Four films of early exploration introduced from the Royal Geographical Society by Duncan Carse. 2: Pearls and Savages (1921)
This film (some of the first ever to be shot in the South Seas) is the story of an early expedition to 'the vast mystery island of Papua, inhabited by savages, largely untrodden by white men'. The commentary demonstrates well the flavour of the period. The expedition filmed pearl divers in action and the arrival of the first sea-planes ever to be seen in Papua. They witnessed spectacular dance ceremonies, grotesquely-masked witch doctors and finally, pressing ever deeper into 'the lawless realms of cannibalism', they discovered a real bonanza. Stuffed human heads! Narrator Bruce Barry
Another archive winner (DAILY MAIL)
Film editor KEN BERRY
Producer RICHARD ROBINSON