John Huston Thursdays: ‘Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison’

Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison is Huston’s foray into the wonderful of what we happily refer to as “Nuncore.” Well, maybe not too explicit, but there is some latent sexual tension pervading the film.

Rusty-voiced Hollywood badboy Robert Mitchum plays the titular Mr. Allison, a U.S. marine stranded on a small island in the South Pacific, which happens to be populated solely by the comely and angelic Sister Angela (Deborah Kerr). Allison and Angela bond on a fishing excursion to catch a sea turtle and life goes about as usual on the island until some Japanese land and make an impromptu camp.

The two set up camp in a cave before Allison runs some recon but gets stuck in one of the shelters when two Japanese soldiers decide to take their break and play a game of Othello and a few rounds of sake.

Allison returns the next morning and Angela makes him promise never to worry her like that again. One day the Japanese mysteriously leave the island—and their provisions—behind. One thing leads to another and eventually Allison discovers that Angela has not yet taken her final nun vows. He tries to convince her to marry hi, but she resists, prompting Allison to break open the sake and in a drunken rant chase off Angela, who spends the night in the cold, catching a bout of pneumonia.