Editing Wake Island (film) (section)

==Reception==
[[File:Wake Island Premiere, San Diego, 24 August 1942 (17030895346).jpg|thumb|220px|right|Brian Donlevy, Mrs. Hermle, Major General [[John Marston (USMC)|John Marston]], Colonel [[Leo D. Hermle]], and Major [[Ray Hanson|Raymond W. Hanson]] at the film premiere]]
The film received positive reviews from critics. [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' called it "a film for which its makers deserve a sincere salute. Except for the use of fictional names and a very slight contrivance of plot, it might be a literal document of the manner in which the Wake detachment of Marines fought and died in the finest tradition of their tough and indomitable corps."<ref>{{cite web|last=Crowther |first=Bosley |author-link=Bosley Crowther |url=http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9B01EED81239E33BBC4A53DFBF668389659EDE |title=Movie Review – Wake Island |website=[[The New York Times]] |date=September 2, 1942 |access-date=January 7, 2016}}</ref>

''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' agreed and called it "one of the most striking pictures of the year ... Never is there pandering to phoney flag-waving, always just a group of normal human beings who knew of no other course than fighting to the end."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 12, 1942 |title=Film Reviews |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |location=New York |publisher=Variety, Inc. |page=8 }}</ref>

''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' called it "Thrilling ... The realism of the Japanese attacks, and the stout defense put up by the Marines, are spine-chilling battle scenes that hold one in constant suspense, even though one is aware of the final outcome."<ref>{{cite journal |date=August 15, 1942 |title='Wake Island' with Brian Donlevy, Macdonald Carey and Robert Preston |journal=[[Harrison's Reports]] |page=130 }}</ref> ''[[Film Daily]]'' called it a "Stirring epic which will thrill the nation."<ref>{{cite journal |date=August 12, 1942 |title=Reviews of the New Films |journal=[[Film Daily]] |location=New York |publisher=Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. |page=6 }}</ref>

''Wake Island'' placed fourth on ''Film Daily'''s year-end nationwide poll of 592 critics selecting the best films of 1942.<ref>{{cite journal |date=January 13, 1943 |title='Miniver' Wins Critics Poll |journal=[[Film Daily]] |location=New York |publisher=Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. |page=1 }}</ref>

On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Wake Island''  holds a rating of 89% based on 9 contemporary and modern reviews. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Wake Island {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wake_island |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref>

It was  one of the biggest box office hits of the year.<ref name="tom" />