Editing Wake Island (film) (section)

==Production==
The film was based on official Marine records. A copy of the script by W. R. Burnett and Frank Butler was sent to the Marine Corps for approval prior to filming.<ref name="marine">Production notes on picture "Wake Island". (1942). ''Marine Corps Gazette'', 26(3), 34–35, 48–49. {{ProQuest|206293139}}</ref>

Director [[John Farrow]] had recently returned to Hollywood after being invalided out of the Canadian Navy. He was signed to make the film by [[Buddy DeSylva]] of Paramount, who liked Farrow's 1939 film ''[[Five Came Back]]''. Farrow had visited [[Wake Island]] during his pre-Hollywood sailing days.<ref>{{Cite news|author=Schallert, E.|title=Drama|date=Feb 9, 1942|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|165314488}}}}</ref>

Filming started 23 March 1942.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Screen News Here and in Hollywood |date=Feb 21, 1942|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|106166001}}}}</ref> Most of the Japanese were played by Filipinos.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Hedda Hopper's Hollywood |date=May 2, 1942|work=Los Angeles Times|id={{ProQuest|165346945}}}}</ref>

A special weapons detail of selected Marines from Camp Elliott, near San Diego, manned machine guns in land battle scenes. Marine crews were also used as extras and to operate equipment.<ref name="marine"/>

Three main locations were used. Most exteriors were shot in the [[Salton Sea]] in the California desert; filming took place here for three weeks at [[Sandy Beach, California|Sandy Beach]]<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/2015/08/21/military-salton-sea-part/32128649/ | title=Military: Salton Sea was used as 'Wake Island' movie set }}</ref> which resembled Wake Island. The aerial battles were filmed at the [[Great Salt Lake]] in Utah. The big guns were fired at a coastal firing range near San Diego.<ref name=Filming>{{cite web|title=Coachella Valley Feature Film Production 1920–2011|url=http://www.visitpalmsprings.com/page/filming-in-palm-springs/126939|work=Filming in Palm Springs|access-date=October 1, 2012|author=Palm Springs Visitors Center|location=Palm Springs, California|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121001025937/http://visitpalmsprings.com/page/filming-in-palm-springs/126939|archive-date=October 1, 2012}} [http://visitpalmsprings.com/stream/126941?mode=Download Download]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} ([[Portable Document Format|Downloadable PDF file]])</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title='Wake Island', Colorado |date=Aug 2, 1942|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|106260077}}}}</ref>

The film was a fictional account with Brian Donlevy's character being based on Major [[James P. S. Devereux]], commander of the [[1st Light Antiaircraft Missile Battalion|1st Defense Battalion]] detachment on Wake. MacDonald Carey's was based on Major [[Henry T. Elrod]] and Captain Frank Cunningham. Walter Abel played the naval commander who in real life was Commander [[Winfield S. Cunningham]].<ref name="marine"/>

The film crew had to battle intense sand storms on Sand Island.<ref name="marine"/> Following the location shoot, the main unit returned to Paramount Studio for three weeks of filming, while the second unit remained at Salton Sea under Hal Walker to do bombing scenes.<ref name="marine"/>

After completing the film, Farrow signed a long-term contract with Paramount.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Gene kelly to be starred with lana turner at metro in 'nothing ventured'|date=Jul 29, 1942|work=New York Times|id={{ProQuest|106271800}}}}</ref>

MacDonald Carey was so inspired by working on the picture that he  joined the United States Marine Corps after filming ended.<ref name="marine"/>

A radio play drama version featuring many of the same film actors was broadcast October 26, 1942 on the ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'', hosted by [[Cecil B. DeMille]] on the [[CBS Radio|CBS radio network]].