Wake of the Red Witch (1948) User Reviews

A little-known and unusual Wayne film

[Marlburian · 7/10 · 29 January 2010]

I enjoy most John Wayne films, notably his Westerns, and a long time ago read several books about him, but Wake of the Red Watch was all but unknown to me. (British TV frequently screens his better-known films butI can't recall "Wake" being shown before.)

It wasn't at all bad, if one overlooks some of the clichés and limited production values, and Wayne portrays a character more complex and less sympathetic than in any other of his films, even Red River and The Searchers.

Some of the plot twists were a bit hard to follow, and I'm still not sure about the relationship between Ralls and Sidneye - it seemed to mellow towards the end.

Before watching the film I hadn't bothered to note its date and, going on Wayne's youthful appearance and the unsophisticated aspects of filming and plotting, I guessed it was early 1940s. I was a little surprised to see that it was 1948, just as Wayne was about to film some of his greatest Westerns.

ONE OF JOHN WAYNE'S GREATEST FILM!

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 10 August 2003]

As other viewers have commented, I personally viewed this film when I only paid 35 cents for admission and it was well worth it. John Wayne was my idol and just the thought of going down under the water was extremely unimaginable and fighting all the horrible creatures we just read or heard about was never viewed on a big screen. (Radio was our only big entertainment and we had to use our IMAGINATION!) In 1948 the country had just gotten over WW II and Hollywood did not have all the special effects it has in 2000! I have viewed this film over and over again and still remember how it kept me on the edge of my seat. All future generations will do the very same thing and admire how much the film industry has advanced in their technology. This is a great John Wayne Classic and to find fault with it is uncalled for.

Mythical uneven story with great acting of Wayne and Russell

[NewInMunich · 7/10 · 25 September 2005]

This is kind of out-of-way stuff for the duke, closest he got to again in "Reap the wild wind". It is basically a Wuthering Heights of the Southern Seas, with a very young and slim Wayne being pulled into a story of intrigue and lost love by the most beautiful Gail Russell. Great pity that her early death prevented her from rising to true stardom, but she truly holds her own next to the Duke in this strange, patchwork story of a true love. If you can hold of it, view it and enjoy it. And it once again convinces me, that John Wayne could pull off almost everything convincingly, giving tribute to him being a real quality actor after all.

John Wayne's best performance. Great film.

[SanDiego · 26 May 2001]

After John Wayne starred in Cecil B. DeMille's answer to "Gone With the Wind," an epic called "Reap the Wild Wind," the Duke wanted to make a similar themed film but with more complex characters. John Wayne made "Wake of the Red Witch," a terrific follow-up that remakes elements of the original film but creates completely new situations and characters, and explores the dark side of people. Both films open with John Wayne as a 19th Century sea captain who's ship is scuttled for the rich cargo. In both films John Wayne fights a big octopus and is involved in a love triangle with a beautiful woman and his boss. The period, style, and sets are similar but there are differences in story. DeMille's story was set in the south and revolved around a southern belle who played with the affections of two men. The characters were somewhat one-dimensional (John Wayne the unquestionable good guy, Ray Milland the unquestionable rich playboy, Paulette Goddard the unquestionable flirt). "Wake of the Red Witch," set in the South Pacific, is much more complex. John Wayne's character is sometimes cruel and dishonest. He is driven by drunken rages to beat men and his performance is perhaps the best in his career. As the camera closes in on his face there is true madness in his eyes and the strength and anger he possesses is truly frightening. In one scene where he has just punched out his crew and jumped ship, running violently through the jungle toward the woman he loves (Gail Russell), he is a monster. The entire story is told by a member of John Wayne's crew (Gig Young) and we are first introduced to John Wayne as a heartless and corrupt captain. As the story unfolds we see a much more complex mystery involving the captain's rich nemesis who respects the captain as a hero and worthy opponent and has driven John Wayne to madness. The end plays out as a haunting romance as the love between the captain and the woman he adores (and who has married his enemy) conquers all amongst all the tragedy. I would suggest you see Cecil B' DeMille's "Reap the Wild Wind" first as it is much less satisfying and might be disappointing compared to the complexity of "Wake of the Red Witch," though both films are terrific entertainment and showcase John Wayne at his non-western best. Note: In the film, The Red Witch (a sailing ship) is owned by a company called Batjac, a name the Duke would use as the name of his own film company.

Full to the gunwales

[tomsview · 6/10 · 25 December 2012]

If ever a movie deserved the expression, "they don't make 'em like this anymore", it is "Wake of the Red Witch". Set in the South Seas during the mid-Nineteenth Century it stars John Wayne as Captain Ralls, a tough ship's master, and a man embittered by unhappy memories. Ralls has fallen in love with the same woman as Mayrant Sydneye, a powerful trader played by Luther Adler, setting in motion a rivalry that is mutually destructive.

The film contains two extensive flashbacks that reveal the reasons behind Ralls' bitterness. Although flashbacks were a staple of movies at the time, "Wake Of The Red Witch" contains flashbacks within flashbacks, giving the film more layers than the linoleum on an old kitchen floor.

"Wake Of The Red Witch" also has a number of scenes that rely on special effects for their impact.

