Matecumbe is a neighborhood within the village of Islamorada in Monroe County , Florida , United States. It is located in the upper Florida Keys on the island of Upper Matecumbe Key .
61-400: It is located at 24°54′50″N 80°38′20″W / 24.914°N 80.639°W / 24.914; -80.639 , its elevation 7 feet (2 m). Matecumbe consists of two islands (keys), Upper Matecumbe Key and Lower Matecumbe Key. The latter is where the settlement of Matecumbe is located, just south of Matecumbe Bight and adjacent to and just north of Matecumbe Harbor. The settlement
122-609: A Master of Arts degree in education. After graduation, Michener taught at the university and at College High School. The Michener Library at the University of Northern Colorado was named after him in October 1972. In 1939, Michener accepted a position as a guest lecturer at Harvard University , where he worked for a year. He left to join Macmillan Publishers as their social studies education editor. As
183-539: A Quaker , he could have qualified as a conscientious objector and not been drafted into the military, but Michener enlisted in the United States Navy during World War II . He traveled throughout the South Pacific Ocean on various assignments which he gained because his base commanders mistakenly thought his father was Admiral Marc Mitscher . His experiences during these travels inspired
244-522: A B or C camera. The producers' original plan was to have Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin , the two leads of the original Broadway cast, reprise their roles for the film, but Pinza died suddenly in May 1957. Had he lived to perform in the film, the producers would have cast Martin. Logan said he was unable to find an actor who would match Martin; the only big star of the right age seemed to be Vittorio de Sica , whom Logan felt "too saturnine". Instead, Doris Day
305-757: A big hit in the United Kingdom and the film played continuously at the Dominion Theatre in London for nearly four-and-a-half years grossing $ 3.9 million at the theatre. After four years of release in the UK (and prior to its general release), it had grossed $ 9.4 million, surpassing Gone With the Wind as the highest-grossing film in the United Kingdom . It performed badly in other European countries such as France, Germany and Italy. South Pacific
366-407: A damaged plane, has a boat dropped on him, then comes under a series of attacks, following his fatalistic "Oh, it's going to be one of those days, huh?" The film includes the use of colored filters during many of the song sequences, which has been a source of criticism for the film. Director Joshua Logan wanted these filters to produce subtle changes, but was displeased with the extremeness of
427-535: A major philanthropist, donating more than $ 100 million to educational, cultural, and writing institutions, including his alma mater , Swarthmore College , the Iowa Writers Workshop , and the James A. Michener Art Museum, and more than $ 37 million to University of Texas at Austin . By 1992, his gifts made him UT Austin's largest single donor to that time. Over the years, Mari Michener played
488-752: A major role in helping direct his donations. In 1989, Michener donated the royalty earnings from the Canadian edition of his novel Journey (1989), published in Canada by McClelland & Stewart , to create the Journey Prize , an annual Canadian literary prize worth $ 10,000 (CDN) that is awarded for the year's best short story published by an emerging Canadian writer. In the Micheners' final years, he and his wife lived in Austin, Texas , and they endowed
549-587: A nearly three-hour roadshow version, later cut to two-and-a-half hours for general release. The film was re-released in 1964 and by The Samuel Goldwyn Company in 1983. The three-hour version, long feared lost, was rediscovered in a 70mm print owned by a collector. This print was screened in Bradford , England, at the National Museum of Photography, Film, and Television on March 14, 2005. When Fox (which by that time owned partial distribution rights to
610-460: A role that was first offered to such established stars as Charles Boyer , Howard Keel , and Fernando Lamas . Ray Walston , a noted Broadway musical actor, played the part of Seabee Luther Billis, which he had previously played on stage in London. Hanalei Bay , on the Hawaiian island of Kauai , served as the filming location, with Emil Kosa Jr. 's matte paintings providing distant views of
671-768: A stake in the film, handled the distribution of the roadshow theatrical release in Todd-AO, while Fox distributed the film for its general release in CinemaScope. It opened at the Criterion Theatre in New York City on March 19, 1958, before opening in Miami Beach on March 24, in Philadelphia and Chicago on March 26, and expanding to a further eight cities within a month. Originally shown in
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#1732798574626732-402: A total of eight weeks. It was withdrawn from general release at the end of 1960 with rentals of $ 16.3 million, earning a place among the top 50 popular movies of all time at the domestic box office when adjusted for inflation and the size of the population in its era. In its 1964 reissue, the film earned another $ 1.2 million in rentals, taking its total to $ 17.5 million. The film was
793-452: Is distressed by the thought of bringing Polynesian Liat back to his family, fearing their reaction. Distraught by his separation from Nellie and with nothing to lose, de Becque eventually volunteers for the dangerous mission with Cable, who wishes to complete the mission then live the rest of his life on Bali Hai with Liat. They fly out to a local fishing boat in order to secretly make it to a Japanese held island to provide vital intelligence for
