Rating: 
Summary: Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!
Review: Got nothing to do? Watch this movie! Over and Over again! Doesn't matter because John Wayne is fantastic no matter how many times you spin the reel. Lee Marvin is in his best role here. But John Wayne shows a man how to really be a man and shows a woman how to stand up and take notice! Great movie!
Rating:
Summary: A Top Ten JW movie!
Review: I have to give this 5 stars. I love 80% and just fast forward past the 20% I don't like, and walla!! A nice, short, fun, family friendly, non-disney entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: A Top Ten JW movie!
Review: I have to give this 5 stars. I love 80% and just fast forward past the 20% I don't like, and walla!! A nice, short, fun, family friendly, non-disney entertainment.
Rating:
Summary: Brawlers in Paradise
Review: In this comedy-drama Wayne plays WW2 veteran Michael "Guns" Donovan, who after being released returned to the South Seas island of Haleakaloa, scene of one of his greatest adventures, and settled down to become, over the 18 years since, a respectable businessman (the title comes from the classy saloon he owns, and he also has a fleet of sailing craft which ply the islands with passengers and freight). Also dwelling there is Boston-bred Dr. William Dedham (Warden), who stayed on after receiving word of his wife's death, married the granddaughter of the last hereditary prince of the island group, and had two daughters and a son by her before her death some five years ago. Complications begin when their old shipmate, Aloysious "Boats" Gilhooley (Marvin in one of his most delightful roles), dives off a passing ship and swims to shore to celebrate his and Donovan's shared birthday with their customary annual brawl, and continues when Dedham's daughter by his first wife, whom he has never seen, arrives with the intention of getting the doctor to sign over his shares in the family's shipping empire. Despite the bewildered protests of Leilani, the eldest member of Doc's second family, Donovan takes the children into his own apartment above the saloon and pretends they're his, fearing how the strait-laced Miss Amelia Dedham will react when she discovers she has "half-caste" siblings. Meanwhile the islanders are preparing for their regular observance of Christmas, complete with a visit by an Australian Navy corvette (with whose crew Donovan and Gilhooley have a second brawl) and a re-enactment of the Nativity (in which Gilhooley solemnly appears as "the King of America," complete with jauntily angled gold-paper crown). Despite the difference in their ages, Donovan and Amelia, with suitable stumbles, misunderstandings, and outright clashes (reminiscent of those between Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in "McLintock" and of the classic story line of Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew"), become attracted to each other and even overcome the slyly good-humored efforts of the island's French governor, the Marquis Andre LaLage (Cesar Romero), to sabotage the relationship so he can pay court to Amelia and use her millions to get out of what he views as "exile" (one especially delightful sequence occurs as he is dictating a letter to his cousin, a high official in the Colonial Service, to get him transferred). Dorothy Lamour plays the half-caste singer Fleur, whose pursuit of Gilhooley furnishes the secondary romantic interest; Mike Mazurki is wonderful as Monk, local Sergeant in the Foreign Legion; Edgar Buchanan has a small but telling role as the shrewd and plain-spoken attorney whose advice leads to Amelia's undertaking the voyage; Jon Fong is Mr. Yu, the Marquis's snappily-dressed secretary (Amherst, Class of '53); and Marcel Dalio plays Father Cleuzot, who ministers to the spiritual needs of the island-dwellers. Humor abounds, pathos is not missing, and the characters are unforgettable, splendidly cast, and well drawn. Even if you're not ordinarily a Wayne fan, you should give this film a try.
Rating:
Summary: Paradise Island
Review: John Ford does it again by producing and directing "Donovan's Reef." The film is and uproarious, action-packed comedy starring John Wayne.
The trouble starts for "Guns Donovan" (John Wayne) when and old navy buddy Thomas Gilhooley (Lee Marvin) appears on the South Pacific Island to celebrate their birthday and continue the yearly birthday brawl. Nobody knows how this event got started but the entire island has become a part of it.
The trouble continues for "Guns" when his old friend Doc Dedham's (Jack Warden) socialite daughter (Elizabeth Allen) decides to pay a visit unnounced to her estranged father. He has to play father to Doc's other children in order to hide their identity from her until Doc returns home.
Surrounding all of the roughhousing commotion is an all-star cast you have to see. Caesar Romero plays an outcast diplomat, Mike Mazurki, the island police, Marcel Dalio a hapless priest in search for a new rook for his church, and Dick Doran as an Australian Naval Officer. These comedic sidekicks offer laughs on the side.
If you like John Wayne, bar room brawls, and comedic characters, then you'll enjoy this film, and that's why I gave it a 5 star rating! This is a beer slamming comedy you can't miss!
Rating:
Summary: Paradise Island
Review: John Ford does it again by producing and directing "Donovan's Reef." The film is and uproarious, action-packed comedy starring John Wayne.
The trouble starts for "Guns Donovan" (John Wayne) when and old navy buddy Thomas Gilhooley (Lee Marvin) appears on the South Pacific Island to celebrate their birthday and continue the yearly birthday brawl. Nobody knows how this event got started but the entire island has become a part of it.
The trouble continues for "Guns" when his old friend Doc Dedham's (Jack Warden) socialite daughter (Elizabeth Allen) decides to pay a visit unnounced to her estranged father. He has to play father to Doc's other children in order to hide their identity from her until Doc returns home.
Surrounding all of the roughhousing commotion is an all-star cast you have to see. Caesar Romero plays an outcast diplomat, Mike Mazurki, the island police, Marcel Dalio a hapless priest in search for a new rook for his church, and Dick Doran as an Australian Naval Officer. These comedic sidekicks offer laughs on the side.
If you like John Wayne, bar room brawls, and comedic characters, then you'll enjoy this film, and that's why I gave it a 5 star rating! This is a beer slamming comedy you can't miss!
Rating:
Summary: Don't Take This Too Serious
Review: John Wayne does a great job at Playing John Wayne! This movie is not a serious work -- but rather it is a great excuse for the Duke and his posse to kick it in Hawaii. Navy buds, pretty girls, beautiful tropical scenery and a big bowl of popcorn makes for a great family night at home. It took me a long to find this movie, but fortunately I finally did. I can't even begin to count how many times my family and I have seen this great Wayne yarn.
Rating:
Summary: A fun movie from John Ford
Review: John Wayne is back in true form thanks to this enjoyable film from John Ford. John Wayne and Lee Marvin made a good team. They could match their drinks with punches. I liked Lee Marvin's Lionel train set. Good idea!
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING
Review: OUTSTANDING FLICK WITH "THE DUKE", & LEE MARVIN (Very Funny)
GREAT COMEDY. FANTATIC SCENERY, FANTASTIC MUSICAL SCORE! A must have!!
Rating:
Summary: Offbeat Christmas Story
Review: Perhaps the most underrated of all of John Wayne's films. Good clean fun, magnificent scenery, and a surprisingly thought-provoking story.
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