Jonas's debt to him. Jonas is so sure that Chester's rooster will win that he willingly signs a mortgage for the rundown family mansion and bets everything on the outcome. However, the bird turns out be a coward and flees the ring without a fight.

Chester notices that Emily's daughter Tamara (Peggy Drake) has grown into a beautiful young woman, but the young lovers realize that Emily will never sanction Tamara's marriage to a penniless wastrel.

To raise the mortgage payment, Chester, his brothers and nephew go fishing on their boat. When a storm comes up, they are presumed lost. However, not only are they safe, they find an abandoned ship. They bring it in, and under salvage laws, they are now its owners. Jensen buys it and its cargo for 400,000 francs, an enormous sum.

Ignoring Emily's advice to invest the money, Jonas deposits it in a joint checking account, withdraws just enough to pay back Dr. Blondin, and gives checkbooks to everyone in the family. With their new wealth, Chester is able to marry Tamara. However, creditors descend on Jonas, and the spendthrift Tuttles soon spend the rest of their money very quickly.

When Jensen comes to collect the mortgage, Jonas cannot find the money he had saved for Blondin, and Jensen takes possession of the mansion. While chasing Chester's rooster, he finds the misplaced money and triumphantly gives it to Blondin, saving the Tuttle home. In the end, Blondin gives Jonas a new loan to buy gas for the fishing boat.

Cast[edit]

Charles Laughton as Jonas Tuttle
Jon Hall as Chester Tuttle
Peggy Drake as Tamara
Victor Francen as Dr. Blondin
Gene Reynolds as Ru Tuttle, Jonas's grandson
Florence Bates as Emily
Curt Bois as Jensen
Adeline De Walt Reynolds as Mama Ruau, Jonas's mother
Ray Mala as Nat

Reception[edit]

The film recorded a loss of $170,000.^[3]

References[edit]

^ Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, The RKO Story. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p171
^ Vagg, Stephen (April 9, 2022). "The Campy, Yet Surprisingly Interesting Cinema of Jon Hall". Filmiink.
^ Richard B. Jewell, RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born, University of California 2012 p 252

External links[edit]

The Tuttles of Tahiti at IMDb
The Tuttles of Tahiti at the TCM Movie Database

[rko-1] Richard Jewell & Vernon Harbin, The RKO Story. New Rochelle, New York: Arlington House, 1982. p171

[hall-2] Vagg, Stephen (April 9, 2022). "The Campy, Yet Surprisingly Interesting Cinema of Jon Hall". Filmiink.

[3] Richard B. Jewell, RKO Radio Pictures: A Titan Is Born, University of California 2012 p 252

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e James Hilton
Novels	Catherine Herself (1920) Storm Passage (1922) The Passionate Year (1924) Dawn of Reckoning (1925) Meadows of the Moon (1926) Terry (1927) The Silver Flame (1928) Murder at School (1931) And Now Goodbye (1931) Contango (Ill Wind) (1932) Rage in Heaven (1932) Knight Without Armour (1933) Lost Horizon (1933) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1934) We Are Not Alone (1937) Random Harvest (1941) So Well Remembered (1945) Nothing So Strange (1947) Morning Journey (1951) Time and Time Again (1953)
Non-fiction	Mr. Chips Looks at the World (1939) The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) H.R.H.: The Story of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1956)
Short stories	"The Failure" (1924) "Twilight of the Wise" (1936) "The Bat King" (1937) "It's a Crazy World" (1937) "From Information Received" (1938) "The Girl Who Got There" (1938) To You, Mr Chips! (collection) (1938) "You Can't Touch Dotty" (1938)
Plays	And Now Goodbye (with Philip Howard) (1937) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (with Barbara Burnham) (1938)
Screenplays	Camille (1936) We Are Not Alone (1939) Lights Out in Europe (1940) Foreign Correspondent (dialogue) (1940) The Tuttles of Tahiti (1942) Mrs. Miniver (1942) Forever and a Day (collaboration) (1943)
Adaptations	Lost Horizon (1937) Knight Without Armour (1937) We Are Not Alone (1939) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939) Rage in Heaven (1941) Random Harvest (1942) The Story of Dr. Wassell (1944) So Well Remembered (1947) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969) Lost Horizon (1973) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1984) Goodbye, Mr. Chips (2002)