854-443: Is falling in love with a U.S. Navy nurse, Nellie Forbush, and does not want to get involved. A Navy Construction Battalion sailor (Seabee) named Luther Billis persuades Cable to visit the nearby island of Bali Hai, where he falls in love with a local girl named Liat. Nellie Forbush is tormented by the revelation of de Becque having children with a Polynesian woman (who since died) and runs away, while Cable says he will not marry Liat; he
915-442: Is known for its permanent collection of Pennsylvania Impressionist paintings. The James A. Michener Society was formed in the fall of 1998. It comprises people who share a common interest and admirers of Michener's life and work. The society sponsors a variety of activities and publishes an electronic internet newsletter. Annual meetings of members are held at locations closely associated with Michener's life. The society's purpose
976-571: Is loosely based on James A. Michener 's 1947 short-story collection Tales of the South Pacific . The film, directed by Joshua Logan , stars Rossano Brazzi , Mitzi Gaynor , John Kerr and Ray Walston in the leading roles with Juanita Hall as Bloody Mary, the part that she had played in the original stage production. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards , winning the Academy Award for Best Sound for Fred Hynes . It
1037-423: Is not heard until nearly forty-five minutes into the film, while in the show it is heard about fifteen minutes after Act I starts. Juanita Hall sang in the stage production and took part in the recording of the stage production cast album. However, she had her singing dubbed for the film version by Muriel Smith , who played Bloody Mary in the London stage production. Metropolitan Opera star Giorgio Tozzi provided
1098-490: Is set in 1943, during World War II , on an island in the South Pacific. During World War II, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines are preparing a counteroffensive against the Imperial Japanese Navy in the islands of the South Pacific. Lieutenant Joe Cable, a Marine officer, asks a local French planter, Emile de Becque, to help him on a reconnaissance mission behind Japanese lines, but de Becque declines. De Becque
1159-463: Is to: In addition to writing novels, short stories, and non-fiction, Michener was very involved with movies, TV series, and radio. The following is only a selection of the listings in the Library of Congress files. South Pacific (1958 film) South Pacific is a 1958 American romantic musical film based on the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific , which in turn
1220-724: The Great Depression , as mentioned in the 1998 Great Depression documentary on the History Channel. Michener took a job as a high school English teacher at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania . From 1933 to 1936, he taught English at George School in Newtown, Pennsylvania . He attended Colorado State Teachers College, later renamed the University of Northern Colorado , in Greeley, Colorado , where he earned
1281-585: The James A. Michener Art Museum houses collections of local and well-known artists. Michener pledged $ 5.5 million to the museum in 1996. Constructed from the remains of an old state prison, the museum is a non-profit organization with both permanent and rotating collections. Two prominent permanent fixtures are the James A. Michener display room and the Nakashima Reading Room, constructed in honor of his third wife's Japanese heritage. The museum
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#17327985746261342-590: The Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin . The Center provides three-year Michener Fellowships in fiction, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting to a small number of students. In October 1997, suffering from terminal kidney disease , Michener opted to end his daily dialysis treatment that had kept him alive for four years. He said he had accomplished what he wanted and did not want further physical complications. On October 16, 1997, he died of kidney failure , at age 90. Michener
1403-934: The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC television network) from October 1978 through February 1979. In the mid-1970s, Michener was a contributor to the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature . In 1996, State House Press published James A. Michener: A Bibliography , compiled by David A. Groseclose. Its more than 2,500 entries from 1923 to 1995 include magazine articles, forewords, and other works. Michener's prodigious output made for lengthy novels, several of which run more than 1,000 pages. The author states in My Lost Mexico (1992) that at times he would spend 12 to 15 hours per day at his typewriter for weeks on end, and that he used so much paper, his filing system had trouble keeping up. Michener
1464-454: The 35th President. In 1962, he unsuccessfully ran as a Democratic Party candidate for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania , a decision he later considered a misstep. "My mistake was to run in 1962 as a Democratic candidate for Congress. [My wife] kept saying, 'Don't do it, don't do it.' I lost and went back to writing books." In his memoir The World Is My Home , Michener would describe running for office as "one of
