Waikiki Wedding (1937)

A young girl (Shirley Ross) wins a contest sponsored by a pineapple company for three weeks in Hawaii. But she finds Hawaii disappointing so she wants to go back home. The pineapple company puts their top publicist (Bing Crosby) on the case and in spite of an awkward meeting, they fall in love. Directed by Frank Tuttle (THIS GUN FOR HIRE). It's an anemic musical that exploits its exotic (for 1937) landscapes in the hope that it will compensate for its lack of originality. I'm immune to whatever appeal Bing Crosby had that made him a star and Shirley Ross proves a bland leading lady. This leaves the second bananas, Martha Raye and Bob Burns and a scene stealing pet pig, to provide some adequate amusement. The film's attitude toward the native Hawaiians seems more 1837 than 1937. For Crosby fans only. The film won an Oscar for best original song, Sweet Leilani. With Anthony Quinn, Leif Erickson and Grady Sutton.