Until They Sail (1957)

Interesting facts

• Based on: Return to Paradise

Until They Sail is a 1957 American black-and-white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise and starring Jean Simmons, Joan Fontaine, Paul Newman, Piper Laurie and Sandra Dee. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by James A. Michener included in his 1951 anthology Return to Paradise, focuses on four New Zealand sisters and their relationships with U.S. Marines during World War II.

Production

Robert Wise and Mark Robson had originally purchased the rights for Michener's story when they were at RKO. Casting problems forced them to delay the filming when the rights went to Hecht-Hill-Lancaster Productions who were going to cast Burt Lancaster. When the company made The Kentuckian instead, MGM acquired the rights, first intending their contract lead Glenn Ford playing the lead Marine.

Wise visited New Zealand to familiarise himself with the nation and the people. Location filming took place in Christchurch and Wellington in February 1957, but most of the movie was shot on the MGM back lot.

Wise originally intended to shoot the film in colour.

It was Sandra Dee's first film. (The 1957 Soviet animated feature The Snow Queen is often listed as Dee's first film credit, because she and other Hollywood stars did the voices for the English-language version, but that English-language audio was not actually made until 1959.)

Stewart Granger was once announced for the lead.

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