Discount Wake Island (1942)

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For those who haven't seen this film, the above line is spoken by William Bendix and refers to the constant Japanese naval and air bombardment of Wake Island that the U.S. Marines and civilians endured on the base. I have always been fascinated with "famous last stands" in American military history, and the story of Wake Island is one of the most famous.

This classic war movie, while over 60 years old, is still very meaningful and entertaining today. Yes, some of the historical details are missing, but the brave determination of the Wake Island garrison is wonderfully captured. Brian Donlevy, who was usually stuck in supporting roles, gets top billing this time and does a great job. And William Bendix, one of my favorite actors from this period, steals every scene he's in with his typical tough-guy-without-a-brain role!

Many will view the movie's portrayel of the Japanese as unfair and racist, but remember this movie was released only months after the attack on Pearl harbor. The special effects are obviously dated, but they are quite possibly the best from any 1940s war movie I've seen. The director did a good job of using authentic combat footage, except for the footage showing bi-planes(?!?).

Of course, with a war movie this old the usual cliches are present, but this movie was aimed at an America that cried for revenge. There are many scenes showing Americans dying, yet the eventual American defeat and especially the surrender of Wake Island are downplayed (the surrender isn't even included in the film). If you want to know the full story of Wake Island, there are several great books available. And if you love classic b & w war films, add this gem to your collection!

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While on my way to Vietnam. We had a stopover of about 2 hours on Wake Island. It was Hot! . From the air, it was just a polka dot in the middle of the Pacific. The first thing I wondered, why did anybody would want it. I read books about it and soon realized its strategic importance. But that was later, I was just in awe in just being there, where my fellow marines of 30 years before had fought a losing action.

While there I saw that they never got rid of the gun emplacements,that the Japanese planes that were shot down were sitll there and also the Wildcats that fought in the battle. I got to see the monument that was erected there and the graves of the construction workers that were later executed.

Seeing all this reminds me of Brian Donlevy as the courageous Marine officer in command and how he endevored to presevere against overwhelming odds. Rod Cameron as Capt. Bayler who becomes the "last man off Wake" and later the real Capt Bayler becomes the first man to return to Wake after the Japanese surrender.

William Bendix and Robert Preston as the two marines are the comedy relief but die valiantly in the end. Albert Dekker portrays the Construction boss who in the movie dies along with the other marines defending the last line of defense. In real life, both he and the marine and naval commander were sent to pow camps and survived the war. Special mention for Walter Abel who portrays the real commander and did not die during the battle. In real life, I believe his name was Cunningham,gave the order to surrender knowing it was futile to continue the fight.

Special kudos for MacDonald Carey for playing Capt. H. Elrod and possibly Maj. Putnam for the bravery of the Naval pilots who fought and died on Wake. Capt. Elrod, after the war, won the Congressional Medal of Honor, postumously.

Tbe battle scences are great, the dialogue crisp, the propaganda really overboard. But America at the time needed this, when everything was going wrong for her at this time. It was a story about defeat, but it was a glorious defeat.

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Tenacious in the face of overwhelming odds, a small force of U.S. Marines defend the strategically important Wake Island against a series of Japanese attacks in 1942's WAKE ISLAND, one of the very first combat movies of World War II. So early, in fact, that production on the movie began before the island fell in late December of 1941.

The real Wake Island fell after the U.S. military force, and a large number of civilian construction workers, surrendered. The movie WAKE ISLAND portrays a `last stand' battle with no survivors. Significantly, the movie opens with the image of a silhouetted bugler playing `Taps.' Scenes of leave taking at Pearl Harbor quickly follow, introducing us to major players Maj. Geoffrey Caton (Brian Donlevy) and Lt. Bruce Cameron (Macdonald Carey). Soon after we move down in class and meet the two representative of the common soldier, Pvt. Joe Doyle (Robert Preston) and Pvt. Aloysius K. 'Smacksie' Randall (William Bendix).

Joe and Smacksie spend their time bickering, bantering, slugging each other and dreaming of home Smacksie is to muster out within a week when we first meet him. Preston and Bendix are the comic relief, and they supply a rather heavy dose of it. Director John Farrow always included comedy in his movies, but some of the light-hearted moments in WAKE ISLAND surprised me. After all, in early 1942 the war wasn't going at all well for America, and Pearl Harbor and Wake Island both were painfully recent military defeats. Then again, perhaps laughter in the face of adversity and defiance in defeat boosts morale on the homefront.

In any event, the comedy doesn't undercut any of the heroism portrayed, and the understated and restrained Donlevy is just right as the commander facing impossible odds, or, as his character says of Wake Island , "It's a little strip of sand with a lot of water around it.... There's not much to defend, and not much to defend it with." The battle scenes are very well choreographed and considering that it was a rush job the end result is very polished. The transferred print is in good condition. Highly recommended.

