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IMDb > Wake Island (1942)

Wake Island (1942) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.0/10   597 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 13% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
W.R. Burnett (screenplay)
Frank Butler (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Wake Island on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 August 1942 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Tougher than Leather . . . Harder to Kill! Daring Americans Fighting Against All Odds! more
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. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win more
User Reviews:
History Channel debunks this script more (19 total)

Cast

  (Complete credited 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
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Additional Details

Runtime:
87 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono | Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Fun Stuff

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. more
Goofs:
Continuity: During one of the scenes showing the bombardment of the island, the Marine CO has ordered the observation tower evacuated. Later scenes show two men still in the tower when it is destroyed. more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
31 out of 47 people found the following review useful.
History Channel debunks this script, 4 June 2003
Author: rhollingsworth from Houston

This week the History Channel presented a fine documentary on this action. No question that the Wake Island defenders were heroic in every way, but they did not fight to the last man, as the film implied. The commanding officer surrendered the island to the Japanese after an American admiral decided the Marines weren't worth it and recalled a task force steaming to Wake's rescue. The Japanese decided not to follow their instincts and murder their captives outright, knowing the atrocity would be obvious. Later, when defeat was imminent, the Japanese commander in a rage murdered all the civilians; he was hanged for it. The few surviving Marines endured terrible captivity until the war's end. Six of them were featured in the documentary. Their stories were heart-wrenching.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Wake Island (1942)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Before I buy the DVD *Possible spoiler alert* sneezewhiz
DVD? VHS? muvphreek
golden gate bridge walter187-1
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Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
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