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Donovan's Reef (1963)
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Overview
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Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
12 June 1963 (USA)
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Plot:
'Guns' Donovan prefers carousing with his pals Doc Dedham and 'Boats' Gilhooley, until Dedham's high-society...
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User Comments:
John Ford and John Wayne's last hurrah.....together
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Cast
(Complete credited cast)| John Wayne | ... | Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan | |
| Lee Marvin | ... | Thomas Aloysius 'Boats' Gilhooley | |
| Elizabeth Allen | ... | Ameilia Sarah Dedham | |
| Jack Warden | ... | Dr. William Dedham | |
| Cesar Romero | ... | Marquis Andre de Lage | |
| Dick Foran | ... | Australian Navy Officer Sean O'Brien | |
| Dorothy Lamour | ... | Miss Lafleur | |
| Marcel Dalio | ... | Father Cluzeot | |
| Mike Mazurki | ... | Sgt. Monk Menkowicz | |
| Jacqueline Malouf | ... | Lelani Dedham | |
| Cherylene Lee | ... | Sally Dedham | |
| Jeffrey Byron | ... | Luki Dedham (as Tim Stafford) | |
| Edgar Buchanan | ... | Boston Attorney Francis X. O'Brien | |
| Jon Fong | ... | Mister Eu |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
109 min
Country:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)
Certification:
Australia:PG |
USA:Approved (PCA #20357) |
West Germany:12 (nf) |
Finland:S |
Spain:T |
Sweden:11 |
Argentina:Atp
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In the movie Donovan and Gilhooley are supposed to share December 7th for their birthday. In real life, Mike Mazurki (Sgt. Monk Menkowicz) was born December 25, 1907.
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Goofs:
Continuity: Ameilia presents Gilhooley with a Christmas present then goes out back of the bar to confront Donovan. When she returns, not more than a couple of minutes later, Gilhooley already has the train set put together on the bar and is playing with it.
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Quotes:
Ameilia Sarah Dedham:
[reading inscription on monument] Princess Manulani, Commander William... Dedham? Michael Patrick Donovan... Thomas Al-oy-si-us Gilhooley...
Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan: Thomas Aloysius Gilhooley!
Ameilia Sarah Dedham: Does this mean there was actual fighting on this island?
Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan: Well, those gold stars don't stand for good behavior.
Ameilia Sarah Dedham: Well, tell me.
Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan: There's not much to tell. We got blown off our can... that's a destroyer, ended up here on the island. There was a big Jap base down there. So, we hid out back here in the hills... down in those caves. Tossed a few monkey wrenches into their machinery, threw 'em a few spitballs.
[...]
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Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan: Thomas Aloysius Gilhooley!
Ameilia Sarah Dedham: Does this mean there was actual fighting on this island?
Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan: Well, those gold stars don't stand for good behavior.
Ameilia Sarah Dedham: Well, tell me.
Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan: There's not much to tell. We got blown off our can... that's a destroyer, ended up here on the island. There was a big Jap base down there. So, we hid out back here in the hills... down in those caves. Tossed a few monkey wrenches into their machinery, threw 'em a few spitballs.
[...]
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From the very beginning of this movie you know what you have let yourself in for, when Lee Marvin belts the ship's bosun over the ear with a broom. Followed by, "Permission to leave the ship"; then literally jumps ship and swims for the beach. You realize then that you are in for 150 minutes of a Fordian, boisterous knockabout comedy.
This was the last time that Ford and Wayne would team up together. Maybe this production was a farewell rave-up for both of them. With Lee Marvin thrown in to assist in turning it into a roughhouse just for the hell of it. Added to this pugilistic mixture, you have the jumbo-sized heavyweight, Mike Mazurki, serving as a French Colonial Gendarme. As a welcome opposite to the boisterous muscle we have the smooth, suave Cesar Romero, oozing glossy charm and good manners, serving as the colonial governor of this supposed French Polynesian paradise. Add to that, Dorothy Lamour, back in the sarong after a long absence, as a duskey maiden-type decoration. The three children belonging to Doctor Dedham add a nice child-like innocence to this warring male atmosphere. Here the softer side of Big John comes to the surface when he tries to comfort the eldest of the three children who becomes emotional over her half-cast origins. Elizabeth Allen adds a well bred prim and proper touch of class to this nonsensical tropical South Pacific potion.
This movie then, has a friendly-like approach to bar room brawling with smiles thrown in. Harmless and bruising fun all the way. I always imagine that this kind of rough and tumble movie seems to be "cobbled" together...somehow. Then everything seems to fall into place at the end. The end result being order out of chaos.
It's a sad to think that nearly all the lead characters plus John Ford, have all faded out and gone to the big movie studio in the sky. God help anybody else up there with this lot! That's all.