Wake of the Red Witch (1949)

John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain out for revenge against a wealthy shipping magnate in this interesting and unlikely 1948 offering from Republic Pictures. Wayne plays the wronged Captain Ralls with a convincing bitterness that foreshadows his later work in the John Ford classic The Searchers, and his grim portrayal of Ralls hits a high point when Ralls purposely wrecks his enemy's prize treasure ship. The painfully beautiful Gail Russell costarred with Wayne only the year before in The Angel and the Badman and delivers a memorable performance as the tragic Angelique. Gig Young also stands out as a crewman who eventually learns the truth about Ralls. Wake of the Red Witch shares similarities in both character and climax to an earlier Wayne picture, C.B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind, but this film has a more direct approach in exploring the complex motivations of its characters. --Mark Savary Amazon.com

Best of The Duke!

What's to say?? It's the Duke!!! One of his best early movies! A don't miss ! September 8, 2008

John Wayne aims to settle a score over a beautiful woman

John Wayne plays a drunken, embittered sea captain who intentionally wrecks his ship laden with gold. The owner of the ship is a wealthy magnate who used his money and influence to steal a beautiful woman from Wayne, and Wayne is now going to get even. He intends to return to the site of the wreck to collect the gold for himself. After a court of inquiry clears Wayne of responsibility for the wreck, the film takes a long flashback so the audience can learn why Wayne intentionally wrecked his ship and why he hates the owner. The pair battled over the love of a beautiful woman (Gail Russell - what a tragic life, she was so beautiful) who ultimately marries the wealthy magnate. Along the way Wayne tangles with a giant octopus and becomes a god to local natives before the tragic finale.

This is an unconventional role for Wayne; he plays a drunken, embittered captain filled with anger and deep bouts of melancholy. In one of the opening scenes, he beats the daylights out of one of his crewmen in a drunken rage. Unlike many of Wayne's westerns, he does not play the straight and narrow good guy in this film, his role could definitely be characterized as an anti-hero. I'm generally a big fan of Wayne's films, some of the other reviews rate this as their favorite. I personally think there are several better JW films (Rio Bravo being my personal choice), but this is still a good story. There is not much in the way of extras on this DVD, but the price is pretty easy on the wallet. A typical good John Wayne film, if not uniquely outstanding. March 31, 2008

One of the best John Wayne films

I first saw this movie in a theater in the early 1950's [movies stayed on the circuit for years then - big cities, first runs, small towns, then part of double features, etc.]. I was under 10 and it was an amazing movie then. I have seen it many times since and I like it even better now. Sure, the special effects now seem clumsy and dated. But the story is a good one and the battle of wills between Wayne's character and Luther Adler's character is still one of the better done of this type plot device. Wayne was consistently underestimated for years by his peers and critics but the public knew better. Yes, among the hundreds of movies he's in, a good percentage of them are B specials. But, starting with Angel and the Badman [w/ the same lovely Gail Russell as in "Wake..."], he didn't have to bow to anyone. "Wake..." is one of his best along with [imho]: The Cowboys, The Shootist, The Quiet Man, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and maybe True Grit. Even the more venerated and more decorated actors of Wayne's era made clunk movies. And, not all the blame could be cast at the writers/directors... I'll be adding a DVD version of "Wake.." to my Wayne collection. It's a good one! {I'll enjoy watching this one with my grandson in a couple of years.} February 25, 2007

Wake of the Red Witch

A very interesting and exciting sea picture that involves intrigue, danger, adventure, and romance. What more do you want? In addition to all of the previously mentioned offerings you have a sea monster, ie; a giant squid which is only one of many obstacles that John Wayne has to battle to retrieve valubles located in a sunken freighter.

This John Wayne film is different and unusual in that John Wayne is not the all encompassing heroe that he usually portrays in films. He starts out as a somewhat greedy, deceptive person out to get what he feels he deserves from a former employer and rival, but in the end he finds redemption from his love interest, the very beautiful, Gail Russell, who starred with Wayne in "The Angel and the Badman", another fine Wayne western. Also, in the film is Gig Young, a great, "in my opinion", underrated actor who does a fine job as the character with redeaming qualities, and a friend of John Wayne in the film.

They don't make'm like this anymore! I'm sure you'll enjoy this film, pure adventure, and a film you don't have to analyze, just enjoy!

I recommend purchasing this film. You won't be disappointed!

John E. Matty, Springfield, VA. November 3, 2006

Duke 1, Squid 0

WAKE OF THE RED WITCH has it all: An island full of half-naked Polynesian islanders, carved stone heads that stand twenty-feet high, a scuttled schooner laden with gold, the pearl god Tara-Tatu, breathless Euro chicks steaming it up beneath the vines and palm fronds on the RKO backlot, a succession of improbable flashbacks and John Wayne going mano-a-mano with a giant squid.
This movie is a high seas, wooden-ships-and-iron-men costumer that spends most of its time tracking the tempest tossed romance `tween the Duke and Gail Russell, and the bitter rivalry between Wayne and the skullduggerous Luther Adler.
WAKE OF THE RED WITCH is decently unmemorable in all respects, non-essential viewing for even the hardiest of John Wayne loyalists. It's filled with useless posturings and is based on a popular forgotten novel of the day. Others may find it riveting, but I spent most of my time trying to figure out how Wayne kept his toupee in place during the underwater scenes.
June 16, 2005

More reviews at Amazon.com ...