Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

Instant Favorite.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Reap the Wild Wind (1942) *** (out of 4) Cecil B. DeMille's over-the-top but fun adventure takes place in the 1840s as ships try to reach the Atlantic ocean but often end up wrecked on the shoals of Florida. Southern belle Loxi Claiborne (Paulette Goddard) has Captain Jack Stuart (John Wayne) and Stephen Tolliver (Ray Milland) battling for her before the men end up battling a giant squid. REAP THE WILD WIND is a pretty fun movie, although there's no question that it doesn't rank among the director's best work and there are some fairly big flaws scattered throughout the picture. I love Milland but I thought he just wasn't right for this role. In later years John Wayne would say that he was cast in the movie to make Milland seem more like a man and perhaps that's true. There just wasn't a single second where I bought Milland and Wayne battling each other for this woman and their fight scenes aren't very believable either. Milland gives a good performance, don't get me wrong, but he just wasn't right for the part. Wayne, still not a star, does a nice job in his role, although there's a scene early on where he gets knocked out and the way Wayne does this is somewhat laughable. Goddard is her usual good self and we get nice support from villain Raymond Massey, Robert Preston, Charles Bickford and Susan Hayward. The visual effects ended up winning an Oscar when this was originally released and I'm sure people only used to CGI effects are going to think these here are awful. For 1942 they're actually pretty good and this includes the scenes with the ships on the sea. I'm not exactly sure what DeMille put into the pool that they were shooting these scenes but the water looks beautiful. As for the giant squid at the end, it's certainly very fake looking and I was a little surprised that they didn't do more with it as the fight is pretty small. REAP THE WILD WIND isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination but it's certainly worth watching.

This is a super cast with a lot of great actors and two actresses, Paulette Goddard and Susan Hayward to balance John Wayne, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, and many in support. Goddard here is very much in the Scarlett O'Hara role though in this case it is more Scarlett later in the movie as she is already in charge early on here.There is a ball sequence in Charleston which is very much like GWTW except this is not set in the Civil War. It is a film about Pirates scuttling ships in order to steal their cargo's on reefs. There is some action and though the underwater sequences look old now, they did not look that way in 1942.Wayne is quite good in this too as he looks the part he is playing, but Goddard is the Belle of the ball here with Hayward looking young and capable. Robert Preston is in love with Hayward and who can blame him. He isn't pushing any boys band in this one.A solid film in many respects and quite amazing considering this came out during the war. The filmography is lush and colorful with sunrises and sunsets on the ocean that look very good. Cecile B DeMille was not really going for another epic here, but he does not quite make it. Still, it is good.

This colorful sea action yarn of shipwreck and illegal salvage in 1840s Key West was directed by Cecil B. De Mille so you shouldn't expect subtlety. When a woman is supposed to look "frightened," her eyeballs extrude as she claps her hands to her cheeks and gasps. A man who is "mean" looks like a Turkish pederast.It isn't slow, though. It zips along, plowing through the seas, charging through the courtroom scene, brawling through fist fights, lacking anything like pauses for character, humor, or whimsy, as bloodless as if drained by a vampire.The model work is pretty good for the period. It's true that the texture gradient is ignored, so that a distant splash of sea water throws up spray with drops as big as basketballs, but compared to a contemporary movie like "The Sea Hawk" it's convincing enough. And the color photography is above average. In some of the model shots, the many-masted rigs seem to sail under lenticular lavender clouds glowing with underbellies of a soft rose in the setting sun. The seas scintillate. The image is as pretty as a travel poster. Take Your Next Vacation In San Placebo, Getaway Of The Stars!It's taken from a story in the magazine founded by Benjamin Franklin, "The Saturday Evening Post." The weekly magazines were the source of many stories made into screenplays. "Stagecoach," for another instance, was from an Ernest Haycox story in "Collier's" magazine. The public used to READ MAGAZINES in the 1940s! I no its hard 2 believe.John Wayne has the role known as second male lead in this one -- second to star Ray Milland -- and it's just as well. Wayne would shortly turn into a serious performer but he wasn't there yet in 1941. Milland doesn't walk around in a cloud of pheromones either but he's animated, hits his marks, and delivers his lines with vigor.The two principal Southern ladies -- the charming and innocent Susan Hayward and the spirited, unconventional Paulette Goddard, whose character owes a lot to Scarlet O'Hara -- are amusing on screen together. Hayward was from Brooklyn and Goddard was born in Queens. They never forgot their New York background. Goddard left most of her estate to New York University when she died.The racial relations remain as stereotyped as ever. May I mock them? If Goddard resembles Scarlet, Louise Beavers resembles Mammy -- always shaking her head, mumbling about voodoo drums and scolding her charge -- but she's a pale imitation. De black folk, day neber called "slaves." Day be de friends of de buckra who hob de ballroom full wit people dat be dancin round in circles called de waltz in de Big House. I done forgit who be the darkie wit de big white eyes but he ain't de same booger who say in annudder movie, "Feets, don't fail me now!" One of the most memorable lines occurs when the indefatigable Ray Milland is pursuing the spunky young Goddard and she slaps him or something and he says, "You're very desirable when you're angry." That translates as, 'You're cute when you're mad," in case you missed it.It's not often that John Wayne plays a heavy, even a confused one, but he does here. He sells his integrity to spite Milland, whom he has been led to believe is his enemy. Wayne pays the price the code of the time demanded.Despite the portentous narrative introduction by De Mille himself, there isn't much in the way of spiritual nourishment to be had from this flick but you're not likely to be bored. It's designed specifically to prevent that from happening.

I was eight years old when I first saw this movie on the big screen in 1942. It was my first color movie and the scenes with the giant octopus gave me nightmares for a long time after. Today I still enjoy the film for its beautiful color photography, exciting sea scenes and fine performances from Ray Milland and John Wayne. Wayne is unjustly accused of causing his ship to sink for profit. The story unfolds as he tries to clear his name .Paulette Goddard provides the love interest. The film never drags,whether on land or at sea where some of the most exciting action takes place.The underwater scenes,especially the finale ,are memorable. Supporting cast, score and special effects are all top notch.DeMille directs in his usual showman style. A fine effort from all concerned.