1525-526: The 50th state, was based on extensive research. He used this approach for nearly all of his subsequent novels, which were based on detailed historical, cultural, and even geological research. Centennial (1974), which documented several generations of families in the Rocky Mountains of the American West , was adapted as a popular 12-part television miniseries of the same name and aired on
1586-517: The Broadway show, was added. One of the differences between the film version and the Broadway version of the musical is that the first and second scenes of the play are switched around, together with all the songs contained in those two scenes. The original European cut of the film shown in the United Kingdom and Europe does not switch those scenes and it plays out as on the stage. The stage version begins with Nellie and Emile's first scene together on
1647-583: The Pacific areas where they take place. Tales of the South Pacific was adapted as the popular Broadway musical South Pacific , by Rodgers and Hammerstein . The musical in turn was adapted as a feature film in 1958 and 2001 , adding to his financial success. A number of his other stories and novels were adapted for films and TV series. He also wrote Presidential Lottery: The Reckless Gamble in Our Electoral System , in which he condemned
1708-701: The South Pacific , for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1948; Hawaii ; The Drifters ; Centennial ; The Source ; The Fires of Spring ; Chesapeake ; Caribbean ; Caravans ; Alaska ; Texas ; Space ; Poland ; and The Bridges at Toko-ri . His non-fiction works include Iberia , about his travels in Spain and Portugal; his memoir, The World Is My Home ; and Sports in America . Return to Paradise combines fictional short stories with Michener's factual descriptions of
1769-535: The U.S. Navy. The group come under heavy fire from a Japanese plane and Cable is killed but the mission is a success and the navy gain crucial inside knowledge which allows them to move on the Japanese forces. De Becque survives the gunfire and is rescued. He returns home to find his children being looked after by Nellie and they reconcile and reunite. Following the successes of the film versions of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! (1955) and Carousel (1956),
1830-770: The United States' Electoral College system . It was published in 1969, and republished in 2014 and 2016. Michener was born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania , on February 3, 1907. He later wrote that he did not know who his biological parents were, or exactly when or where he was born. He was raised a Quaker by an adoptive mother, Mabel Michener, in Doylestown. Michener graduated from Doylestown High School in 1925. He attended Swarthmore College in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania , where he played college basketball and
1891-435: The best things I've done because campaigning in public knocks sense into a man." In 1968, Michener served as campaign manager for the U.S. Senator Joseph S. Clark of Pennsylvania, who was running for reelection to a third term. Clark ultimately lost the race to Richard Schweiker , a moderate Republican . Michener later served as Secretary for the 1967–1968 Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention. Also that year, Michener
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1952-479: The changes. However, there was no time to repair the color before the release date, since tickets to the film were pre-sold (it was a roadshow attraction). Logan wrote in his memoirs that he wished he could stand outside theaters playing the movie, wearing a sign that said, "I DIRECTED IT, AND I DON'T LIKE THE COLOR EITHER!" All of the songs from the stage production were retained for the film. A song entitled "My Girl Back Home", sung by Lt. Cable and Nellie, cut from
2013-536: The chart and was No. 1 for the whole of 1959. "Some Enchanted Evening" was ranked No. 28 on the American Film Institute 's 100 Years...100 Songs (2004). The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists: In 2003 South Pacific was voted 39th in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Musicals (just behind Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas ). In 2001, a television version of
2074-410: The fantastic island Bali Ha'i. A second unit filmed aerial views of Fijian islands while some sources claim footage of Tioman Island, off Malaysia 's south-east coast, were also featured, though this seems unlikely given the logistics involved. Location filming provided sweeping shots of tropical island scenes, as well as a new sequence not in the stage version, in which Billis, having parachuted from
2135-461: The film, including home video) learned of the print's existence, it took it to the United States to reinstate the fourteen missing minutes and attempt to restore as much of the color as possible. A two-disc DVD set of both the longer and shorter versions was released in the USA on Region 1 on November 7, 2006, and earlier in the UK on region 2 on March 20, 2006. On March 31, 2009, South Pacific became
2196-559: The final quarter of 2023 as well as in new DVD and Blu-ray anniversary editions. South Pacific earned $ 7 million in theatrical rentals in the United States and Canada from its roadshow release. It reached number one at the US box office in its eighth week of release and spent three weeks at number one. It was off number one for one week before returning for another three weeks. It spent another two weeks at number one in August 1958 for
