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Wake of the Red Witch

Wake of the Red Witch

List Price: $14.98
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: RATHER CONFUSED SEA STORY
Review: Rivalry between East Indies magnate and adventuresome ship's captain over pearls and women. Nicely photographed but a bit confused, it's a rattling good action yarn told in flashback with adequate production values and decent performances with Luther Adler a standout. The hauntingly beautiful Gail Russell isn't seen until the final quarter of the film, but she's breathtaking as Angelique (in fact, she was such a luminous beauty she even made the young Liz Taylor look hard in comparison!).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: An old sea yarn
Review: This tale is narrated from the perspective of the first mate of "The Red Witch" when the incidents at the beginning of the film occur. Of all the characters in this tale, the narrator seems to have the most dignity. None of the characters are lacking in pride, and all but the women are greedy.

For a sea yarn set in the late 1800s, the sea captain has to be a bit of a rogue and a rascal, but still possess heart. This is difficult, in my opinion, for John Wayne. I have seen him in too many movies where he is the gallant working to save the day here. In this movie, he is trying to play a conniving sea captain, and I can't get past my image of him. This will make it difficult to understand his character.

To look at the story, the box is a little off. It places the focus where the movie does not focus its attention. The attention is on the relationship between Captain Ralls (Wayne) and Sidneye (Adler). Both are greedy, but have to have the other to give life some meaning. Parts of the story seem add a love story to bring in a wider audience, but it really doesn't flow, nor does it fit the story.

I would not go out of my way to see this movie, but if it happened to be on, I would give it a view.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: An old sea yarn
Review: This tale is narrated from the perspective of the first mate of "The Red Witch" when the incidents at the beginning of the film occur. Of all the characters in this tale, the narrator seems to have the most dignity. None of the characters are lacking in pride, and all but the women are greedy.

For a sea yarn set in the late 1800s, the sea captain has to be a bit of a rogue and a rascal, but still possess heart. This is difficult, in my opinion, for John Wayne. I have seen him in too many movies where he is the gallant working to save the day here. In this movie, he is trying to play a conniving sea captain, and I can't get past my image of him. This will make it difficult to understand his character.

To look at the story, the box is a little off. It places the focus where the movie does not focus its attention. The attention is on the relationship between Captain Ralls (Wayne) and Sidneye (Adler). Both are greedy, but have to have the other to give life some meaning. Parts of the story seem add a love story to bring in a wider audience, but it really doesn't flow, nor does it fit the story.

I would not go out of my way to see this movie, but if it happened to be on, I would give it a view.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Flawed Period Piece
Review: Whoever was responsible for the screenplay in this movie did not know much about the law of the sea. There is a scene in which the ship is at sea and the owner is giving orders to the captain. Give me a break! When a ship is at sea, the captain is in absolute command and has absolutely responsibility for the conduct of all persons aboard the ship. All other persons who are on board are either crew or passenger, and both are under the control of the captain. No sensible owner would have it any other way. First of all, under the Harter Act, an owner who undertook to run the ship directly could incur severe legal liability for any misconduct that occurred, and secondly, such an action would undermine the captain in his dealings with the crew and the passengers. Any captain who would put up with such demeaning conduct is a wimp who should be deprived of his command.


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