Wake Island (1942)
- Starring:
- Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, (more)
- Director(s):
- John Farrow
- Format(s):
- DVD
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Synopsis of Wake Island
The winner of four Oscar nominations, Wake Island was one of the first major Hollywood films to deal with America's forced participation in World War II. The first two reels takes place in the weeks prior to Pearl Harbor, as Wake Island military commander Brian Donlevy carries on a friendly rivalry with Seabee supervisor Albert Dekker. Once the US is in the shooting war, all previous differences are forgotten and the Wake Island personnel begin pulling together. Despite being heavily outnumbered during the subsequent Japanese attack on Wake, the Americans put up a valiant fight, at great cost to the Imperial Forces. In a scene calculated to evoke long, loud cheers from the audience, Donlevy, weary and battle-stained, relays to the American mainland the legendary (if offensive) challenge "Send us more Japs!" As in the like-vintage Bataan, the military defeat of the Americans is treated-and justifiably so--as a moral victory. Utilizing some of the top male talents in Paramount's contract pool-Donlevy, Dekker Robert Preston, MacDonald Carey, William Bendix--Wake Island remains an excellent example of propaganda-as-entertainment ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 88 mins
Complete Cast of Wake Island
- Brian Donlevy - Maj. Caton
- MacDonald Carey - Lt. Cameron
- Barbara Britton - Sally Cameron
- Mikhail Rasumny - Probenzki
- Damian O'Flynn - Capt. Patrick
- Phillip Terry - Private Warren
- Rod Cameron - Capt. Lewis
- Alan Hale, Jr. - Sight Setter
- Angel Cruz - Rodrigo
- Frank Faylen - Wounded Marine
- James Brown - Wounded Marine
- Jack Mulhall - Dr. Parkman
- Hugh Beaumont - Captain
- John Sheehan - Pete Hogan
- William Forrest - Maj. Johnson
- Rudy Robles - Triunfo
- Richard Loo - Mr. Saburo Kurusu
- Keith Richards - Sparks Wilcox
- Willard Robertson - Col. Cameron
- George Nielson - Charles Trowbridge
- Robert Preston - Joe Doyle
- Albert Dekker - Shad McCloskey
- William Bendix - Smacksie Randall
- Walter Abel - Commander Roberts
- Bill Goodwin - Sgt. Higbee
- Don Castle - Private Cunkle
- Frank Albertson - Johnny Rudd
- Holly Bane - 1st Lieutenant
- Mary Field - Miss Pringle
- Marvin Jones - Tommy
- Dane Clark - Marine
- Patti McCarty - Girls at Inn
- Charles Trowbridge - George Nielson
- Anthony Nace - Gordon
- Jack Chapin - Squeaky Simpkins
- Ivan Miller - Colonel
- Edward Earle - Commander
- Mary Thomas - Cynthia Caton
- Philip Van Zandt - Cpl. Goebbels
- Director(s):
- John Farrow
- Writer(s):
- Frank R. Butler, W.R. Burnett
- Producer(s):
- Joseph Sistrom
- Categories:
- War
- 1942 - Film Daily - 10 Best Films
- 1942 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Director
- 1942 - New York Times - 10 Best Films
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