The special effects crew must have buckled at the knees when informed that the script called for a battle with a giant octopus over a chest full of pearls, a native diver trapped by a giant clam, a couple of shipwrecks and finally, a sunken ship sliding off a rock shelf into the depths below.

When John Wayne wrestles the octopus, he doesn't actually wrap the tentacles around himself like Bela Lugosi did in Ed Wood's "Bride of the Monster", but it's close. Incidentally, it's the same octopus. The South Sea island settings were also a challenge for the set designers, and tend to resemble a K-Mart garden centre.

Of more concern is the way Wayne falls in and out of character. From the driven and ruthless Ralls in the earlier scenes, he becomes the tough, but warm-hearted character familiar to anyone who has seen films such as Rio Bravo or Sons Of Katie Elder – all that was needed to completely dispel the mood would have been for him to don a cowboy hat.

That "Wake Of The Red Witch" works at all is due to its outlandish, larger-than-life story, Wayne's personal magnetism, and to very good work by the supporting cast. Luther Adler as Mayrant Sydneye projects power and menace but also invests his character with enough humanity to gain sympathy. Through his portrayal, the conflict with Ralls attains a depth that just about saves the movie.

Gail Russell as the doomed Angelique also shines in her role. She provides the perfect foil to Wayne's testosterone charged Ralls, making believable his transformation into the gentle, sensitive lover he becomes in her company.

"Wake Of The Red Witch" is so over-the-top it almost defies criticism. Later in his career, John Wayne would bring a certain amount of self-parody to his roles but in "Wake of the Red Witch" he plays it straight. He inhabits his character by sheer screen presence rather than by any finely honed acting chops. However for Wayne fans that is probably enough.

Story of Hatred and Love in Indonesia Sprawls.

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 14 July 2008]

I'll bet the novel was a corker, big and fat, because the movie that Republic made out of it is pretty complicated. The fundamentals are clear enough though. John Wayne is Master of the Red Witch in 1860 and, with the complicity of his first mate, Gig Young, runs her aground and sinks her along with her cargo of millions of dollars in gold. Young believes that Wayne does it for the money, but in fact, as we learn through a series of flashbacks, he's doing it chiefly because he hates the owner of the ship, the phenomenally wealthy Luther Adler.

The mutual hatred goes back seven years, to a time when Adler, dead heading it on one of his ships -- he owns many -- plucked Wayne out of the water and saved him from death by shark. At the next port, they both fall for Angelique Desaix, Gail Russel, and it's easy to see why. She's more of a blue-eyed, black-haired ghost than a young woman. She's strikingly attractive. Her pale beauty has a lunar sheen. And when she manages to raise her voice above a whisper it sounds like a high school girl's. She seems shy in front of the camera. She WAS shy. It's all very magnetic, enough to make any normal man sit her on his knee and whisper reassurances while he nibbled her ear.

Well, Russel falls for one of the two men. She has a choice between the young, vigorous, handsome, tall, plain-spoken Wayne, and the squat, greedy, insinuating, lizard-eyed Luther Adler. Guess which one she chooses? Not that it does her any good. Her tradition-bound French father arranges her marriage to Adler. Wayne stalks off. Russell is heart broken.

One thing leads to another. Adler is bound to a wheelchair by the disease that kills Russell. Pearls come and go. Ships blow up. And millions of dollars of gold that belong to Adler sit in the belly of the sunken Red Witch, whose location is known only to Wayne.

Wayne's performance is about at par. That is to say, he's John Wayne. That slow drawl, that slight grin, all seemed to define his range as an actor. He never changed much during his career and came eventually to believe in his own legend. (He was hesitant about admitting that he had lung cancer because the public Duke should not be laid low by a disease.) He seemed not to recognize it when he showed his considerable talent in character roles in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon," for instance, or "True Grit." After "The Wake of the Red Witch," I don't think he ever allowed his screen character to approach villainy so closely.

In any case, this may be Luther Adler's film. He's the most talented actor in it and his role is the most complex. Adler's rage towards Wayne animates his days. It has joined his lust for pelf as his chief reason for living. It may have saved his life from the disease that crippled him. At one point, a meddlesome Dutch official tells Adler that his understanding is that bad blood exists between him and Wayne. Priceless, the way Adler rolls his eyes innocently, wonderingly, and replies, "Ohh, NOOOO." It's about the only comic moment in an otherwise dramatic film. And the plot itself doesn't add up to much. There's a lot of hooey about Wayne killing a giant octopus and being called "Son of Taratua", a white god, by "the natives." There's a Pearl Festival. There's a speech by Wayne about how a man can breathe free on a ship under sail. None of it makes me want to read the novel.

