Tabu

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                 PARAMOUNT
                  PRESENTS

                    TABU

                  A STORY
              OF THE SOUTH SEAS


COPYRIGHTED MCMXXXI by PARAMOUNT PUBLIX CORPORATION
               ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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   TOLD BY
 F. W. MURNAU
R. J. FLAHERTY

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  DIRECTED 
     BY
F. W. MURNAU

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         PHOTOGRAPHED BY
           FLOYD CROSBY

         MUSICAL SETTING BY
          HUGO REISENFELD

           RECORDED ON
         R.C.A. PHOTOPHONE

          MURNAU-FLAHERTY
            PRODUCTION

PASSED BY THE NATIONAL BOARD OF REVIEW

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 ONLY NATIVE-BORN
SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS
APPEAR IN THIS PICTURE
WITH A FEW HALF-CASTES
   AND CHINESE.

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          CAST
THE BOY ......... MATAHI
THE GIRL .......... RERI
THE POLICEMAN ..... JEAN
THE OLD WARRIOR ... HITU

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FIRST CHAPTER

  PARADISE

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A LAND OF ENCHANTMENT
REMOTE IN THE SOUTH SEAS
THE ISLAND OF BORA-BORA 
STILL UNTOUCHED BY THE HAND 
   OF CIVILIZATION

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GREETING 
FROM THE CHIEF 
OF FANUMA
LORD OF ALL 
THE ISLANDS
TO THE CHIEF 
OF BORA BORA

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UPON YOU 
AND YOUR PEOPLE  
I CONFER 
THE HIGHEST HONOR
KNOWN TO OUR ISLANDS

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THE MAIDEN 
SACRED TO OUR GODS
HAS PASSED AWAY 
AND I DECREE
THAT FROM YOUR ISLAND
SHALL COME 
HER SUCCESSOR

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ONE I HAVE CHOSEN 
FOR HER BEAUTY
FOR HER VIRTUE 
FOR HER ROYAL BLOOD
SHE WHO IS NAMED 
RERI

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NO LAW OF THE GODS 
IS MORE TO BE FEARED
THAN THAT WHICH GUARDS 
THE CHOSEN ONE
MAN MUST NOT TOUCH HER
OR CAST UPON HER 
THE EYE OF DESIRE
FOR IN HER HONOR
RESTS THE HONOR 
OF ALL HER PEOPLE

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SACRED IS RERI 
FROM THIS TIME FORTH
SHE IS 
TABU
TO BREAK THIS TABU 
MEANS DEATH

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HITU 
WORTHIEST OF MY SUBJECTS
BEARS THIS MESSAGE
AND WILL BRING 
THE MAID TO ME
FOR HER SAFETY
HE WILL ANSWER 
WITH HIS LIFE

16 [handwritten letter]
19h.

 The whole island 
is still in an 
uproar.
 The girl Reri 
has been stolen.

17 [handwritten letter]
Whatever has happened, 
according to their law
she is still the "Chosen One."
Unless she is returned
the Tabu means death.
She will be hunted down 
and sacrificed,
Matahi will be killed 
old Hitu himself will die.

18 [handwritten letter]
I shall not leave 
until I learn
what the island 
is going to do.

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NO LAW OF THE GODS 
IS MORE TO BE FEARED
THAN THAT WHICH GUARDS 
THE CHOSEN MAID
MAN MUST NOT TOUCH HER
OR CAST UPON HER 
THE EYE OF DESIRE
TO BREAK THIS TABU 
MEANS DEATH

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SECOND CHAPTER

PARADISE LOST

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FLEEING THE VENGEANCE 
OF THE TABU
THE GUILTY LOVERS 
FOUGHT THEIR WAY
OVER LEAGUES OF OPEN SEA
SEEKING SOME ISLAND 
OF THE PEARL TRADE
WHERE THE WHITE MAN RULES
AND THE OLD GODS ARE FORGOTTEN

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IN THEIR FRAIL CANOE 
THROUGH STORMS
UNDER A BURNING SKY 
THIRST-CRAZED AND STARVING
ALWAYS DRIVEN ON 
BY FEAR - -
FEAR OF THE AVENGING 
TABU.

23 [handwritten]
The couple 
found in their 
wrecked canoe,
as already 
reported, recovered 
quickly.

24 [handwritten]
The boy, it 
develops, is a
born diver,
the best we 
have ever had 
on the island

25 [handwritten]
But it seems 
only play to him.
 He evidently 
does not yet 
realize what 
money means.

26 [handwritten]
But the girl 
was stolen
before the ship 
left Bora-Bora

27 [handwritten]
As the Government 
desires above all things
to avoid conflict between 
the islands under its rule,
it demands the arrest
of this man and woman 
wherever found.

28 [handwritten]
 For their arrest, the 
Government offers a reward 
of Five Hundred Francs.

          Et. Cadoustal.

29 [handwritten]
 A most unfortunate 
accident happened today 
on the Lagoon.
 It occured while 
most of the people 
were ashore
at one of their 
native feasts.

30 [handwritten]
 There is a spot 
in the lagoon, 
the richest in pearl beds 
of any in the South Seas.
But this spot is Tabu. 
Natives shun it.
Today, one of our 
old divers defying 
the superstition.

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 An enormous 
man-eating shark 
guards these pearls, 
the native believe...
 Today's tragedy 
proves this is
no superstition: 
the shark is there

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 I trust I have 
the Government's 
approval in 
putting up a 
sign forbidding
further diving 
in this place.

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          TABU
THREE DAYS I GIVE YOU
YOU RETURN WITH ME 
OR MATAHI DIES
  THREE DAYS
     HITU

34 [sign]
SHIPS AGENT
 ________
TICKETS SOLD 
   TO ALL 
ISLAND PORTS
 _______
The schooner 
   Hinano 
is due June 24h 
bound for Papeete.

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SCHOONER HINANO ARRIVES 
IN TWO DAYS (JUNE 24th)
AND LEAVES FOR PAPEETE 
THE FOLLOWING MORNING
PRICE OF TWO TICKETS
   Fcs. 130.00

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MATAHI OWES 
KONG AH 
BILL RENDERED
(WINES, CHAMPAGNE, Etc.
SERVED VILLAGERS AT 
FEAST) FRANCS 3200

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MATAHI OWES 
KONG AH 
BILL RENDERED
(WINES, CHAMPAGNE, Etc.
SERVED VILLAGERS AT 
FEAST) FRANCS 3200
  Cash on a/c  165
             _____
      Francs. 3035

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TO MATAHI
MY LOVE

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I MUST GO 
HITU IS HERE 
AND WAITS FOR ME
YOU WILL DIE 
IF I DO NOT OBEY
I WILL GO SO THAT 
YOU MAY LIVE
THE TABU IS UPON US

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I HAVE BEEN 
SO HAPPY WITH YOU 
FAR MORE
THAN I DESERVED 
THE LOVE YOU HAVE 
GIVEN ME
I WILL KEEP 
TO THE LAST BEAT 
OF MY HEART

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ACROSS 
THE GREAT WATERS 
I WILL COME TO YOU
IN YOUR DREAMS 
WHEN THE MOON 
SPREADS ITS PATH 
ON THE SEA 
FAREWELL

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TABU

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THE END