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Wake Island (film)
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{{short description|1942 film directed by John Farrow}} {{Infobox film | name = Wake Island | image = WakeIsland (1942 movie) cover.jpg | alt = | caption = | director = [[John Farrow]] | producer = Joseph Sistrom | writer = [[W. R. Burnett]]<br />[[Frank Butler (writer)|Frank Butler]] | starring = [[Brian Donlevy]]<br />[[Macdonald Carey]]<br />[[Robert Preston (actor)|Robert Preston]]<br />[[Albert Dekker]]<br />[[William Bendix]]<br />[[Walter Abel]] | music = [[David Buttolph]] | cinematography = [[William C. Mellor]]<br />[[Theodor Sparkuhl]] | editing = [[Frank Bracht]]<br />[[LeRoy Stone]] | studio = Paramount Pictures | distributor = [[Paramount Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|1942|09|01|[[New York City]]}} | runtime = 88 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $826,000<ref name="afi">{{cite web |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=746 |title=Wake Island |website=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=January 7, 2016 }}</ref> | gross = $3.5 million (U.S. and Canada rentals)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/variety149-1943-01/page/n57/mode/2up|title=101 Pix Gross in Millions|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=January 6, 1943|page=58}}</ref><ref name="tom">Thomas Schatz, ''Boom and Bust: American Cinema in the 1940s'' Univ. of California Press, 1999 p. 243</ref> }} '''''Wake Island''''' is a 1942 American [[action fiction|action]] [[drama (genre)|drama]] [[war film]] directed by [[John Farrow]], written by [[W. R. Burnett]] and [[Frank Butler (writer)|Frank Butler]], and starring [[Brian Donlevy]], [[Robert Preston (actor)|Robert Preston]], [[Macdonald Carey]], [[Albert Dekker]], [[Barbara Britton]], and [[William Bendix]]. The film tells the story of the United States military garrison on [[Wake Island]] and the [[Battle of Wake Island|onslaught by the Japanese]] following the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. ''Wake Island'' was nominated for four [[Academy Awards]], including [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Outstanding Motion Picture]].<ref name="Oscars1943">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1943 |title=The 15th Academy Awards (1943) Nominees and Winners |work=oscars.org|date=4 October 2014 }}</ref> The film shows how the Marines, after being pounded for days by Japanese aircraft, caught the Japanese invaders by complete surprise by unleashing a wall of fire that stopped their first attempt to land on the island. The next attack was successful, in part because communications among the Marines had been cut, leading the Marine commander to believe his three hundred men were being slaughtered by the more than three thousand Japanese invaders. Because of their fierce defense of the island and because a Japanese cruiser was sunk, Marines were beheaded on the way to Japan to work as slaves in the mines there. ==Plot== A map is shown with a voiceover giving a brief history of the [[United States Armed Forces|United States military]] on [[Wake Island]] to November 1941. [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] Major Geoffrey Caton departs [[Pearl Harbor]] naval base in [[Hawaii]] aboard the [[Pan Am Clipper#Clipper era|Pan American Clipper]] to take over command on Wake Island. A military contractor, Mr. McClosky, is also going there. The two clash during the flight. Upon arrival, Caton inspects the island and identifies Privates Randall and Doyle as troublemakers. He has them dig a large slit trench by hand. McClosky has a construction contract for large [[trenches]] and living quarters, and drives his crew to complete the work on time. There are numerous conflicts between the military and the civilians, including practicing for [[Airstrike|air raids]]. The next day is Sunday, December 7, 1941. Randall's enlistment is up, and he prepares to board the Clipper. Then news arrives about the Japanese air [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. The island goes on alert. Randall is unsure what to do. He is sent to a bomb shelter with the civilians, as enemy planes approach. The Americans have only four fighters in the air, holding eight in reserve, against 24 Japanese bombers. Marine fighters shoot down several Japanese planes, but the bombers inflict heavy damage. Following the raid, Caton tells Randall he is no longer a civilian. McClosky decides to stay and dig trenches and other shelters with his heavy equipment. That night, Caton informs pilot Lieutenant Bruce Cameron that his wife was killed at Pearl Harbor. The next day, enemy ships approach. The Marines [[camouflage]] their equipment. Caton orders his men into shelters and to hold their fire while the Japanese bombard the island. The Japanese signal the Americans to surrender. Caton does not answer. He waits until the enemy ships have closed to 4700 yards before returning fire, repelling the landing attempt and sinking several ships. On a [[Aerial reconnaissance|reconnaissance]] flight, Cameron spots a Japanese [[heavy cruiser]] that can hit the island while remaining out of range of the defenders' weapons. He says he can take out that ship if his fighter is stripped down