Open ClassicCINEMA
Back to the collection

OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 963

White Shadows in the South Seas

192889 minUnited States
DramaAdventureRomance

Synopsis

An alcoholic doctor protests against traders who exploit Polynesian pearl divers and disregard their injuries. The traders arrange to send him away aboard an unmanned vessel, but he survives and reaches another island. His arrival opens a possibility of renewal while also bringing the destructive influence of the outside commercial world closer to the community that receives him.

Watch the film ↓
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified.
This copy runs
85:04
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: not identified. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · W. S. Van Dyke · Public domain

Cast

DirectorsW. S. Van Dyke

Behind the scenes

Filming in Tahiti began with Robert Flaherty involved before W. S. Van Dyke took charge. The finished film belongs to MGM's transition to synchronized sound, using a recorded score and effects while retaining silent dramatic storytelling.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 15, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Audience rating

Loading ratings…

Keep exploring

Collection