People unfamiliar with John Wayne's vast filmography are often surprised to discover he actually starred in a Cecil B. DeMille extravaganza, although everybody seems to recall "The Film with the Octopus" that Wayne made (it was actually a giant squid, but that's really unimportant). In actuality, DeMille, who early-on saw Duke's potential, twice attempted to team him with Gary Cooper in his productions (he had been seriously considered for the role of Buffalo Bill in "The Plainsman", and as the Mountie Preston Foster ended up portraying in "North West Mounted Police"). Each time, scheduling conflicts and studio pressure curtailed the pairings, and one can only daydream about what might have been...
"Reap the Wild Wind", the one film Duke DID make with DeMille (one of SEVEN 1942 productions he starred in), while not 'top-drawer', is still a rousing Technicolor adventure, offering another of DeMille's 'American history lessons'. A nautical tale set in the Florida Keys in 1840, of salvage ships, their stalwart captains, and greedy profiteers (embodied by Raymond Massey and Robert Preston), the film works best when sticking to the 'physical' action, despite a sparkling performance by Paulette Goddard as the head of one of two rival salvage companies.
Wayne is a hard-headed, impatient skipper who Goddard rescues and falls for, but when lawyer Ray Milland arrives on the scene to investigate Wayne's lost ship, the inevitable 'triangle' develops, with Duke misreading things, and aligning with rival Massey. Milland, top-billed, is given the meatiest role (and is excellent), but Wayne, who eventually comes to his senses, is actually quite good, as well.
Expect little subtlety (this IS a DeMille film!), some 'over-the-top' performances (Massey's hiss-able villain, Lynne Overman's crusty sailor), a 'star-in-the-making' turn by young Susan Hayward (who, 14 years later, would again work with Wayne, in the infamous "The Conqueror"), and the unforgettable (if not quite realistic) climactic confrontation with the squid (which DeMille plays to the hilt, not letting audiences know WHO sacrificed his life until the last moment).
"Reap the Wild Wind", while certainly a career 'boost' for the Duke, is not generally listed among his best films (or DeMille's), but remains an entertaining time-passer from early in WWII, the heady days of John Wayne's meteoric rise to superstardom.
"Reap the Wild Wind", the one film Duke DID make with DeMille (one of SEVEN 1942 productions he starred in), while not 'top-drawer', is still a rousing Technicolor adventure, offering another of DeMille's 'American history lessons'. A nautical tale set in the Florida Keys in 1840, of salvage ships, their stalwart captains, and greedy profiteers (embodied by Raymond Massey and Robert Preston), the film works best when sticking to the 'physical' action, despite a sparkling performance by Paulette Goddard as the head of one of two rival salvage companies.
Wayne is a hard-headed, impatient skipper who Goddard rescues and falls for, but when lawyer Ray Milland arrives on the scene to investigate Wayne's lost ship, the inevitable 'triangle' develops, with Duke misreading things, and aligning with rival Massey. Milland, top-billed, is given the meatiest role (and is excellent), but Wayne, who eventually comes to his senses, is actually quite good, as well.
Expect little subtlety (this IS a DeMille film!), some 'over-the-top' performances (Massey's hiss-able villain, Lynne Overman's crusty sailor), a 'star-in-the-making' turn by young Susan Hayward (who, 14 years later, would again work with Wayne, in the infamous "The Conqueror"), and the unforgettable (if not quite realistic) climactic confrontation with the squid (which DeMille plays to the hilt, not letting audiences know WHO sacrificed his life until the last moment).
"Reap the Wild Wind", while certainly a career 'boost' for the Duke, is not generally listed among his best films (or DeMille's), but remains an entertaining time-passer from early in WWII, the heady days of John Wayne's meteoric rise to superstardom.