Editing Donovan's Reef (section)

==Production==
The film was based on original material for Paramount prepared by [[James Michener]] (although Michener is not credited in the final film).<ref>Nick Adams Will Film 'Naked Lover': Busy Star Also in TV Series; Pair to 'Shoot' Vegas Shows
Scott, John L. Los Angeles Times (July 9, 1962: C11.</ref> In February 1962 Paramount announced that John Wayne and John Ford would make the film, then called ''South Sea Story'', from a script by James Edward Grant. [[Martin Rackin]] helped put together the deal at Paramount.<ref>Looking at Hollywood: Base South Sea Film on Michener Work
Hopper, Hedda. Chicago Daily Tribune February 21, 1962: b4.</ref>

Ford called it "a spoof picture – a whammy, crazy sort of thing. We're not going for any prizes."<ref>VIEW FROM A LOCAL VANTAGE POINT: Traditional Heirs
By EUGENE ARCHER. New York Times July 14, 1963: 69.</ref>

While ''Donovan's Reef'' is set on the fictional island of Haleakaloha, which has a French governor, the only Polynesian language exhibited in the film is Hawaiian; "Haleakaloha" can be translated as "Home of Laughter and Love" (''hale'' = home, ''aka'' = laugh, ''aloha'' = love). In fact, in the southern Polynesian dialect spoken in French Polynesia, the words are spelled with a T, where Hawaiian uses a K.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}  The music is also Hawaiian, with its characteristic [[Lap steel guitar|Hawaiian guitar]].

Filming started in July 1962 on [[Kauai]], [[Hawaii]],<ref>Entertainment: New Novel Bought for Warner Film
Los Angeles Times July 17, 1962: C5.</ref> but Ford's health had deteriorated to the point that Wayne wound up directing most of the film himself.

The home of the French island governor, the white beach house with coconut palms and surrounding grass lawn, is the [[Allerton Garden|Allerton Estate]] home and former summer residence of [[Queen Emma of Hawaii|Hawaiian Queen Emma]] near [[Poipu Beach Park|Poipu Beach]], now a part of the [[National Tropical Botanical Garden]] (without the scenes of boats and canoes on the [[Wailua River]], which were edited and merged with scenes filmed at the Allerton Estate).

The unit then returned to Hollywood to finish scenes at Paramount studios.

The song '[[Pearly Shells]]" was used as the movie's opening theme and again in later scenes.