East of Borneo

East of Borneo (1931) is an American Pre-Code adventure film directed by George Melford, co-written by Edwin H. Knopf and Dale Van Every, starring Rose Hobart, Charles Bickford, Georges Renavent, Lupita Tovar, and Noble Johnson, and released by Universal Studios.

In 1936, artist Joseph Cornell edited this feature film into his short experimental film Rose Hobart which runs about 19 minutes.

Plot

Linda Randolph (Hobart) looks for her husband on the island of Marado just east of Borneo. Although Linda is warned that Marado's jungles are “entirely too dangerous” for a woman, she persists through dangerous raft rides and wild crocodiles. She discovers that her husband is now the personal physician to the island’s enigmatic prince. The prince lusts for Linda, and a love triangle ensues.

Production

The film was shot largely at Universal Studios. Despite being essentially a b-picture, East of Borneo featured elaborate sets. Props and set dressing used in the film were reportedly valued at $100,000; this figure includes a large $25,000 Buddha statue, a very rare small white Buddha and a long mother-of-pearl inlaid bench, silver dinner utensils and Oriental rugs and drapery.^[1]

References

External links

• East of Borneo at the Internet Movie Database
• East of Borneo at NY Times (September 26, 1931)
• East of Borneo website with synopsis and poster