Tonight's Movie: Donovan's Reef (1963) - A Kino Lorber Blu-ray Revew
One of my favorite John Wayne films, DONOVAN'S REEF (1963), has just been released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber.This is one of a couple early '60s Wayne "hangout" films released by Kino Lorber this year; previously they brought Howard Hawks' HATARI! (1961) to Blu-ray and 4K, and now it's time for John Ford's DONOVAN'S REEF.
DONOVAN'S REEF is a film which makes me smile almost from the moment it starts. As my friend Toby Roan said to me a couple days ago, it's "one of those movies where the joy on the set makes it to the screen." The viewer can't help but feeling a lift watching this movie.
The doctor is away when Amelia arrives, and his friends are concerned a Bostonian like Amelia won't take to the idea of Polynesian half-siblings, so they pretend the children belong to Guns. Everyone eventually learns that notion was every bit as prejudiced as they expected Amelia would be.
There are so many delightful little bits, from Romero's constant scheming to the Christmas Eve pageant to Amelia's Christmas gifts to Boats and Lafleur (a model train set and a wedding gown, naturally!).
Mike Mazurki plays a role which once upon a time would have been played by Victor McLaglen; McLaglen had died in 1959. The cast also includes Marcel Dalio, Patrick Wayne, Edgar Buchanan, and Jon Fong. If one looks closely Ford regulars such as John Qualen and Mae Marsh can be spotted.
This is presented as Kino Lorber Special Edition with a cardboard slipcase. There are two separate new commentary tracks, one by Ford historian Joseph McBride and one by Lee Marvin biographer Dwayne Epstein. There's also a 21-minute short, THE GROWLER STORY (1957), directed by Ford, featuring Ward Bond and Ken Curtis, narrated by Dan Dailey. The disc is rounded out by the movie trailer plus a gallery of six additional trailers.
Wayne plays Michael Patrick "Guns" Donovan -- I probably don't need to tell Wayne fans he has sons named Michael and Patrick -- who lives on a tropical island. As the movie begins, Guns' longtime "frenemy," "Boats" Gilhooley (Lee Marvin) shows up on the island just in time for their annual December 7th birthday brawl.
Boats' arrival is soon followed by the arrival of Amelia Dedham (Elizabeth Allen), the Bostonian daughter of the island doctor (Jack Warden). It's a long story, but father and daughter have never met, nor is Amelia aware that after her mother's death her father married an island princess, giving her three half-siblings (Jacqueline Maloof, Cherylene Lee, and Jeffrey Byron).
Young Byron, I'll throw in here, was the son of Ford regular Anna Lee and was Ford's godson.
There's not a lot more to the film, which is just a wonderful excuse to spend 109 minutes with the cast, also including Cesar Romero, Dorothy Lamour, and Dick Foran. I pretty much start laughing as soon as Romero and Lamour appear on screen, it's just so much fun having them along for the ride.
Lamour had worked with Ford decades previously, on THE HURRICANE (1937). She may not have the biggest part, but you can tell she cut her comedic chops with Hope and Crosby, as she makes the most of every moment. When Amelia spots Lafleur (Lamour) looking at a wedding gown and asks her if she's "contemplating matrimony," the obviously no-longer-very-young Lafleur replies in deadpan fashion, "What young girl my age doesn't contemplate matrimony?" To which Amelia politely replies, "How true."
And the music! I think of the melody as the "C&H Sugar" jingle, but every time the islanders launch into song when greeting a boat, my eyes mist up happily. Those moments simply definite "feel good movie" for me.
The entire cast, especially Wayne, is in peak form. And Foran, in what I think of as the "Ward Bond" part (Bond had died in 1960), even gets to sing a few bars.
I feel the only thing that would have made the film more perfect was Maureen O'Hara as the female lead; this was released soon after she played a proper Bostonian in THE PARENT TRAP (1961). But as Toby also pointed out to me, Allen is actually quite good. She's just not Maureen.
The movie was filmed in Technicolor by William H. Clothier. The screenplay by Frank Nugent and James Edward Grant was inspired by stories by James Michener and Edmund Beloin
Kino Lorber's beautiful print is a new HD master from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative.
Kino Lorber has also released DONOVAN'S REEF in a 4K edition.
I love and recommend this film, especially in this beautiful print. Enjoy!
posted by Laura @ 11:00 PM
5 Comments:
I love this movie so much! One of my favorite non-Western John Wayne movies. He and Lee Marvin are pure gold together, and like you say, I smile through the rest of this movie, start to finish. I love the old-fashioned bathing suit scene.
