Watch Diamond Head For Free

Just perfect...

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Columbia Pictures retained the services of expert director Guy Green who had directed a beautiful movie at MGM Light In The Piazza and cast the leading lady of that film Yvette Mimieux on a loan out from her studio MGM as the above the title star of Diamond Head. Co starring in this romantic film set in Hawaii is rugged Charlton Heston and George Chakiris -who won an Oscar for West Side Story -as the romantic interest for Ms. Mimieux. Not sure what is more beautiful the scenery of Hawaii or Yvette Mimieux. Columbia also cast James Darren a Columbia pictures contract star in the film as well. I enjoyed this escapist and beautifully filmed movie. Btw Ms. Mimieux would return to MGM for a few more movies including her hit Joy In The Morning co starring with Richard Chamberlain and then retired.

When Richard "King" Howland (Charlton Heston), a rich plantation owner, widower, and possible political candidate in Hawaii circa 1959, nicknamed "King" for the way he tries to control everything in his life, finds out that his younger sister Sloane (Yvette) intends to marry a local Hawaiian boy Paul (James Darren), even though she's long been pining for his racially mixed doctor brother Dean (George Chakiris of West Side Story fame), his seemingly almost ideal life comes crashing down around him when his stubborn, hypocritical racism leads to a series of misfortunes. Though he never thought much of intermingling "the races" before, even having a Hawaiian mistress himself, who is now pregnant with his child, the idea of his sister marrying one and having interracial children appalls him. After Paul dies in a fight that smears King's name and ruins his career, he continues to having falling outs with his sister in law Laura (Elizabeth Allen), who of course had feelings for him all along but could never reach him, his sister, and his mistress. Even as he begins to realize that his stubborn ways are destroying all that he holds dear he can't seem to let go. After his mistress dies giving birth to his son, Dean comes to finally make it clear that he and Sloane will be together regardless of whether or not big brother approves, King lashes out at both of them and rides off, blinded by anger and unable to think. Finally at the end of a long ride, King seems to have a moral awakening, then returns home to find Sloane & Dean gone with his son, he gets his closest servant to come with him as he drives out to reclaim his son.Competently made drama about the futility of hatred and racism, generally well acted all around. Heston gives an overlooked yet interesting performance as a man who, as his mistress puts it, is determined to not to let himself be happy.

From the beginning of the film when manly Chuck Heston majestically rides his horse through the sprawling pineapple fields, to the triumphant swelling of a young John Williams' score, the viewer knows that this movie is BIG.Well, it is big in the sense that it's one of those big soap operas that were popular in the mid-50's to the mid-60's, trademarks of producer Ross Hunter (not the maker of this one, though).The plot is rather simple: plantation owner (Heston) has a little sister (Yvette Mimieux) that's carrying on with a native boy (James Darren), much to the displeasure of Heston, who himself is having a fling with a native girl (France Nuyen, looking appealing as ever). Thus, all things come out in the open, though tragically, and the hypocritical Heston finds himself a wealthy man, abandoned and alone.

Charlton Heston does a great job of acting by becoming the opposite of what he is in real life. His sister comes home from college only to tell him that she is in love with a Hawaiian native (James Darren) to which he is opposed because of his race. Little does anyone know that "King" (Heston) is seeing a Hawaiian woman himself who carries a secret. The story moves well and does not lag or leave you confused. There are also some great supporting roles played out. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that this is a great movie to watch for the first time and also a great addition to your film collection.