1964 film
The 7th Dawn is a 1964 Technicolor drama film starring William Holden, Capucine and Tetsuro Tamba. The film set in the Malayan Emergency was based on the 1960 novel The Durian Tree by Michael Keon and filmed on location in Malaysia.
Plot
Three friends who fought the Japanese in Malaya during World War II end up on opposing sides in the Communist insurgency following the war. Ferris (William Holden) becomes a prosperous rubber plantation owner, while his mistress Dhana (Capucine) is now head of a schoolteacher's union. The third former guerrilla, Ng (Tetsuro Tamba), goes to Moscow to obtain an education. When he returns, an even more committed revolutionary than during the war, Dhana is torn between the two.
Ferris, whose friendship with Ng makes him and his holdings immune from attack, tries to steer clear of the conflict, but is inexorably drawn in when Dhana is arrested and sentenced to death for carrying explosives for the insurgents. As an additional complication, Candace Trumpey (Susannah York), the daughter of the British Resident whom Ferris had met at the end of the war, is infatuated with the worldly Ferris. The naive Candace offers herself as a hostage and falls into Ng's hands; he threatens to kill her if the sentence on Dhana is carried out. Ferris offers to flush Ng out in exchange for Dhana's life, but is given only seven days to do so.
Production
The Durian Tree was published in 1960. It was written by Australian journalist Michael Keon and the lead character Ferris was an Australian. The New York Times called it "a serious and ambitious novel" but said Keon was "a good reporter but a poor novelist."[1] The Los Angeles Times called it "suspenseful, provocative, ultimately illuminating."[2]
Film rights were bought by Charles K. Feldman.
There was a nude scene in the script to be performed by Susannah York's character. York did not want to do it, however on location the filmmakers insisted she do it. She did one take and her stand in did one take. Photos taken of York filming the scene were later published in Playboy magazine. "Someone had a long distance camera," York explained. "I'd just like to forget about it. It's an unfortunate business."[3]
Reception
The film was described as a "bomb".[4]
Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by Riz Ortolani. The theme song The Seventh Dawn was sung by The Lettermen on the movie soundtrack. Their version can be reviewed on YouTube.[5] Sergio Franchi recorded the song on a 1964 single - RCA 47-8409[6] and Roland Shaw provided an instrumental cover version.
