MGM had a group of young stars Richard Chamberlain, George Peppard, Paula Prentiss, Jim Hutton, George Hamilton, and beautiful Yvette Mimieux.

Charlton Heston is very fine in this drama with great colors photography.

The film made a lot of Hawaii as being admitted to the USA. MGM loaned Yvette Mimieux to Columbia for above the title star billing. Columbia's contract player James Darren also is cast. Columbia had its own contract roster: Mr. Darren, along with Michael Callan, Deborah Walley, Cindi Carol

Yvette Mimieux and Charlton Heston would re unite back at MGM years later in Skyjacked.

Set in 1950 Hawaii , there a powerful, obstinate owner : Charlton Heston prohibites his sister : Yvette Mimieux to marry a native : James Darren , resulting in fateful consequences . As Richard Howland and his political ambitions bringing misery and destruction to his family via his stubborness . Along the way, ruthless Richard is in love with a beautiful native girl : France Nuyen who is secretely impregnated . The Giant Story of Modern Hawaii !!

A Soap Opera and unpretentious entertainment movie about an ambitious pineapple , US Senatorial candidate and his family including drama, love stories and tragedy . Based on the Peter Gilman novel titled Such Sweet Thunder and screenplay by prestigious Margueritte Roberts . Charlton Heston gives a nice acting in his usual style as the tough and bigoted land baron who will stop at nothing to get his political purports . Heston also starred a similar film The Hawaiians 1970 by Tom Gries in which he played another pineapple owner . Costars the gorgeous Yvette Mimieux as the Lady in distress due to jealous and ambition his brother . Accompanied by a good plethora of actors delivering acceptable interpretations , such as : George Chakiris , France Nuyen, James Darren, Aline MacMahon , Elizabeth Allen , Vaughn Taylor , Philip Ahn , among others .

It contains a wonderful and spectacular cinematography from the sunny Hawaii by cameraman Sam Leavitt . As well as emotive and rousing musical score by incombustible John Williams . The motion picture was professionally directed by Guy Green . He was a notorious cameraman , in fact he photographed some David Lean films . And occassionally directing some films with penchant for Dramas , as he made the following ones : River Boat , Posmark for danger , Sea of Sand , SOS Pacific , The Mark , A Patch of Blue , Walk in the spring rain , Luther , Once is not enough , The incredible Journey of Dr Meg Laurel , Strong Medicine , among others . Rating : 6/10 . The movie will appeal to Charlton Heston fans .

So, you decide you want to make a film with a strong social statement about prejudice. You want to show the stupidity and hypocrisy of folks hating mixed-race people...and they then get folks like George Chakiris and James Darren to play these 'mixed' characters!! The actors were lovely men...but looked about as much like they were from mixed ancestry as Shirley Temple! In other words, despite a great story idea they cop out and pick the very white actors to play these characters!! What a mistake...and it clearly was a sign of the times in which it was made. Perhaps the producers had a hard time finding mixed actors suitable for the roles...but finding pretty teen heartthrobs seemed inappropriate given the serious plot. My assumption is that the writer probably felt a bit sick about this...but they almost never have any influence on who plays their characters. But I will excuse some of this--for its day it was rather broad-minded. Plus, Charlton Heston should be applauded for such a role, as he was one of the few white actors who stood along side the Freedom Marchers...so it's pretty obvious that this film meant something to him. After having recently completed BEN HUR and THE BIG COUNTRY he could have chosen any project and chose this.

The film is a soapy affair in which a supposedly liberal-minded and very powerful Hawaiian man, 'King' Howland, is horrified when his sister (Yvette Mimieux) falls in love with a guy of mixed white and Hawaiian blood (James Darren). But he's also a complete hypocrite, as on the side he has an Asian woman (France Nuyen) of his own!! And, when she become pregnant he refuses to have anything to do with her or the child! Nice guy, huh?! What's next? See the film...or not.

Overall, this is a decent film...though if you're looking for Heston in a better film about Hawaii, I prefer THE HAWAIIANS (a sequel to HAWAII). The story is interesting and engaging but loses a bit due to the casting and the soapy elements which deter from the film's believability. The worst is some of the dialog (particularly some of the drivel given to Mimieux to deliver). Not bad entertainment but that's really about it.