A lavish costume drama, Victor Saville’s Green Dolphin Street is set in 1840, on an island off the coast of Newfoundland.
The big-budgeted melodrama, based on the bestseller by Elizabeth Goudge, tells the story of two sisters, blonde Marguerite Patourel (Donna Reed) and brunette Marianne Patourel (Lana Turner), daughters of the wealthy Octavius Patourel (Edmund Gwenn), who meet and fall for New Zealander William Ozone (Richard Hart).
To get William away from her sister, the conniving Marianne encourages him to enlist in H.R.H.’s Navy, whereby he’ll be shipped off to China. But William misses the boat and becomes a fugitive.
Later, he and friend Timothy Haslam (Van Heflin) go to New Zealand, where they found a lumber business. One night the drunken William writes to the sister he loves, proposing marriage, but he uses the other sister’s name by mistake.
Marianne, believing he meant to write to her, decides to set off for New Zealand. Meanwhile, Timothy secretly pines for Marguerite.
Oscar Nminations: 4
Special Effects: A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcomber, visual; Douglas Shearer, Michael Steinore, audible.
Cinematography (b/w): George Folsey
Sound Recording: Douglas Shearer
Film Editing: George White
Oscar Awards: 1
Special Effects
Running time: 161 Minutes.