The final Ford and Wayne film. They had a falling out andnWidmark played the lead in Cheyenne Autumn, a film that does not work for many reasons including a script tailored to Duke Wayne.
From Walter S. (who has had trouble posting comments):
Laura, I enjoyed your fine write-up on one of my all-time favorite movies. As a youngster I remember first viewing DONOVAN'S REEF(filmed 1962, released 1963) on the NBC SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES in 1966. I whistled the lovely Hawaiian folk song Pupu A 'O 'Ewa (Pearly Shells) for days afterwards and I'm whistling it in my head as I write. This comedy/drama makes me smile everytime I think about it. The movie is a funny delight from the get go, even though it deals with a serious subject. We've been viewing the movie every Christmas season for decades. Yes, it's a Christmas movie and the Christmas pageant sequence is hilarious. There is lots of fun throughout the movie which is played out in a broad comic style by the whole wonderful cast. I agree with DKoren about the swimsuit sequence and I think it's humorously charming. Yes, Elizabeth Allen isn't Maureen O'Hara(a favorite actress of mine), but I think she is really good here and is a pleasure to watch. The setting of the movie is on the fictional island Haleakaloha, French Polynesia, but is actually filmed on the island Kauai, Hawaii and the visuals are stunning.
I highly recommend the viewing of DONOVAN'S REEF.
Walter S.
Thank you, Walter!
Laura
Here's more from Walter, who put together an impressive array of information on the short included on the disc, THE GROWLER STORY. Thank you again, Walter! I've had to divide it into sections to post:
Laura, I really think it's neat that Kino Lorber has included John Ford's short film THE GROWLER STORY(filmed 1956, released 1957). I don't think many people have ever viewed this work of John Ford. . I hope it's a good print of this 21 minute film starring Ken Curtis, Ward Bond, and narrated by Dan Dailey. I don't know if any background is given on the Blu-ray release of this short film, but it has a very interesting story. The short film was filmed right after Ford finished work on THE WINGS OF EAGLES(filmed 1956, released 1957). Ken Curtis, Ward Bond, and Dan Dailey were all in THE WINGS OF EAGLES.
I'm not going to give away anything about THE GROWLER STORY, because it should be enjoyed by most who will view it for the first time. IMDb doesn't give any information about the making of the movie. John Ford is listed as the director, but no writer, no producer, no photographer, and no editor is listed. Only Ken Curtis and Ward Bond are listed as actors and Dan Dailey narrates. The movie was made for the Department of the Navy and filmed at Pearl Harbor and the surrounding area in Hawaii in November-December, 1956. The movie was dedicated to "That Dedicated Woman" The Navy Wife. The following is the information I have that's not provided by IMDb, Wikipedia, or Artificial Intelligence(AI). The short film was photographed by the Pacific Fleet Combat Camera Group with Commander C. R. Eaton officer in charge and director of photography C. W. Richey and edited by Jack Murray PHC United States Navy Reserve. Murray edited 15 John Ford directed feature movies. Directed by John Ford Rear Admiral, United States Navy Reserve Retired. Produced by Mark Armistead Commander, United States Navy Reserve. Armistead had served with Ford during World War II when as Captain Ford he had headed the photographic unit of the Office of Strategic Services(OSS) under General "Wild Bill" Donovan. They were also together for 3 months in South Korea when Ford made the documentary THIS IS KOREA!(1951). The US Navy liaison officer for the movie was Lt. Peter L. Fullinwinder. No writer is listed, so Ford may have written it as he filmed.
John Ford cast the other acting parts with non-actors. Joan Grojean and her two oldest children David, 10, and Charlotte, 8 were chosen by Ford to portray USS Growler's submarine hero Commander Howard W. Gilmore's(Ken Curtis) wife Hilda St. Raymond Gilmore and their two children Howard, Jr. and Darleen. Joan Grojean was a Navy wife married to Lt. Commander C. D. Grojean, executive officer of the submarine USS Bream. Navy Bosun Quincannon(Ward Bond) and his movie wife Mrs. Quincannon(Scottie Bogart) have 8 children. Scottie Bogart is the Navy wife of Senior Chief Petty Officer Jerome F. Bogart and in real life they had two daughters Arlene and Shereen. All the children were Navy children. Playing the part of the 14 year old boy is Jimmy, 12, son of Commander and Mrs. John Paul Jones. Their other son Douglass, 9, is also in the Quincannon lineup. Captain and Mrs. J. D. Fulp supplied 5 children, James, 12. Ian, 10, Lynne, 9, Barbara, 7, Margaret, 5, and Harlow Splichal, 10, round out the Quincannon family. Harlow's father A. W. Splichal(Torpedoman's Mate) served on the submarine USS Pickerel. Ford filmed the sailing of the USS Pickerel and filmed families waving goodbye to the men as the ship left. It was during this scene that Ward Bond noticed Harlow Splichal as he sadly waved to his father. Bond asked Harlow if he would like to be in a movie.
