Donovan's Reef (1963)

The Last Great John Ford-John Wayne Collaboration

This film has a lot of endearing and great elements. The film is set in the South Pacific with a rowdy cast of characters - John Wayne, Jack Warden and Lee Marvin. War buddies from World War II and living on the island ever since the end of the war, the Doc (Jack Warden) has a daughter who visits the island. Chaos ensues as the doc's friends cover his back while he's away visiting the outer islands. The daughter, heiress to a huge shipping company, might be offended by her father's marriage to a local native princess and their offspring. They don't appreciate such a relationship in tight-laced Boston. The other actors like Mike Mazurki and Cesar Romero add to the fun lustre of the film. August 21, 2008

NOT A GREAT MOVIE, JUST ONE OF THE BEST EVER!!!

Save the critical eye, ear and mind for the 20th viewing of this story.
It is a multiple love story, POSSIBLY with the greatest love story involving a dead South Pacific princess and her still-devoted husband.
There is the polygamous masculine love story of "The Duke's" title character and his two old WWII shipmates.
There is the raucous relationship of an incredible Lee Marvin-created character and a somewhat bawdy Dorothy Lamour, who yearns for Donovan, but is perfectly happy settling for Marvin and his new toy train.
There is the love story of the new arrival from Boston, the real hero's daughter by a Boston shipping aristocrat. She arrives on a commercial venture intended to boost her own selfish economic position, quickly learns to love the father and her father's three children with the princess.
But first she must wander through the smokescreen generated by shipmates determined to protect their old friend, wander through the spectacular beauty of a tropical island and see through the "cover identities" of half the cast.
This is one of the best temporary ensemble creations ever. Thinly disguised as a comedy, clearly a true John Ford morality story, a hell-raising Wayne/Marvin and Aussie Navy saloon brawl, with a dutiful nod toward the self-sacrificing roles of good men answering the call to where they are needed, deeply respectful of primitive traditions and religions, and dripping sweet, wild honey from every scene.
Not a bit of sacahrin to be found. Just pure wild honey.
Again, leave critiques for the 20th viewing. By about the 15th viewing, you will begin to understand all the sub-plots and the truly fine acting of genuine professionals.
That is, in between the belly laughs and tears and cheers. March 18, 2008

Neatly Done

This movie was a bit of a risk for me, as I never usually associate John Wayne or Lee Marvin with comedy films.However, I have found this film to be a real treasure and one which always makes me smile, no matter how often or recently I've seen it. Truly a small risk that paid off big! November 18, 2007

A Comedy in a Tropical Paradise with Beautiful Scenery

One striking feature of this light-hearted movie is the footage of its setting (a south Pacific island). There is the sea, the sky, the palms, the mountains, and the beaches. There are the beautiful native costumes and Polynesian songs. The viewer is treated to a Christmas pageant in a tropical setting. Then there are the torrential tropical storms.

This movie has nothing to do with reefs. Donovan (John Wayne) owns a saloon which he calls Donovan's Reef. What would a John Wayne movie be without a saloon and fistfights? A character, Gilhooley, shares the same birthday as Donovan, and they get into an annual fight on that day. They also try to fix a gambling machine. Will the money ever come out?

Allusion is made to the time the island had been occupied by the Japanese during WWII and the island's rule by a native queen. Donovan still travels in a military jeep. Those who enjoy water-skiing can do so.

There is a variety of characters, including priests, nuns, a doctor, a staid visitor, and playful children. One funny character is a priest who won't fix the leak in the roof of his church because, whenever he gets a donation to fix it, he gives it to the poor instead.
October 28, 2007

its no quiet man, but its still fun

a year after his last true masterpiece ("the man who shot liberty valance") director john ford reunited with two of his stars, john wayne and lee marvin, for the final comedy of his career. while wayne is terrific as the brawling owner of a south pacific bar, and marvin has fun in the role victor mclaglen would have essayed at an earlier time, the movie is hurt irreparably by the stilted acting of elizabeth allen, in the role that would once have been played (and splendidly) by maureen o'hara. too many cliches of hula girls and the like, but then again there is also the wonderfully touching christmas pageant sequence, set in the perpetually leaky-roofed church. is this great john ford? not by any means. but it IS john ford, and thus deserves to be seen.
June 11, 2007

More reviews at Amazon.com ...