2257-491: The first Rodgers and Hammerstein musical available on high definition Blu-ray Disc . In October 2023, Samuel Goldwyn Films , a successor to the Samuel Goldwyn Company, signed a worldwide catalog deal with Concord Originals for rights to three Rodgers and Hammerstein films including South Pacific . The company plans to release the films on video on demand and other home entertainment platforms sometime in
2318-665: The fondest memories of my travels stem back to my years of military service in the New Hebrides – (now Vanuatu ) – during the Pacific War years of the early 1940s...While those beautiful islands have changed much with progress in the ensuing years, I know from subsequent visits that the friendliness of the peoples, their infectious smiles and their open-heartedness will remain forever one of life's treasures. Opened in 1988, in Michener's hometown of Doylestown, Pennsylvania ,
2379-522: The hit Broadway musical South Pacific , which premiered on Broadway in New York City in 1949. The musical was also adapted as eponymous feature films in 1958 and 2001 . Michener tried television writing but was unsuccessful. American television producer Bob Mann wanted Michener to co-create a weekly anthology series from Tales of the South Pacific and serve as narrator. Rodgers and Hammerstein, however, had bought all dramatic rights to
2440-566: The most part eliminating the American Optical lenses, replacing these with Bausch & Lomb's then new Super Baltars, and for the most part replacing the Fearless Superfilm cameras with a new family of Mitchell cameras commissioned by Fox (BFC, "Blimped Fox Camera", a 65mm version of Mitchell's BNC, and FC, "Fox Camera", a 65mm version of Mitchell's NC). The original Todd-AO cameras continued to be employed, occasionally, as
2501-537: The novel and did not relinquish their ownership. Michener did lend his name to a different television series, Adventures in Paradise , in 1959, starring Gardner McKay as Captain Adam Troy in the sailing ship Tiki III . Michener was a popular writer during his lifetime; his novels sold an estimated 75 million copies worldwide. His novel Hawaii (1959), well-timed on its publication when Hawaii became
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2562-505: The only version of this song in the final release print of the film is a reprise sung with their father Emile. It is only on the soundtrack recording that it is first heard as a duet by just the children Ngana and Jerome themselves.) Emile is not shown in the film until about thirty minutes into it; in the film, Nellie first appears during the scene with the Seabees. Because of the switch, the show's most famous song, " Some Enchanted Evening ",
2623-435: The plantation, then proceeds to show Bloody Mary, Lieutenant Joe Cable, and the Seabees on the beach, while in the film version Lieutenant Cable is shown at the very beginning being flown by plane to the island, where the Seabees and Bloody Mary have their first musical numbers. (The first musical number in the film is "Bloody Mary", sung by the Seabees, while in the stage version it is "Dites-moi", sung by Emile's children, again
2684-526: The post-World War II time period. In 1957 it was adapted into the highly successful movie Sayonara which starred Marlon Brando , James Garner , Miiko Taka , Miyoshi Umeki and Red Buttons ; Umeki and Buttons both won the 1958 Academy Award ("Oscar") for best supporting actor / actress for their performances. In the 1960 presidential election , Michener was chairman of the Bucks County, Pennsylvania committee to elect Democrat John F. Kennedy as
2745-509: The producers decided to tackle a big-screen adaptation of South Pacific as their next project. The film was produced by "South Pacific Enterprises", a company created specifically for the production, owned by Rodgers, Hammerstein, Logan, Magna Theatre Corporation (owners of the Todd-AO widescreen process the film would be photographed in), and Leland Hayward , producer of the original stage production. 20th Century Fox partially invested in
2806-579: The production in exchange for some distribution rights. Additionally, all production departments and department heads were Fox's, and Fox's research department re-engineered the Todd-AO process, changing its frame rate from 30 fps (for 70mm presentations) to 24 fps, thereby eliminating "simufilming" in 65mm and 35mm (as in Oklahoma! ) or in 65mm 30 fps and 65mm 24 fps (as in Around the World in 80 Days ), and for
2867-498: The rocky soil that at one time the island yielded the country's largest annual crop. However, foreign competition and the hurricane of 1935 killed the industry. Today, life centers on fishing and tourism, and the island is filled with bait shops, marinas, and charter-fishing boats. Pulitzer Prize-winning author James A. Michener was in his sixties when he began traveling frequently to the Florida Keys. One result of those visits
2928-513: The same year. Sabusawa died in 1994. Michener's novel Sayonara (1954) is quasi-autobiographical. Set during the early 1950s, it tells the story of Major Lloyd Gruver, a United States Air Force ace jet pilot in the Korean War (1950–1953), now stationed in Japan , who falls in love with Hana-ogi, a Japanese woman. The novel follows their cross-cultural romance and illuminates the racism of
