Legong: Dance of the Virgins was one of the last feature films shot using the two-color Technicolor process. Directed and produced by Henry de la Falaise, it was filmed entirely on location in Bali in 1933 using an all Balinese cast. The cameraman was three time Academy Award winner color specialist William H. Greene who also photographed the 2-color scenes in Ben-Hur (1925).

Original release

The film opened in New York on October 1 1935. Reaction from the New York critics was positive; “exquisitely beautiful” from one, “Moments that touch the heart” from another, and “flaming splendor” from a third. Ten weeks later Film Daily reported that Legong was still playing in New York. Part of the appeal may have been the bare breasted young actresses that appear throughout the film. Legong was successful enough that it was re-released several times. At one time advertisements promoted the film in large letters as “NUDITY WITHOUT CRUDITY: A FILM FOR ALL AUDIENCES!” “Bali … a garden of Eden with dozens of ‘Eves’! See the strange dance of Rongda, the Witch! Romance in the South Seas! Mass Cremation ceremonies!”

While nudity may have been part of the films appeal, it also received recognition at the time of its release for embodying "many details of anthropological interest, giving a record, in particular, of betrothal custom, traditional dances and mortuary rites." This is only partially true. The script writers, while basing the story on Balinese culture, gave it a decidedly Hollywood treatment. Despite its shortcomings, the film gives an unparalleled view of life in Bali in the 1930s.

In the course of the story there are several authentic performances of Balinese dance . One of these dances is "Legong ", from which the film gets its name. While the film shows the traditional gamelan accompanying the dancers, there is no gamelan music in original soundtrack.

Restoration

The film was restored by UCLA Film & Television Archive and released on DVD in 2004. Legong was reconstructed using three surviving nitrate two-color Technicolor prints from the United States and Britain. Scenes of nudity had been trimmed for the U.S. release, whereas shots of cockfighting had been removed from the British prints. The DVD release includes an alternative soundtrack composed by Richard Mariott and I Made Subandi and performed by Gamelan Sekar Jaya and Club Foot Orchestra . The new score mixes Balinese and Western musical traditions.