CAST: Glynis Johns (Martha Jones), Robert Newton (Edward “Honorable Ted” Wilson), Donald Sinden (Ewart Gray), Paul Rogers (Reverend Owen Jones), Donald Pleasence (Tromp), Walter Crisham (Vederala), Michael Hordern (The Headman), Auric Lorand (Alfred, Major Domo), Tony Quinn (Ship Captain). Directed by Muriel Box.
SYNOPSIS: Ewart Gray is the new Resident in Charge of the Welcome Islands in the Indian Ocean. Once at his new location, Gray is introduced to his staff by Tromp (Donald Pleasence), his personal adjutant. The only other Europeans on the island are the Reverend Owen Jones, his physician sister Martha, and the perpetual drunk and ne’er-do-well Edward Wilson, known as “Honorable Ted” by the locals. Jones and Martha make it known to Gray that Ted is not to be trusted and they accuse him of corrupting a village girl to steal money from the collection box. At first, Gray tries to give Ted the benefit of the doubt, but when he causes an out of control bar fight, Gray sentences him to three months hard labor on a nearby island. During that time, Martha travels to the islands to operate on the village chief, but winds up also doing unexpected surgery on an elephant following a crocodile attack. When Ted is released from his punishment, he immediately returns to his old ways, forcing Gray to decide that Ted must be deported to Australia. But when a cholera outbreak occurs on the islands, Martha asks for Ted to accompany her for protection as she travels to some of the islands to try and help the natives. Ted reluctantly agrees and they travel to the islands to nurse the sick and disinfect the water. Some of the villagers believe that the white man’s medicine is actually causing the disease and when the chief ’s daughter dies from it, Martha and Ted are tied up to be killed. However, luck is on their side when the elephant sent to crush them turns out to be the same one Martha treated, thus sparing their lives. Back on the island, Gray is comforted about the cholera outbreak by Tromp who explains how they saved many lives. Gray then realizes that they did do well and is pleasantly surprised to hear that Martha and Ted, now a changed man, are getting married and together will help out the villagers.
COMMENTARY: The Beachcomber is a well-done love story set in an exotic locale. The real stars of the film are Glynis Johns as the good-hearted Martha and Robert Newton as “Honorable Ted,” the black sheep of the family outcast to the islands and a true diamond in the rough. Newton, well known for his portrayal as the pirate Long John Silver, was sadly a case of life imitating art in The Beachcomber. His career suffered numerous problems, due to his drinking, and died at the age of fifty in 1956, but his performance in The Beachcomber is certainly very well-acted and the eventual romance between his character and Martha is made all the more believable because of it. Another unexpected star of this film is the elephant as part of a graphic battle with a crocodile that later proves that elephants truly never forget.
In his very first film role, Pleasence plays Tromp, an Indian assistant to the new Resident in Charge. While Pleasence is a British actor playing an Indian which was standard practice at this time in British films, he actually does quite a good job and his role albeit a minor one is featured throughout the storyline. Pleasence even received recognition in a New York Times review, “Donald Pleasence is properly authentic in a native role.” [79] Dressed in a white British imperial uniform and wearing spectacles, Tromp is clearly the go-between for the natives and their British masters. All communications with the natives goes through him and he seemingly must announce all visitors to Gray, but his best part comes toward the conclusion when Tromp explains to Gray that even though cholera took the lives of 1,200 people, they saved many more through their efforts. Tromp’s speech explaining how he lost his whole family because of an earlier cholera outbreak and how things are now better is quite moving and is certainly an excellent beginning in film for Donald Pleasence.