Cinerama South Seas Adventure

I want to see this movie, and so do a lot of cinerama film enthusiasts. Seems the prints are lost. If you find one, or your uncle has one in the attic, please let the world know.

Way cool set of vintage movie posters!!!!!!!!!!

Let me know if you find that film. I would also love to see it. I think Don The Beachcomber has a small part in it.

I would love to see that. I would actually make it out to LA just to see it at the dome.

As far as I can tell there are only two Cinerama theaters left in the US. One in Seattle and the pretty famous one in Los Angeles. The LA theater has screened multi-projector Cinerama films recently. Maybe give those guys a buzz and they could point you in the right direction to un-earth this print. You can find a link to them on the other blog I go bananas over

http://cinematreasures.org/theater/33/

Let me know if you make any progress.

Didn't they screen that in the LA one last year? I was outta town...

I don't think they did, bigbro. I was fortunate enough to get to see This is Cinerama! at the Seattle Cinerama theater, and it was beyond fantastic. I've been trying to keep an eye on the LA Cinerama, hoping for a similar Cinerama film fest, but I don't think they've done one down here in a few years, which I find surprising. Regardless, my understanding is that the South Seas Cinerama film is lost (hopefully someday someone will stumble across a print), and doesn't even get shown during the Cinerama festivals.

If anyone hears of original Cinerama films being shown at the Arclight, I'd love a heads-up. And naturally, if this particular one shows up somewhere, I REALLY want to hear about it!

I would also like to know if any Cinerama films show at Arclight in the future, as I would be willing to drive to LA to see one.

More Cinerama South Seas posters for your enjoyment:

I have the music score of that film with another great cover.
The LP was issued in 1981 on Citadel Records.

Music by Alex North (who also did "Journey into fear","A street car named Desire","Viva Zapata","Spartacus","Cleopatra","Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf"...)

[ Edited by: virani on 2005-05-28 01:40 ]

I find it amazing that such a recent film can become "lost".

On 2005-05-28 11:21, Sweet Daddy Tiki wrote:
I find it amazing that such a recent film can become "lost".

In fact, the movie is from 1958. And I have another music version of it from Dagored label (2003)

To me 1958 is relatively recent. I think of lost movies as being pre-talkies (1927). Did you know that about 90% of all silent movies have been lost?

On 2005-05-30 12:22, virani wrote:

In fact, the movie is from 1958. And I have another music version of it from Dagored label (2003)

Has anyone found out if this is available on DVD yet?? I can't find it anywhere.

D*

I've a copy of the booklet, others here do too. Here's the cover and a couple of the pages.

I checked the UCLA FIlm Archives and they don't have it. Maybe it really is lost and gone forever. Sad if true.

Funny. The knowledge of this film has always been there for me since I can remember, in ads, booklets, soundtrack albums, display cases at the Cinerama Dome....and I just sort of took it for granted as a corny documentary blown up to commercial spectacle proportions (then again, what else is Tiki? :) ), so I sort of paid little attention to it. But since I became aware that it is LOST, my interest was awakened, now I really want to see it, too! How many prints were made of Cinerama movies, that all of them can disappear!? Dang!

Here's a synopsis from Imdb.com:

"The fifth in a series of Cinerama travelogues---and not a Documentary since the vast majority of the film, aside from the scenery, is comprised of fictional stories. The first one involves an American girl, on a cruise to Hawaii, who makes friends with another American girl who lives in Hawaii. The first girl meets the second girl's family, and the Hawaiian-girl's brother takes an interest in her. The second segment follows the skipper of a sailing vessel taking the route followed by Captain Cook; the next concerns an artist who paints the sights of Tahiti; An American ex-G.I, stationed in New Zealand during World Warr II, returns for a real visit; and the finale is about a group of settlers arriving in the Australian out-back, and the value of the two-way radio.The 120-minute running time includes a 15-minute intermission, as part of the listed running-time."

More info on Cinerama:
http://www.redballoon.net/~snorwood/book/index.html

So what did Don do in the film? And who was Eddie Titiki !?:

Diane Beardmore as "Kay Johnson"
Don Middleton as "Her Husband"
Don the Beachcomber as "Don the Beachcomber"
Ed Olsen as "Amos Dorn, skipper of the Te Vega"
Eddie Titiki as "Himself"

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2010-03-30 21:51 ]

I've seen several of the Cinerama presentations done at the Cinerama Dome (now ArcLight) in Hollywood, which are mostly of THIS IS CINERAMA--the first of the "travelog-u-mentaries" (my word for them) they did, and HOW THE WEST WAS WON. I can tell you that when you see real Cinerama (3 projectors, 3 screens) it is an amazing spectacle--on par with IMAX (not as high a screen, but wider). There also is a contemporary documentary called CINERAMA ADVENTURE, which is confusing because there was also one of the original films by that name as well, which is in the same boat as SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE.

In my other life (one of several) I'm a film historian (just had a book published about Mack Sennett, and did one years ago about the Bowery Boys/Dead End Kids) and know a number of people in archives and other areas of film history and preservation. I'll check around to see if anyone knows if there is any material at all surviving (such as parts of an audio track or something--certainly even if there was only audio of, say, Don the Beachcomber's scenes, that would be something extremely worthwhile).