and carries only 15 gallons of fuel and a double load of bombs. Caton approves the mission. After successfully bombing the ship, Cameron is wounded by a Japanese fighter. He manages to land his airplane safely before dying. Japanese planes bomb the island repeatedly. Caton asks Captain Lewis to board a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[Maritime patrol aircraft|patrol plane]] that is coming in, since he could provide intelligence to the [[United States Department of the Navy|U.S. Navy Department]] in [[Honolulu]]. Lewis refuses, but Caton orders him to go and file his official report. Later, Caton is informed that they are running out of the largest-[[caliber]] ammunition, so he has smaller guns spread around and repositions his available men. Japanese planes approach in large numbers, causing major damage and inflicting numerous casualties. Only one pilot is left, Captain Patrick. When his plane is damaged, he bails out, but is killed while parachuting down. The Japanese again signal for surrender. Caton replies, "Come and get us." Eventually, Caton orders all posts to act independently. Communications fail. Caton orders the last man out of his command post with a written message, as McClosky walks in, asking for a weapon. They make their way to an abandoned machine-gun position. Caton mans the gun. The Japanese land and overrun the American positions. The main characters are all killed in action. The film was made in 1942, at the beginning of American entry into World War II, shortly after the battle itself. It ends with a voiceover declaring: "This is not the end." ==Cast== * [[Brian Donlevy]] as Major Geoffrey Caton * [[Macdonald Carey]] as Lieutenant Bruce Cameron * [[Robert Preston (actor)|Robert Preston]] as Private Joe Doyle * [[William Bendix]] as Private Aloysius K. Randall * [[Albert Dekker]] as Shad McClosky * [[Walter Abel]] as Commander Roberts * [[Mikhail Rasumny]] as Ivan Probenzky * [[Rod Cameron (actor)|Rod Cameron]] as Captain Pete Lewis * [[Bill Goodwin]] as Sergeant Higbee * Damian O'Flynn as Captain Bill Patrick * [[Frank Albertson]] as Johnny Rudd * [[Philip Van Zandt]] as Cpl. Gus Goebbels (uncredited) * Uncredited actors include Filipino Hollywood actor [[Rudy Robles]] as Triunfo, [[James Brown (actor)|James Brown]] as a wounded marine, [[Barbara Britton]] as Sally Cameron, and [[Patti McCarty]] as a girl at the inn. [[Chuck Connors]] is sometimes erroneously credited as a soldier in the meal line, but Connors was not in California during production, being at that time a full-time player for the [[Norfolk Tars]], a baseball team in the minor league [[Piedmont League]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=connor001kev|title=Chuck Connors Minor Leagues Statistics & History|website=Baseball-Reference.com}}</ref> [[Joyce Arleen|Mary Thomas]] appeared as Caton's daughter.<ref>Collier, Lionel. "Shop For Your Films". ''Picturegoer''. Jan 23, 1943. p. 12. Via Proquest.</ref> ==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), 34β35, 48β49. {{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 1920β2011|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]]. ==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 β 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" /> == Awards == At the [[15th Academy Awards]] on March 4, 1943, ''Wake Island'' was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Outstanding Motion Picture]], [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] (John Farrow), [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]] (William Bendix), and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Original Screenplay]] (W.R. Burnett and Frank Butler).<ref name="Oscars1943" /> John Farrow won the [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Film|New York Film Critics' Award]] for Best Director.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Dec 30, 1942 |title=Film Critics pick 'In Which We Serve.' |work=New York Times |id={{ProQuest|106319360}}}}</ref> == References == {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commons category|Wake Island (film)}} * {{AFI film|746|Wake Island}} * {{IMDb title|0035530|Wake Island}} * {{TCMDb title|id=94977}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|wake_island|Wake Island}} * [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/wake_island/ Rotten Tomatoes] {{John Farrow}} {{Wake}} [[Category:1942 films]] [[Category:1940s war films]] [[Category:American World War II propaganda films]] [[Category:American black-and-white films]] [[Category:Films about the United States Navy in World War II]] [[Category:Pacific War films]] [[Category:World War II aviation films]] [[Category:World War II films made in wartime]] [[Category:Films scored by David Buttolph]] [[Category:Films set in 1941]] [[Category:Films set in Oceania]] [[Category:Films set in insular areas of the United States]] [[Category:Films set on islands]] [[Category:Films shot in California]] [[Category:Paramount Pictures films]] [[Category:Films directed by John Farrow]] [[Category:Films about the United States Marine Corps]] [[Category:Battle of Wake Island]] [[Category:American war films]] [[Category:1940s English-language films]] [[Category:English-language war films]]
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