[1] After the stock market crash of 1929, the Colt-Stratton family is forced to rent their yacht to the nouveau riche at the behest of Nella Fitzgerald (Polly Moran), including gambler Barry Forbes (Sidney Blackmer) and his sidekick Freddy Finn (Sterling Holloway).
When Freddy rigs the yacht's roulette wheel to respond to his saxophone, he is caught, but moments later, Captain "Sunny Jim" Roberts (Ned Sparks) runs the yacht aground on the South Sea Island of Malakamokolu, ruled by Queen Malakamokalu (Mary Boland), a White woman, who takes the passengers as forced labor.
Two separate units were used to speed the production, one directed by producer Lou Brock and the other by director Paul Sloane.
Sam White was hired to direct retakes, supervised by Brock, which involved re-shooting a quarter of the film.
[2] The New York Times review of the film called the movie "a sorry melange of Hollywood native dancing, theme-song singing and preposterous comedy.