Review of The Little Hut (1957) by Marilee A — 09 Aug 2009

Disappointing film, perhaps more so because I was expecting it to be decent or better. This film stars two of my favorite classic film actors, David Niven and Ava Gardner, with a potentially humorous screwball situation: three people are stranded on a tropical island: the gorgeous Ava Gardner, her husband (a stolid workaholic who must be blind and daft) and the third wheel, played by David Niven, who has been keeping Ava's character company all these years since the husband is neglectful of her; they show slides at one point and they are all of Ava and David going on vacations together, rolling around in the surf, etc.

! However, they maintain a platonic relationship. The movie starts out well, but quickly turns boring and then disturbing. The characters all become very unlikable and there are some very objectionable ideas toward the end that made the movie one I can't recommend.

I don't feel it's humorous to imply a man can't live on an island for one month without becoming a desperate, slavering perv or worse, as in the case of the ship's chef; he turns out to have been marooned on the island somewhere the whole time, and attempts an elaborate hostage-taking and sexual assault.

("But he's such a great chef!" Excuse me?!!) Very distasteful and not a humorous movie. I know it was "another time" but that really doesn't excuse this one for me. Boring and offensive, and made me repulsed by two of my favorite actors! I think I'll take another star off for that.

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