| Director | Guy Green |
|---|---|
| Genre | drama film, romance film |
| Runtime | 107 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $4.5 million |
Richard "King" Howland is a swaggering land baron living on the Big Island of Hawaii. He objects when his sister, Sloane Howland, announces she plans to marry Paul Kahana, a native Hawaiian, though Richard is having a torrid affair with an Asian woman, Mai Chen. During Sloane and Paul's engagement party, Mai Chen's brother attacks Richard with a knife. Paul tries to break up the fight and is killed. Bitter at her brother for Paul's death, Sloane runs off to Honolulu, where she is taken in by Paul's brother, Dean, and his family.
Meanwhile, Mai Chen gives birth to Richard's child, but dies during childbirth. Richard refuses to accept the child, so Sloane takes it upon herself to care for the baby. After an angry fight with Sloane and Dean, Richard is confronted with a personal dilemma—whether to continue on with his close-minded ways or to welcome his newborn son into his family.
Although the story is based on the novel by Peter Gilman, the screenplay by Marguerite Roberts makes several significant changes in Gilman's story. Several characters are eliminated, including Richard's father, Richard's wife, and his hapa haole (half-Hawaiian/half white) half-brother. Roberts also changed the ending of the story.