The Devil's Playground (1928 film)

In the South Seas, a beautiful island is home to cannibalistic natives and corrupt whites. Bull Morgan, who owns a liquor store, lusts over the white girl, Naneena. Naneena falls in love with visiting airman, Dick Barrington, and they decide to marry. Dick leaves, promising to return in his yacht. Soon after, Naneena is discovered unconscious on the beach, suffering amnesia. At the same time, her brother Bobby disappears.

The native chief, Trelua, leaves a rising against the corrupt whites. Bull Morgan forces Naneena to marry him. Her memory comes back and she recalls how she witnessed Morgan murdering her brother.

Dick arrives on his boat but is attacked by natives. A British cruiser hears his distress signal and comes to the rescue. Trelua kills Morgan and the native rebellion is suppressed.

• John R. Allen as Martin Herle
• Elza Stenning as Naneena
• Petrie Potter as Bull Morgan
• Terry Short as the mate
• John Haddock as Dick Barrington
• Richard Alrich as Reverend Andrew Fullerton
• Dick Fletcher as Lillian Fullerton
• Cyril Callaghan as Chief Trelua
• Edna Crofts as Trelua's wife
• Stanley Murdoch as Bobby
• Vera Campbell as South Coast Sal

The film was made by a largely amateur group who formed a company, Fineart Film, in 1927 with a capital of £2,000.[2]

Their first production was the Pacific island adventure, Trobriana, which was never released. Scenes were shot on beaches near Sydney and interiors in the Mosman Town Hall. Natives were played by Sydney life guards in black face.[1]

It was known during filming as Pearl of the Pacific.[3]

Cast member Elza Stenning later became well known as Sydney socialite Elsa Jacoby.

The film sold to Universal Pictures in England. However, the censor prevented its export. According to the Sydney Morning Herald at the time,

"The Commonwealth censorship regulations specify the following heads under which a film may be condemned:

(a) Blasphemy, indecency, or obscenity; (b) likely to be injurious to morality, or to encourage or incite to crime; (c) likely to be offensive to the people of any friendly nation; (d) likely to be offensive to the people of the British Empire; (e) depiction of any matter the exhibition of which is undesirable in the public interest, or likely to prove detrimental or prejudicial to the Commonwealth. According to the Chief Censor, "The Devil's Playground" violates four out of the five stipulations, namely (a), (b), (d), and (e).[4]

More specifically, relating to (e), the Controller General of Custmos O'Reilly thought that showing ill-treatment of natives by Australians or a native revolt in Australian territory (the Trobriand Islands) would be detrimental to Australia's reputation.[5] Not released in Australia, the film "had no more than trade screenings at the time of its production and was not shown publicly until 1966[6]".

• The Devil's Playground on IMDb
• The Devil's Playground at National Film and Sound Archive