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Today, Wake Island remains a lonely outpost and weather station frequented by Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force units on ASW training, semi-annual MSC supply visits, and continued USAF flights from Hickam Field, Oahu. Located in the Oceanic region at Lat. 19.2833 North and Long. -166.6536 East, temperatures rarely rise above 80 degrees Fahrenheit during December. But almost 60 years ago, it was pretty hot for those Warfighters in Dec 1941. Wake Island, a piece of U.S. territory, was practically seen on every USMC Recruiting Station poster and playing at local hometown theaters. Wake Islandthe moviewas released to the general public in late Aug 1942 to help boost morale back at home. This epic war film was made as a factual film chronicle, an authentic picturization of America at warthe first of its kind since a Japanese "stab in the back", on 7 Dec 1941, had changed the course of American history. Over 7,000 military personnel and their dependents first saw it when it was premiered all day long at Camp Elliott's base theater (near San Diego, CA), on 24 Aug 1942. In the making of this film, the United State Marine Corps provided Lieutenant Colonel Francis E. Pierce, USMC (later downed 6 confirmed Japanese aircraft, and C.O. of MCAD Miramar, 24 Oct 44-1 Apr 45) as technical advisor, and Lieutenant Colonel W. G. Farrell, USMC, as liaison officer. Never too far away was the supervising officer of the Marine technical staffBrigadier General Ross Erastus Rowell, USMC (CG 2d MAW; 1884-1947). Additionally, a special weapons detail comprising 60 Marines from Camp Elliott, under the command of Captain Nicholas Pesecans, USMC, manned and received valued training with the various heavy automatic weapons (.30 and .50 caliber machine guns, and a 37-milimeter anti-tank gun), including one 5-inch naval gun. Also, a squadron of eight F4F-3 Grumman fighters (assigned to 2d MAW) from NAS San Diego airfield, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John N. Hart (an old Annapolis classmate of Brian Donlevy, and later C.O. of VMO-251 at Espirito Santo) planned the USMC aerial combat against a group of Ryan SC low-wing monoplanes painted to duplicate the Japanese Nakajima96 fighters. They were flown by picture and test flyers led by Herbert L. White, and by Frank Clarkchief pilot of the film unit. Not being outdone, one PBY-5A was shown flown by a naval crew stationed at NAS San Diego. Then, there was the giant Pan American Airways "China Clipper" flying boat (a Martin M-130 with top speed 150 mph and 3,200 mile range), whose pilot dutifully took orders from Brian Donlevy. The three location sites for filming were: the Salton Sea, the Great Salt Lake, and the coastal firing range on Coronado Island's "Strand Beach." With Brian Donlevy (1901 1972) depicting Major James Patrick Sinnott Devereux (commander of the Wake Marine Detachment from 15 Oct 1941 23 Dec 1941; 1903-1988), there was Walter Abel (1898-1987; depicting island C.O., Commander Winfield S. Cunningham, USN); the comedy team of two USMC privatesRobert Preston Meservey (1918-1987) and William Bendix (this was William's second assignment under the Paramount banner; 1906-1964); Albert Dekker who played the tough civilian construction contractor (familiar to fans in two horror films of 1940Dr. Cyclops and Strange Cargo); and, young Edward MacDonald Carey (1913-1994) playing the heroic role as in real-life comparison to Major Paul A. Putnam (C.O. of VMF-221 fighter squadron consisting of twelve F4F-3 Grumman fighters). His serious respect for the USMC "Flying Leathernecks" would later get him an assignment with Colonel Walter L. J. Bayler, USMC (then Major Bayler, communications officer of MAG-21, better known to USMC as "the last man off Wake Island"). Thus, the audience of 1942 at all home theaters laughed, cried, and howled as the Marines goofed-off, fought one another, and hit hard the enemy landing force in the final scenes. There was the patriotic ChineseAmerican, Richard Loo (1916-1975), who portrayed the Japanese special envoySaburo Kurusu, on his way to Washington for "peace" negotiations. Who can forget that out of the tomato and carrot fields of Imperial Valley, CA, during the hot summer of 1942, some 150 loyal FilipinoAmericans did their patriotic part, too, as they volunteered to portray the invading Japanese forces (now known as the 1,000strong Maizuru 2nd Special Naval Landing Force). Director John Villiers Farrow (1904-1963) brought more than Hollywood skill to this film. He also brought an intimate knowledge of war. He was a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Canadian Navy until invalided out of service December 1941 after contracting typhus while on duty as executive officer of a Canadian ASW vessel operating in the South Atlantic. Wake Island was his first directing assignment in two years (in 1940 he directed A Bill of Divorcement). And, who would have known that from this film lovely Barbara Britton who played just a brief moment as the wife of the young Marine "Flying Leatherneck" pilot, played by Carey, would shortly after assist a Marine Recruiting Station in Los Angeles, CA. Finally, E. MacDonald Carey soon enlisted into the United States Marine Corps. He was sent to Parris Island, NC, on 7 Dec 1942, for recruit training. Then he was sent to OCS Quantico, VA, for officer traininggraduating in April 1943. Would you know it... his first assignment was as a Marine aviation maintenance officer for the Marine Air Group under the command of Colonel W. L. J. Bayler ("the last man off Wake Island") at newly established MCAS Cherry Point, NC. "What a Team!"

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"Wake Island" is the first really rousing film about the United States in World War II. Although a fictional account of the heroic defense of the small Pacific island base, which was attacked by the Japanese following the raid on Pearl Harbor, this 1942 film is a stirring story with some pretty realistic battle scenes staged by director John Farrow. Brian Donlevy stars as Major Geoffrey Caton, with Macdonald Carey as vengeful pilot Lt. Bruce Cameron. Comic relief is provided by Robert Preston and William Bendix as a couple of tough guy Marine privates, Joe Doyle and Aloysius K. "Smacksie" Randall, who are best pals. The sacrifices of these gallant but doomed Marine defenders constitutes a truly patriotic call to arms. "Wake Island" was considered a realistic portrait of how American fighting men had died defending this tiny Pacific atoll, and it is not an exaggeration to suggest it was the "Saving Private Ryan" of its day. I was on a military flight that stopped briefly at Wake Island and I read a book when I was younger that talked about how the defenders sunk a Japanese ship with anti-aircraft guns. Whatever liberties it might take with the facts of the Battle of Wake Island, the film serves as a stirring testimony to those who fought to the very end.