In Cecil B. DeMille's 1840 America, pretty Paulette Goddard (as Loxi Claiborne) is a Southern belle who runs a "salvage business" inherited from her daddy. After a hurricane hits the Florida Keys with "wild winds," Ms. Goddard heads out to inspect a ship wreck. She helps rescue the ship's manly skipper, a wounded and light-headed John Wayne (as Jack Stuart). Nursing Mr. Wayne back to health are Ms. Goddard and her superstitious mammy Louise Beavers (as Maum Maria). Goddard and Wayne kiss and pledge their love, although he must go to sea and she travels to Charleston with pretty cousin Susan Hayward (as Drusilla Alston). At a fancy tea party, Goddard sings a song badly. This doesn't bother the third part of the film's love triangle, seafaring ventriloquist and lawyer Ray Milland (as Stephen 'Steve' Tolliver)...
Getting cozy, Goddard and Mr. Milland exchange come hither looks and talk about marriage. As you might expect, the men clash over Goddard. Mr. De Mille gets some good costumes and color photography (by Victor Milner and William V. Skall) for his effort, but fails to make this an artful epic. Apparently, something approaching "Gone with the Wind" (1939) was intended. While nicely decorated, many of the ship set scenes seem directed to look small. The relationships between the three leads – Goddard, Wayne and Milland – is confused and juvenile. Better acting honors go to the squirrelly monkey, the talking dog and the giant squid; although Robert Preston (as Dan Cutler) somehow finds his character and makes it work. Still, the film was a success at the box office and won an "Academy Award" for special effects.
***** Reap the Wild Wind (3/18/42) Cecil B. DeMille ~ Paulette Goddard, John Wayne, Ray Milland, Raymond Massey
Getting cozy, Goddard and Mr. Milland exchange come hither looks and talk about marriage. As you might expect, the men clash over Goddard. Mr. De Mille gets some good costumes and color photography (by Victor Milner and William V. Skall) for his effort, but fails to make this an artful epic. Apparently, something approaching "Gone with the Wind" (1939) was intended. While nicely decorated, many of the ship set scenes seem directed to look small. The relationships between the three leads – Goddard, Wayne and Milland – is confused and juvenile. Better acting honors go to the squirrelly monkey, the talking dog and the giant squid; although Robert Preston (as Dan Cutler) somehow finds his character and makes it work. Still, the film was a success at the box office and won an "Academy Award" for special effects.
***** Reap the Wild Wind (3/18/42) Cecil B. DeMille ~ Paulette Goddard, John Wayne, Ray Milland, Raymond Massey