MovieChat Forums > Tabu: A Story of the South Seas (1931) Discussion > A Murnau or Flaherty film?

A Murnau or Flaherty film?

posted 17 years ago by thao
3 replies | jump to latest

It says here on IMDb that the film is directed by Robert J. Flaherty and F.W. Murnau. But the fact is that Flaherty did not co-direct the film, according to everything I have read about the film. The original plan was that Murnau and Flaherty would direct it together but Murnau took over the project quite early on. Flaherty didn't even see the film before Murnau had edited it and he is not even listed as a director in the credits of the film!

So this is not a Flaherty film at all.

- This comment is most likely authentic and fairly close to what I intended to say -

[–] thao 17 years ago

I see that Flaherty is not listed anymore as a director. Good to see that hey have corrected this. I'm however going to let this message stand in case someone thinks that Flaherty was a co director and should be listed as such.

- This comment is most likely authentic and fairly close to what I intended to say -

[–] nsps-1 16 years ago

While I agree that the film is indeed Murnau's, Flaherty deserves credit for conceiving the working process with Murnau, but more along the lines of a producer than a director. Also, I believe he was involved in the camerawork before Floyd Crosby took over.

[–] gnolti 15 years ago

The only reason Flaherty would have even been approached to do this was because of Moana. Fortunately, Flaherty never tried the same trick twice. ONE Arctic film. ONE Polynesian film. ONE Irish film. ONE Louisiana film. And so on.

In the 30s Hollywood believed in typecasting directors. Flaherty was having none of it.

That said, Tabu is classic Murnau. Nobody could have done it the way he did.

There, daddy, do I get a gold star?