{"id":49214,"date":"2020-06-29T22:37:04","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T05:37:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=49214"},"modified":"2021-01-23T01:16:44","modified_gmt":"2021-01-23T08:16:44","slug":"sun-never-sets-the-1939","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=49214","title":{"rendered":"Sun Never Sets, The (1939)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;There are troublesome things taking place in different parts of the empire today that we don&#8217;t like &#8212; and don&#8217;t quite understand.&#8221; <\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Poster-158x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"158\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-49216\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Poster-158x300.jpg 158w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Poster-538x1024.jpg 538w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Poster-67x128.jpg 67w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Poster.jpg 630w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 158px) 100vw, 158px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA man (Basil Rathbone) serving in the British colony of the Gold Coast returns home with his wife (Barbara O&#8217;Neil), hoping to stay in England &#8212; but when his tradition-bound grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) sends his younger brother (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) back to investigate an ant scientist (Lionel Atwill) who may be responsible for mysterious radio signals, Rathbone and pregnant O&#8217;Neil follow along to ensure his safety; meanwhile, Fairbanks, Jr.&#8217;s girlfriend (Virginia Field) is determined to stick by his side through even the hardest of times.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Africa<\/li>\n<li>Basil Rathbone Films<\/li>\n<li>Cecil Kellaway Films<\/li>\n<li>Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Films<\/li>\n<li>Lionel Atwill Films<\/li>\n<li>World Domination<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis explicitly pro-Colonial &#8220;tribute&#8221; flick opens with a dedication to &#8220;the countless millions bred in the British Isles who, through the past four centuries, have gone forth to the far corners of the earth to find new countries, to establish laws and the ethics of government, who have kept high the standards of civilization&#8221; &#8212; then shifts to a slide describing the Gold Coast of Africa as &#8220;&#8211; heat &#8212; humidity &#8212; fever &#8212; known for years as &#8216;the white man&#8217;s grave&#8217;.&#8221; <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Gold-Coast.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Gold-Coast.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"512\" height=\"384\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-55292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Gold-Coast.png 512w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Gold-Coast-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Gold-Coast-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Gold-Coast-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>This condescending tone is maintained throughout, with Smith&#8217;s familial brood showcased as noble and heroic martyrs to the &#8220;cause&#8221; of colonialism. Just as troublesome is the inexplicable central subplot involving Atwill, ants, radio signals, and dastardly intentions &#8212; what in the world is this all about? <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-1024x641.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"401\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55293\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-1024x641.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-300x188.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-128x80.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-768x481.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-1536x962.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2-431x270.png 431w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Atwill2.png 1611w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>It seems we&#8217;re meant to view Atwill as a generic baddie stirring up foment in dominated peoples on behalf of his own hunger for power; was this merely a panicked plea from those who saw the writing of World War II and a post-colonial future on the wall? And what in the world do <em>ants<\/em> have to do with all of this, anyway? We are primed to cheer for Fairbanks, Jr. as he makes restitution for an unintentionally lethal error in his work, but to what end? This film is a bit of a muddled mess, and hasn&#8217;t aged well at all. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Basil Rathbone in an atypically sympathetic role<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-1024x654.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"409\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-55295\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-1024x654.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-300x191.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-128x82.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-768x490.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-1536x980.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2-423x270.png 423w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Sun-Never-Sets-Rathbone2.png 1609w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNope; feel free to skip this one. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0022448\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1939\/06\/09\/archives\/the-screen-a-wildeyed-story-of-empire-is-the-sun-never-sets-at.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvguide.com\/movies\/the-sun-never-sets\/review\/119395\/\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;There are troublesome things taking place in different parts of the empire today that we don&#8217;t like &#8212; and don&#8217;t quite understand.&#8221; Synopsis: A man (Basil Rathbone) serving in the British colony of the Gold Coast returns home with his wife (Barbara O&#8217;Neil), hoping to stay in England &#8212; but when his tradition-bound grandfather (C. Aubrey Smith) sends his younger brother (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) back to investigate an ant scientist (Lionel Atwill) who may be responsible for mysterious radio signals,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=49214\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49214","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49214","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=49214"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49214\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65305,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49214\/revisions\/65305"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=49214"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=49214"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=49214"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}