Warner bros

In 1954, Warner Brothers Pictures, Inc. premiered their movie, His Majesty O'Keefe, in Savannah, Georgia. The movie is based on the life of Daniel Dean O'Keefe (1832-1901). Born in Middletown, Ireland, O'Keefe moved to Savannah in 1856. In 1869, he married Catherine M. Masters (d. ca. 1928). He left Savannah in 1872 as a mate on a ship bound for China. The ship was wrecked in a typhoon, but O'Keefe survived, washing ashore Yap Island in Micronesia. He established himself as a business man on the island, becoming the primary trader of "copra" (the dried meat of a coconut) in exchange for "rai," large stone wheels cut from limestone on the island of Palau. While on the island, O'Keefe purportedly married the king's daughter and became known as "His Majesty O'Keefe." He was lost at sea during a typhoon in 1901 while on a return trip from Hong Kong. He was survived by his Yapese wife and children, as well as his wife and daughter in Savannah. In 1950, a fictionalized biography, His majesty O'Keefe, by Lawrence Klingman and Gerald Green, was published by Charles Scribner's Sons. The subsequent movie starred Burt Lancaster and Joan Rice.

From the description of His Majesty O'Keefe records, 1954. (Georgia Historical Society). WorldCat record id: 123765576

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