2989-588: The singing voice for the role of Emile de Becque in the film. John Kerr starred as 2nd Lt. Joseph Cable, USMC and his singing voice was dubbed by Bill Lee . Ken Clark , who played Stewpot, was dubbed by Thurl Ravenscroft (who sang " You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch " and was the voice of Tony the Tiger ). Gaynor and Walston were the only principal cast members whose own singing voices were used. The film opens with an orchestral overture lasting 3 minutes and 30 seconds. Magna Theatre Corporation, which originally owned
3050-460: The stories published in his breakout work Tales of the South Pacific . Michener began his writing career during World War II , when as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy he was assigned to the South Pacific as a naval historian. He later turned his notes and impressions into Tales of the South Pacific (1947), his first book, published when he was age 40. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1948, and Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted it as
3111-528: The top five of the UK Albums Chart for 27 consecutive weeks before reaching No.1 in November 1958. It stayed at the top for a record-breaking 115 weeks and remained in the top five for 214 weeks. The soundtrack album has spent more weeks at No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart than any other album, spending 115 weeks at the top in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It spent 70 consecutive weeks at the top of
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#17327985746263172-643: Was cremated , and his ashes were placed next to those of his wife at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery in Austin, Texas . Michener is honored by a memorial headstone at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. Michener left most of his estate and book copyrights to Swarthmore College , where he earned his bachelor's degree. He had donated his papers to the University of Northern Colorado , where he earned his master's degree. Many of
3233-504: Was a member of the Electoral College , serving as a Pennsylvania Democrat. He wrote about that experience in a political science text Presidential Lottery: The Reckless Gamble in Our Electoral System , which was published the following year. In it, he suggested alternate systems, including using a direct popular vote by majority for the office of President of the United States and other more creative solutions. Michener became
3294-634: Was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After graduating summa cum laude in 1929, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History, he traveled and studied in Scotland at the University of St Andrews in the medieval town of St. Andrews , Fife , on the coast of the North Sea for two years. Michener talks about hoboing, the practice of riding freight trains for free, during
3355-535: Was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations, set in particular geographic locales and incorporating detailed history. Many of his works were bestsellers and were chosen by the Book of the Month Club . He was also known for the meticulous research that went into his books. Michener's books include his first book, Tales of
3416-582: Was derived from the Spanish mata hombre is a weak one. When the term Matecumbe first appeared in use it was in a form very close to its present spelling and pronunciation. As was often the case in Florida, the name was applied interchangeably to the chief and to the tribe. This was one of the first of the Upper Keys to be permanently settled. Early homesteaders were so successful at growing pineapples in
3477-543: Was married three times. In 1935, he married Patti Koon. In 1948, they divorced, and the same year Michener married his second wife, Vange Nord. Michener met his third wife, Mari Yoriko Sabusawa , at a luncheon in Chicago . An American, she and her Japanese parents were interned in western camps that the U.S. government set up during the early years of World War II to hold ethnic Japanese from West Coast / Pacific communities . Michener divorced Nord in 1955 and married Sabusawa
3538-405: Was offered the part of Nellie, but passed; Elizabeth Taylor tested for the same role, but was rejected by Rodgers after she suffered stage fright in her audition. Logan later heard her sing but was unable to persuade Rodgers to change his mind. Ultimately, Mitzi Gaynor , who had prior work in musical films, and had tested twice for Nellie, was cast in the role. Rossano Brazzi was cast as Emile,
3599-457: Was the highest-grossing Rodgers and Hammerstein musical film until The Sound of Music was released seven years later. The soundtrack album of the film was released by RCA Victor in 1958. The album became a major success, reaching No.1 in both the US and UK. In the US, the album stayed at No.1 on the Billboard 200 for seven months, the fourth longest run ever. The album remained in
3660-538: Was the location of one of the stations of the Overseas Railroad. The name Matecumbe refers to a region of area in the Upper Keys. It is the only place name in South Florida which dates from the 16th century and still designates the same or approximate location. The name appears frequently on Spanish maps, as it did in their records. The exact meaning of the name is unknown, but the suggestion that it
3721-407: Was the novel Matecumbe . 24°54′50″N 80°38′20″W / 24.914°N 80.639°W / 24.914; -80.639 This Monroe County, Florida location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . James A. Michener James Albert Michener ( / ˈ m ɪ tʃ ə n ər / or / ˈ m ɪ tʃ n ər / ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997)
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