A growing source of silent era film information. This listing is from The Progressive Silent Film List by Carl Bennett. Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett and the Silent Era Company. All Rights Reserved.

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	Monte Blue and Raquel Torres. Photograph: Silent Era image collection.

Cast: Monte Blue [Doctor Matthew Lloyd, later known as Matta Loa], Raquel Torres [Faraway], Robert Anderson [Mr. Sebastian, a trader], Renee Bush [Lucy], Bobby Andrews, Naoua [a native boy], [?] Dorothy Janis?, [?] ? [Makia], [?] ? [Old Naku], [?] ? [Kata]

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Corporation production; distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation [A Cosmopolitan Production]. / Produced by Hunt Stromberg. Scenario by Ray Doyle and Jack Cunningham, based on the book White Shadows in the South Seas by Frederick O’Brien. Song “Flower of Love” by William Axt and David Mendoza (music), and Dave Dreyer and Herman Ruby (lyrics). Grip, Pop Arnold. Script clerk, Josephine Chippo. Photographed (cinematography) by Clyde deVinna (Clyde De Vinna), George Nogle (George Gordon Nogle) and Bob Roberts. Camera operator, Joseph LaShelle. Camera assistants, Dale Deverman and Josiah Roberts. Sound recording by Douglas Shearer. Film editor, Ben Lewis. Titles (intertitles written) by John Colton. Presented by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. / Premiered 31 July 1928 in New York, New York. General release, 10 November 1928. / [?] Movietone 35mm spherical 1.20:1 format and/or Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format? Western Electric Movietone sound-on-film synchronized sound system. / Working title: Robert Flaherty’s Southern Skies. The production was shot on location on the Marquesas Islands. The film was released in France as Ombres blanches on 23 November 1928. The film was released in Australia on 7 March 1929. The film was released in Finland as Valkoisia varjoja Etelämerellä on 8 March 1929. The film was released in Sweden as Vita skuggor på Söderhavet on 2 May 1929. The film was released in Austria as Weiße Schatten on 23 August 1929. The film was released in Argentina as Sombras blancas en los mares del sur on 6 September 1929. The film was released in Denmark as Hvide Skygger on 7 September 1929. The film was released in the Netherlands as Witte schaduwen van de Zuidzee on 27 September 1929. The film was released in Hungary as Fehér árnyak on 17 October 1929. The film was released in Uruguay as Sombras blancas en los mares del sur on 17 October 1929. The film was released in Croatia as Bijele sjene on 11 November 1929. The film was released in Yugoslavia on 11 November 1929. The film was released in Japan as 南海の白影 (Nankai no shiro kage) in November 1929. The film was released in Serbia as Bele senke on 7 January 1930. The film was released in Ireland on 17 January 1930. The film was released in Slovenia as Bele sence on 14 March 1930. The film was released in Portugal as Sombras Brancas nos Mares do Sul on 5 April 1930. / Silent film, with synchronized music and sound effects.

Drama-Documentary: Romance.

Synopsis: An alcoholic doctor flees trouble, ending up on the Marquesas Islands in Tahiti. There he finds a native girl, with whom he falls in love.

Survival status: Print exists in the George Eastman Museum film archive [35mm positive].

Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].

Keywords: Marquesas Islands: Tahiti - Synchronized sound film

Listing updated: 9 May 2021.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Bardèche-History pp. 310-311; Brownlow-Parade p. 433; Dardis-Keaton p. 160; Everson-American pp. 310q, 337, 338, 363; Limbacher-Feature p. 275; McIlroy-Ireland p. 109; Shipman-Cinema p. 100; Vermilye-Twenties pp. 18, 21 : Website-AFI; Website-GEM; Website-IMDb.

Home video: DVD.