Die Hafenkneipe von Tahiti

My conceptions about the South Pacific were formed when I saw this movie at the Elm Theatre in Brooklyn growing up. It has an honored place in my collection.

First off that music does get you. Every John Ford film is marked by a great use of music, in his westerns the use of traditional western themes pace the action. Here in Donovan's Reef the music under the credits sets the mood for the story set on this South Seas Paradise.

Secondly this was the last film that John Ford made with John Wayne. I believe this is the most successful actor/director relationship in the history of film by just about any standard you want to use, box office, quality of work, etc. The partnership went out on a high note.

John Wayne's westerns are usually a self contained world that operates on the principles of his universe. This film does also, but here it is more believable. This mixed group of people really do know the secret of living and let living. And the outside world occasionally does intrude and violently as the World War II background of the principal characters demonstrates.

This is also a film about believing stereotypes. John Wayne, Lee Marvin and the rest of the island believe Elizabeth Allen will be a racist. She's hurt by the abandonment of her father (Jack Warden) but she does come to accept her half-siblings. The film is anti-racist, but it also teaches a great moral lesson in not making your mind up about people prematurely.

The comedy as in all Ford films is heavy handed, but I still crack up at Wayne and Marvin and their escapades.

This is what the definition of escapist entertainment is.

This film is not one of Johns best but it ranks pretty high. It's good to see John Wayne in something besides a cowboy movie. It has a great supporting cast. Lee Marvin out does his self in his role as the out cast friend who has the same birthday as John Wayne. Cesar Romero plays his part brilliantly as the French Ambassador. And the kids in this film could not have been cast better. Jacqueline Malouf plays her part as the teen age daughter of Jack Warden so convincingly you forget she was 22 at the time. And Cherylene Lee is the cutest little girl who ever played a part in the movies.

The plot is a little lame and Elizabeth Allen is a little young to be playing John Wayne's love interest. John Wayne appears to look the oldest of the three Americans who stayed on the island to help the inhabitants during WWII. But the movie comes off pretty good if you can over look the age difference. Besides, Wayne and Allen do work well together. I like to watch this movie from time to time. It's a feel good movie were everything comes out good in the end.

This was a beautiful film, not least because of the warm and lively music, and also because of the cool, sensual presence of Elizabeth, who died only recently. The comedy, as written above, could indeed be a little ham-handed, but there's no substitute for the scene when Amelia, riding the back of a jeep, is vaulted off the rear as it hits a bump and lands flat on her a**. John Wayne looks down at her and asks quietly, "Did you hurt your ---- self?" This is a pleasant, human drama, with a strong anti-racist message built around a great cast of characters. A solid, pleasing John Ford / John Wayne partnership, and Elizabeth Allen was a pure pleasure.

Not John Wayne's best movie, but one of my favourites. I love the locations, which I believe was Hawaii. It is just a fun movie to watch. The type of movie you don't have to think to hard about.

This was a fun outing for John Wayne in the spirit of McClintock (including the spanking). I always enjoy seeing actors that have worked well together re-teamed, and here you get the Duke back with his nemesis from a year before, Lee "Liberty Valance" Marvin. And they do a great job of delivering an hour and fifty minutes' worth of entertainment, aided and abetted by a great supporting cast, Cesar Romero especially standing out.

I was a little frustrated by the underutilization of Jack Warden and Mike Mazurki. In fact, the scenes with Jack Warden almost seemed to be from another movie (such as Woody Allen's INTERIORS), with a humorlessness at odds with the rest of the picture.

My personal disappointment as a fan of singing cowboy Dick Foran was having to wait and wait for his appearance and then have it over way too quickly. Though he did sing!