Posts from ethanedwards in thread „Wake Of The Red Witch (1948)“

Nice photos

Hi,

this weeks, Movie of the Week

Let's have your discussion and comments please.

Wake of the Red Witch is a 1948 drama film from Republic Pictures
starring John Wayne and Gail Russell, produced by Edmund Grainger,
and based upon the 1946 novel with the same name by Garland Roark.
The supporting cast includes Gig Young, Adele Mara, and Luther Adler,
and was directed by Edward Ludwig.

Welcome to Reap the Wild Wind Part II.
May even be the same octopus, it wasn't, was it???

Funny old film this one, and one that is just watchable.
Duke acted well, and made the film better than it was.

Now Gail Russell, she was a cracker, she didn't appear for 45 minutes,
but boy, oh boy, was there chemistry between her and her leading man!!
Not only was their chemistry on the silver screen, it spilled over, into their social lives,
so much so that Chata , Duke's wife was, not impressed!!

Adele Mara, a Duke favourite, also acquitted herself well.

Critics panned the film's rambling story line, and poor effects,
but the low-budget film, even though it had over-run by $1 million,
performed well at the box office, and finished 43rd. on Variety list of moneymakers in 1949.

Duke liked the film,later naming his production company Batjac, after the
Batjak company in the film, the spelling, accidently being changed, during documentation!!
He likened the story line, with own fight against the big C.

User Review

Quote

Author: rsda from London, England
Wake of the Red Witch may be John Wayne in his most demanding role.
He plays Captain Rawles who skuttles the Red Witch to later go back and rescue it's treasure in gold bullion.*
Wayne has never has so many colorful character elements in any film.
And along side the beautiful Gail Russell, he manages his best performance.*
Ms. Russell as Anglelique is at her most beguiling and tragic.
Her death scene in which Wayne carries her, dying, to look at the sea once more is as powerful*
as the death scene in "Wuthering Heights" which it is lifted from.
The main advantage here is that Gail Russell is more vulnerable and beautiful
than Merle Oberon was in "Heights" And the last scene with John and Gail at the wheel of the ghost ship,
Red Witch is a never to be forgotten Hollywood film moment.

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INFORMATION FROM IMDb

Plot Summary
Captain Ralls fights Dutch shipping magnate Mayrant Sidneye
for the woman he loves, Angelique Desaix,
and for a fortune in gold aboard the Red Witch.
Summary written by Jim Beaver

Full Cast
John Wayne .... Capt. Ralls
Gail Russell .... Angelique Desaix
Gig Young .... Samuel 'Sam' Rosen
Adele Mara .... Teleia Van Schreeven
Luther Adler .... Mayrant Ruysdaal Sidneye
Eduard Franz .... Harmenszoon Van Schreeven
Grant Withers .... Capt. Wilde Youngeur
Henry Daniell .... Jacques Desaix
Paul Fix .... Antonio 'Ripper' Arrezo
Dennis Hoey .... Capt. Munsey
Jeff Corey .... Mr. Loring
Erskine Sanford .... Dr. van Arken
Duke Kahanamoku .... Ua Nuke
Fred Aldrich .... Seaman (uncredited)
Fernando Alvarado .... Maru (uncredited)
Jose Alvarado .... Taluna (uncredited)
George Barrows .... Seaman (uncredited)
Henry Brandon .... Kurinua (uncredited)
David Clarke .... Mullins (uncredited)
James Dime .... Seaman (uncredited)
Fred Fox .... Ship's Surgeon (uncredited)
Fred Graham .... Sailor in Fight (uncredited)
Vic Groves .... Seaman (uncredited)
Myron Healey .... Seaman on 'Red Witch' (uncredited)
Mailoa Kalili .... Seaman (uncredited)
Al Kikume .... Native Servant (uncredited)
Fred Libby .... Lookout Sailor (uncredited)
Harold Lishman .... Kharma (uncredited)
Rory Mallinson .... Officer (uncredited)
Grant Means .... Dirk (uncredited)
Frank Mills .... Seaman (uncredited)
Jim Nolan .... First Diver (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor .... Old Seaman (uncredited)
Gil Perkins .... Seaman/Flogger (uncredited)
John Pickard .... Second Diver (uncredited)
George Piltz .... Native (uncredited)
Norman Rainey .... Lawyer (uncredited)
Leo C. Richmond .... Native Priest (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson .... Seaman (uncredited)
Wallace Scott .... Sailor (uncredited)
Mickey Simpson .... Second Officer (uncredited)
Carl Thompson .... Hekkim, Cabin Boy (uncredited)
Kuka Tuima .... Native (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar .... Jarma, Angelique's Servant (uncredited)
Harlan Warde .... Seaman Handling Diving Line (uncredited)
John Wengraf .... Prosecuting Attorney (uncredited)
Harry Wilson .... Seaman on 'Red Witch' (uncredited)
Ward Wood .... Young Sailor (uncredited)

Writing Credits
Harry Brown
Kenneth Gamet
Garland Roark novel

Original Music
Nathan Scott

Cinematography
Reggie Lanning

Stunts
Roydon Clark .... stunts (uncredited)
Fred Graham .... stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Roberson .... stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader .... stunts (uncredited)

Trivia
The rubber octopus used in this movie was later stolen by Edward D. Wood Jr.'s crew and used in Bride of the Monster (1955). They forgot to steal the motor that ran the tentacles though, so Bela Lugosi was forced to wrap the tentacles around him while he "fought" the beast.

John Wayne took the name of his production company, Batjac, from this film's shipping firm. The original spelling though was "Batjak", a likely portmanteau of "Batavia" and "Jayakarta", both being the old names of the capital of the Dutch East Indies at the time (as of 2009 it is Jakarta, Indonesia).

The movie was filmed in black and white in an attempt to make the studio sets less obvious.

Goofs
* Revealing mistakes: The shipwreck is obviously a model.

Filming Locations
Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden - 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, California, USA
Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

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