Part 2:
The real action took place in enemy waters at Steffen Strait near New Guinea in February, 1943. An important member of the movie cast arrived in Hawaii from San Diego on November 20, 1956, the USS 393, the Queenfish submarine. Flying an admiral's flag the skipper Lt. Commander J. L. Moore welcomed Rear Admiral John Ford aboard shortly after they tied up to the dock. The interior and exterior photography was filmed on the Queenfish. Crew members of the Queenfish were used in the movie. During filming at Lahaina Roads, Maui sailors Don Hackworth(RMSN), Jack Scriminger(EMC), and Charles Weston(MNSN) were filmed during swim call, when crew members go swimming. Where else are you going to see Ward Bond strip down to his long johns and with a cigar still in his mouth dive from a submarine deck into the ocean. Weston spotted a shark and warned the men. The Queenfish's executive officer James Cronander said he was scarcely in the movie unless a shot of his back counted. Looks like Cronander may have lost out his part to the Marine Corps. In the scene where Bosun Quincannon(Ward Bond) is giving a transfusion to a wounded flyer that they picked up from the ocean, Lt. Don Warford is portraying the wounded flyer and Marine Corps Lt. Colonel Richard Glaeser was acting as the executive officer of the ship. I suppose there had to be at least one marine in the movie, even though he had to play a sailor. Lt. James O'Neil was the diving officer.
John Ford said members of the Pacific Fleet Combat Camera Group from Ford Island, Oahu were great and were able to photograph scenes that would have to be faked in Hollywood. Officer in charge C. R. Eaton, who photographed underwater scenes with his assistant Charles Richards(AMC) and James Morrs(PHI) bolted their cameras to the bow of the submarine, donned lung tanks and stayed on deck as the sub dove 150 feet in 4 minutes to get the awe inspiring shot. Director of surface photography Lt. Commander C. W. Richey and his assistant Brian Hargreaves(PHC) and Russell Kuhn(PHI) were part of the 15 members of the experienced Pacific Fleet Combat Camera Group of motion picture men formed in 1951 after the outbreak of the Korean War the year before.
John Ford listened carefully as the Commander-in-Chief U.S. Pacific Fleet(CINCPACFLT) band played "Far Away Places" and "Anchors Aweigh" which were recorded. Listening and watching as Ford slowed the band down were sailors Donald Reed(EN3), Curtis Ross(SN), Dan Englehard(EN3), and Patrick Ridley(EM3) said the crew wore dungarees during filming. He was in one scene with Ward Bond during swim call.
Ken Curtis, who portrayed the USS Growler commander said he had never had a more enjoyable week and it was a rare privilege to know the lively young crew of the USS Queenfish. Ken Curtis and Ward Bond sang several evenings and the sailors said they cut some good recordings of their songs. Lt. R. E. Smith and W. C. Karnes(ENC) aboard the Queenfish watched the fleet band march off the pier which officially ended the filming of the movie.
THE GROWLER STORY premiered during the 57th Anniversary of the Navy's Submarine Service celebration at Pearl Harbor on April 11, 1957. There probably were a lot of tears shed that premiere day.
I hope that the still living participants of this movie and their relatives find out about the Blu-ray release of THE GROWLER STORY along with DONOVAN'S REEF. THE GROWLER STORY is a capsule of a time long ago, but not forgotten.
I gleaned a lot of this information on THE GROWLER STORY from newspaper accounts. The HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER in particular. Cecille Nation's column "Harbor, Hill & Point" was very informative. I get intrigued about a subject and start digging around and I never know what I'll find. I hope some of the youngsters involved in this short film can now see it on Blu-ray. The baby that Scottie Bogart is holding at the Congressional Medal of Honor ceremony would be 69 years old now.
Best, Walter S.
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