Caltiki Brent

I found the soundtrack LP at Goodwill today ($1!). It has a pretty long synopsis on the jacket, I typed it all up into a post on Humu Kon Tiki:

South Seas Adventure—A Description of the Lost Cinerama Film

I've had a poster, window card and the LP for a while now. Years ago, a CD release of the Alex North soundtrack came out.

Here it is on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/South-Adventure-George-Frederick-Handel/dp/B0000C3ICR/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1311467166&sr=8-3

The film must exist somewhere. :(

There were Cinerama theatres in both Australia and New Zealand. I went to see 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Christchurch Cinerama as a kid and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Tragically, the Christchurch Cinerama was pulled down by developers in the early 90s to make way for a tourist tramway (that's progress?). As I recall, it was the last Cinerama left in the Southern Hemisphere.

Anyway, South Seas Adventure was screened in this part of the world, so maybe there is still a copy here somewhere? Unfortunately I found nothing in the Australian and NZ National Film Archives catalogues, but you never know...

CN

Here is an original post card from the show from my husband's collection.

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=43422&forum=17&2

[ Edited by: hiltiki 2012-07-19 09:40 ]

Arclight which owns the famed Cinerama Dome in Hollywood will be holding a 60th year Cinerama anniversary and retrospective at the end of September. This includes South Seas Adventure!

https://www.arclightcinemas.com/movie/south-seas-adventure

So I guess we are to assume that this film is now suddenly "found." I hope they serve the same cocktail at the event.

That's terrific! Bongofury, let's roll!

Just got my tickets!!! So excited to see this. The soundtrack and posters have been intriguing to me for years.

Crap! I have been waiting for years to see this but I have other plans that evening that I can't get out of. Have fun and let us all know how it is.

It's showing at noon only. Not at night. Maybe you could still go?

There are two shows one on Sept 28th Friday at 12 noon and another on Monday Oct 1st at 320 pm.

http://www.labiennale.org/en/news/25-07a.html?back=true

It's been digitally restored and seems to be cropping up at various film festivals around the world (see link).

GK

Here a few publicity photos of Ramine, the star of the show.

DC

Here's a shot of Ramine from the 2012 digital premiere of the film:

Taken from: http://www.in70mm.com/news/2012/ramine/index.htm

Apparently there may be a Blu-ray release based on the sales of some other Cinerama discs being released next month. I am sure home viewing wouldn't quite be the same, but it seems better than nothing for those of us who can't make it to Hollywood.

I'm gonna have to miss it but the trailer looks great! :D

It won't be out until October, but the Blu-ray/DVD release was just announced:

http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=56

Thanks Plainotiki for the great news. With this Blu-ray release as well as the recent Hell's Half Acre Blu-ray release Its been a great month for Tiki Movies. It nice to read about others with the same wonderment about this film. Apparently some of us also have posters and programs about this documovie and not have seen it. Lucky for you that went to see it. And lucky for all of us to be able to buy the Blu-ray. Long live Tiki!

Hey, thanks to you for the news as well! I caught Hell's Half Acre on Netflix streaming a while back, but had no idea it had been released on Blu-ray (and no longer streaming).

P.S. Your website is awesome!

Mahalo Plain-O

If you try to preorder the new DVD, it says "All orders placed now will not be scheduled to ship until on, or just before, Tuesday, October 22, 2013 in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary Pacific Cinerama Dome Theatre Celebration Events.)" Let's hope this means that there will be new showings of the movie at the Cenerama Dome shortly before the release!

An update to this SSA topic. The digitally restored Blu-ray/DVD release with 5.1 surround sound is scheduled for Oct 22, 2013. The Special Pre-Release Sale Price: US$29.96 through the distributor, http://www.flickeralley.com.
note - I now see from the above posts you are all aware of this.

[ Edited by: Cinerama Aficionado 2013-07-05 12:47 ]

I just received the new Blu-ray disc of CINERAMA: South Seas Adventure. So far I wave watched the part when they go to Hawaii. I find you need to sit close to the screen to feel like your in the picture. Great picture resolution. Looking at Hawaii in pre-1958 makes you realize how much of the island paradise is gone and will never be again. I can't wait to view the rest of the film.

You can still get $10 off the price if you purchase it before Nov 2nd.

http://www.flickeralley.biz/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=110&Itemid=56

"People are like islands. You have to get close to them to know what they are about."
~ Adam Troy

[ Edited by: MaukaHale 2013-10-31 10:33 ]

Finally got my Blu-ray/DVD copy. Love the Cinerama screen and the curtain effects. Great photography, a must for any tiki/South Seas movie collection. Here are some shots to wet your appetite:

Tahiti paradise

Fiji warriors

Maori performers

Tikis marking Gauguin's old hangout

One of many shots of Don the Beachcomber in Waikiki

Tahines saying goodbye

Flicker Alley has a Father's Day sale ongoing. You can save 10% on several titles, one of which is South Seas Adventure, through June 16. Even with the shipping, it's a better price than Amazon.

Here is my mint window card for the film. It's 16" by 20". I picked it up a few years ago for six bucks and had it framed. The color is a lot brighter than my bad photo shows.

Bump, because this Sunday, July 15, 2018, is the 60th anniversary of the premiere of South Seas Adventure. I’m planning a viewing party to celebrate, complete with kalua pork and Cinerama Luau Punch (found on page 122 of Beachbum Berry Remixed).

Good idea, I'll have to pull my copy out on Sunday.