Wake Island (1942)

Wake Island, a sandbar rising 21 feet out of the South Pacific, was among the first U.S. outposts to be hit by the Japanese, virtually simultaneously with Pearl Harbor. Wake Island the movie was among Hollywood's earliest responses to America's being attacked and drawn into WWII. The Marine Corps defenders of Wake became instant war heroes, akin to the martyrs of the Alamo. Nothing could be done to rescue or even to reinforce and resupply them, and they fought on through air attacks and naval bombardment for two weeks until, finally overrun, they were wiped out.

That searing historical context had a lot to do with the movie's impact in 1942, and the sight of the dark forms of enemy planes coming over the horizon for the first time still carries a shock. Wake Island's a decent film, and it doesn't dishonor its subject with sham heroics and grandstanding. But the New York Film Critics voted John Farrow best director of 1942, and that's a reach. The first half hour sets up the allegory of America as melting pot (there's even a corporal named Goebbels), establishes horseplay as the coin of democratic discourse (especially for gyrenes Robert Preston and the Oscar-nominated William Bendix), and fosters familiar friction between new commander Brian Donlevy and civilian construction supervisor Albert Dekker. Then shortly after a beaming Japanese peace envoy has stopped by for dinner, things get rough. The scenes of warfare are more than adequate, but they'd soon be outdone, sometimes in films much less worthy than Wake Island. --Richard T. Jameson Amazon.com

Wake Island

One of the great movies of 'defeat' done in the 1940s to celebrate the heroism of the American forces overrun by the Japanese in the Pacific in the early months of WW2. It is very much 'fictionalised' and introduces the stock characters and heroic gestures that fill Hollywood war movies up to the 1980s about. An insight into the mood in which WW2 was perceived at the time. A precious piece of history! March 8, 2008

A Classic!

This is a classic early WW2 movie. A rousing tale of the outnumbered garrison stationed on Wake Island. Well acted by Donlevy, Bendix and Preston. It's right up there with They Were Expendable, Guadalcanal Diary, and Battan. A must have for war movie buffs! January 21, 2008

Wake Island

Wake Island (1942) chronicles the "real account" of the battle for Wake Island that occurred between December 8, 1941 and the fall of the island in latter December of the same year. The portrayed "real account" is by no means 100% accurate but does represent the patriotic theme that was prevelent in the U.S. during that time and does (more or less) follow the actual historical account of the battle. It is an excellent, stirring movie and the quality of the master is the best in terms of video and audio quality. The actors -- Brian Donlevy, William Bendix, Preston Foster and MacDonald Carey are all very believable in their roles. Special effects are good for that time period -- especially the initial Japanese invasion of the island that was thwarted by the outgunned, outmanned Marine garrison. The ending of the movie is not accurate at all and one that veterans of the particular Pacific theatre of operations resented at the end of the war. May 7, 2007

Realistic study of brave men in War...

"Wake Island" is a battle for a small atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean west of Honolulu, which was attacked by the Japanese on December 7, 1941, hours after Pearl Harbor... The small U.S. marine garrison held out until the Japanese overran the island on December 23...

It is a story of sacrifice of the gallant and doomed defenders, movingly portrayed by William Bendix, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy, MacDonald Carey and others... The battle scenes are chillingly photographed in Black and White, and the movie blows the clarion call for a new heroism... It is the 'Alamo of the Pacific,' the cry of 'Remember Wake Island," with the same stirring effects as 'Remember the Alamo,' one hundred years previously...

Well done within its limits, the film bears the unmistakable stamp of truth, and hails as a realistic portrayal of brave men in war...

January 17, 2007

A priceless epic in film and WWII history in itself.

It is often difficult for the average modern audience to endure such films.
These propaganda films, especially ones as succesful as "Wake Island" are crammed with predictability and politically incorrect stereotypes.
Since PC is BS, as far as I'm concerned the film makers did there best with what little resources and information they had. Painfully typical 1940's special effects, and the usual batch of Chinese actors cast as Japanese. "Manzanita Casting" was apparently missed by the production team.
You can read more about the films technical issues and interesting history on IMDB, but enjoy it for what it is with a grain of salt and in its historical context.
It made me want to be a Marine. It is doubtless thousands too joined upon its 1942 theatrical release.
A must for historians with great footage of rarely seen USMC F4F-3 Wildcats.
In the words of R. Lee Ermy- "Semper Fi!"
October 19, 2006

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