Wake Island (1942)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John Farrow

Writers:

W.R. Burnett (screenplay)
Frank Butler (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 August 1942 (USA)

Genre:

War | Drama

Tagline:

Tougher than Leather . . . Harder to Kill! Daring Americans Fighting Against All Odds!

Plot:

December, 1941. With no hope of relief or re-supply, a small band of United States Marines try to keep the Japanese Navy from capturing their island base.

Plot Keywords:

Siege | Marine Hymn | Marine Corps US | WWII

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Brian Donlevy	...	Maj. Geoffrey Caton
Macdonald Carey	...	Lt. Bruce Cameron
Robert Preston	...	Pvt. Joe Doyle
William Bendix	...	Pvt. Aloysius K. 'Smacksie' Randall
Albert Dekker	...	Shad McClosky
Walter Abel	...	Cmdr. Roberts
Mikhail Rasumny	...	Ivan Probenzky
Rod Cameron	...	Capt. Pete Lewis
Bill Goodwin	...	Sgt. Higbee
Damian O'Flynn	...	Capt. Bill Patrick
Frank Albertson	...	Johnny Rudd
Barbara Britton	...	Sally Cameron
Phillip Terry	...	Pvt. 'Cookie' Warren
Don Castle	...	Pvt. Cunkle

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Norway:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1943-1944) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Salton Sea, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In a "History Channel" special called "Wake Island: The Alamo of the Pacific", the survivors of the conflict called this movie one of the greatest works of fiction ever produced by Hollywood, especially because the movie portrays that there were no survivors.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Vintage stock footage of long out-dated 1920s-era bi-planes creeps into the battle scenes on several occasions.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Best of Film Noir (1999) (V)

Enemy on island; issue in doubt

I have actually been to Wake Island and was able to explore the history that took place there in December, 1941. A sign stating "Where America's Day Really Begins" greets you on the airstrip as you disembark, reflecting the fact that they are on the other side of the date line. Inside the terminal, a small museum containing relics of the war tells the story of the Marines and civilian contractors stationed there.

I began viewing the relics with no knowledge of what had occurred, and was originally only interested in them as an antique novelty. It was after I began reading the stories that accompanied the items, put together by survivor's, as I stood there on no more than a couple hundred yards of sand, that the magnitude of what they must have faced hit me. On each subsequent visit I would try to learn more about the battle, exploring the dunes and eventually reading a few books containing survivor's reports. With that said, the viewing of the film was a bit spoiled.

I have a difficult time seeing the film as little more than propaganda designed to feed an already salivating audience looking for revenge in post-Pearl Harbor America. The true story of Wake Island is not one of a Marine Battalion's last stand, it is one of a reeling Pacific Fleet following the Pearl Harbor attacks that called off a rescue effort. It is a story of civilian contractors that were forced into labor, then executed. It is a story of Marines that would spend years as POWs enduring treatment unimaginable to most people reading these comments. It is the story of the families that would wait with uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones.

Wake Island is a good war drama, but other than location and date it offers little in the way of historical accuracy. To treat it as realistic does an injustice to the brave Americans who fought there.