- Konia Markham, the daughter of an American father and a Hawaiian mother, is told by a sorceress that the man who presents her with a perfect white flower will be her true love. When Bob Rutherford offers a gardenia to Konia at a banquet, rejected suitor David Panuahi becomes even more jealous and persuades Konia to have the kahuna put a death curse on Bob's fiancee, Ethel Granville. Bob's devotion to a failing Ethel softens Konia, however, and she has the curse removed. She is about to jump into a volcano when Bob, now released by Ethel from their engagement, finds her and declares his love.—Pamela Short
- Pele, the Goddess of Destruction, presides over Kilauea, the world's greatest volcano. When the native people make their sacrifices to her, Pele is appeased and rises from the flaming crater. She gathers up molten lava, molds it into a talisman, and throws it to the King who stands with his daughter among the worshipers. Pele tells him that the talisman shall have power to be used once every generation for five generations, and at the end of that time, it must be returned to her.
In present day Hawaii, Konia Markham lives with her American father and Hawaiian mother. Konia listens to the prophecies of an old sorceress, whom she has asked to tell her future. She learns that the man she will someday marry will come with a white flower which he will offer her and which she will accept. Unknown to Konia, this prophecy has not been preordained by fate, but by the bribery of wealthy David Panuahi, whose efforts to woo Konia have so far proven unsuccessful. The Markhams give a luau, and Bob Rutherford, successor to the pineapple king of the island, sees Konia dancing and is infatuated. As she finishes, he takes a white gardenia from his buttonhole and presents it to Konia. Recalling the words of the sorceress, Konia accepts the flower, while David, in the background, becomes furious. Konia begins to spend more time with Bob. At one point, Konia saves Bob from drowning in the surf. David seeks out the sorceress, and demands to know where he can find a kahuna with the power to pray a white person to death. A ship docks, carrying Ethel Granville, Bob's fiancée. Bob greets her, but Ethel fails to notice his lack of interest. Konia, awaiting a call from Bob, is disappointed when David arrives and tells her he has seen Bob with Ethel. Konia is furious, and orders David out of her house; but he suggests that she have Ethel kahunaed. Konia considers this, and decides that Ethel must be sacrificed. The kahuna sends a letter to Ethel that the first evidence of his power will be the loss of her voice. That night Ethel has a nightmare. She attempts to call her aunt and uncle in the adjoining room and finds she has lost her voice. David awaits Ethel's death so that he can blame Konia for the crime. Konia has a change of heart, and goes to the kahuna, asking him to lift the curse on Ethel. But the kahuna paddles over the water, to scatter the ashes of Ethel's hair over the waves, thereby completing the curse. Konia paddles after him. When he tries to escape, Konia upsets his canoe and recovers the box containing the ashes. Konia goes to Ethel and tells her the curse is broken. Ethel recovers her voice, tells Bob she does not love him, and leaves the island. Bob learns from Konia's father that she is headed to the volcano to return the talisman to Pele. Bob rushes after her, and comes upon her lying on the edge of the crater. He takes her in his arms and tells her he loves her.
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content