 It was based on a short story, "Mr. Morgan", by James Michener in his 1951 short story collection "Return to Paradise", his sequel to his 1947 novel "Tales of the South Pacific".It was filmed on location in Matautu, Western Samoa (present-day Samoa).During the 1920s, itinerant American beachcomber Mr. Morgan (Gary Cooper) is deposited on the island of Matareva in the South Pacific.