Pearls Before Swain

[writers_reign · 7/10 · 9 October 2008]

This will provide a treat for those nostalgic for the kind of 'character' and 'supporting' actors that once fleshed out every film that came out of Tinsel Town. For me the attraction was Luther Adler, scion of a great acting family (father, Jacob, sister Stella) who did sterling work with the Group Theatre but made only a handful of films. Here he is cast as the type of 'heavy' played around the same period by the likes of George MacReady, Elliot Sloane, etc. Also on hand is Paul Fix, Jeff Corey and third featured male Gig Young, a good ten years before he evolved into 'friend of the leading man', in the shapes of Rock Hudson, James Garner etc. The plot is more or less Wuthering Heights with seaweed and in the Heathcliff role Duke Wayne acquits himself reasonably well whilst Gail Russell trades heavily on her fragile beauty and lacks the spine of a Cathy Earnshaw. Nevertheless it's an entertaining romp from Republic and worth a look.

John Wayne as a Villain?

[JamesHitchcock · 6/10 · 15 September 2015]

"The Wake of the Red Witch" is a curious film in that it stars John Wayne as a villain, or at least as something closer to a villain than to the sort of clean-cut characters Wayne usually played, or even to his flawed heroes in films like "The Searchers" and "The Shootist". The story is based upon what the opening credits call the "famous best- selling" novel by Garland Roark. (Well it might still have been famous in 1948, only two years after it was published, but since then both it and its author have sunk into obscurity). It is a melodramatic seafaring yarn which owes something to Joseph Conrad. Wayne's character Captain Ralls is a ship's captain in the Dutch East Indies during the 1860s. When we first meet him he is preparing to intentionally wreck his own ship, the "Red Witch", which is carrying a valuable cargo of gold bullion, by grounding it on a reef. After he does so he is called before a court of inquiry, but before the court can reach its verdict the case is dropped by the ship's owner, Mayrant Sidneye.

In 1950 Alfred Hitchcock caused some controversy by including a "lying flashback" in "Stage Fright". Flashbacks had traditionally been used to reveal the true situation, so Hitchcock's use of the device to show one character's false account of events, without revealing to the audience until later in the film that this account was indeed false, came as a surprise to many. Here, however, in a film made two years earlier, director Edward Ludwig does something almost equally controversial. He presents us with two contradictory flashbacks; one is told from the viewpoint of Sidneye and the other, although it is narrated by a secondary character, Sidneye's niece Teleia Van Schreeven, essentially tells us Ralls's side of the story. It is already clear that the two men are enemies of long standing, and the two flashbacks, taken together, explain the reason for their enmity, why Ralls sank the Red Witch and why Sidneye dropped the proceedings against him. The full story is too complicated to set out here, but it revolves around their rivalry for the love of the same woman, Angelique.

The highly melodramatic plot, in fact, gets a bit too convoluted at times and can be difficult to follow. The film has other weaknesses as well. Wayne never seems completely at home playing Ralls, a man driven at least in part by jealousy, greed and desire revenge, and considerably more complex than the average John Wayne hero. Gail Russell, who had also starred with Wayne the previous year in "Angel and the Badman", is a bit insipid as the lovely Angelique. The scene where Ralls has to fight a giant octopus, which is guarding a treasure of pearls, is horribly unconvincing. (This scene may have inspired a similar scene in another seafaring yarn from a few years later, "Pearl of the South Seas", which features an even more ludicrously unconvincing giant octopus).

On the other hand, Luther Adler is good as the greedy and obsessive shipping magnate Sidneye, and Ludwig's unusual narrative style does enough to hold our interest. "The Wake of the Red Witch" is far from being a classic of the cinema, but it still remains watchable today. 6/10

A Patchwork of a Film, redeemed by the strength of its characterizations

[twm-2 · 8/10 · 4 February 2005]

Essentially a "Wuthering Heights" on the high seas, this occasionally confusing film is really a piecing together of two previous films: The 1939 version of the Bronte Classic, and the 1942 Cecil B. DeMille actioner, "Reap the Wild Wind." Scenes from both of these films have been lifted whole from the originals and welded into the flimsy supporting latticework of its plot. What weaknesses the film has, however, are more than made up by the vividness of the characterizations, a powerful romance, and one of the best portrayals of a grudging symbiotic relationship in cinema.

The plot revolves around three characters, Ralls (John Wayne), ship's captain with a dark and dangerous side, Mayrant Sidneye (Luther Adler), an ubber-wealthy shipping magnate, and the beautiful Angelique (Gail Russell)--focal point for the romance. (There is a fourth "main" character, Sam, played by Gig Young, but he serves only as observer and narrator.) Ralls and Sidneye have a curious, bitter rivalry. Clearly, these men have a long history between them--a history which goes back much farther, and is much more complex than can be explained by their competition for Angelique's affections. Indeed, it is the relationship between these two men that powers this movie along, much more than the wonderfully played romance. These men hate and despise one another, yet there is clearly a grudging respect between them--and something more. Here are two men whose very existence and reason for being depends on the other. Every move they make is calculated as to its effect on their adversary. Though their mutual hatred extends well into the murderous range, neither would ever conceive of killing the other. So tied up in each other's fate are they that they would do just as well to kill themselves.

**SPOILERS** The doomed romance plays out between the three principles much as it does in the aforementioned '39 film "Wuthering Heights," complete with a virtual duplication of the dying scene--in this case with Angelique in Ralls' arms, looking out to the sea (instead of the heather), with Sidneye, the husband, looking helplessly on. That this is a virtual copy of the love story from the earlier film does not detract much from its power, as these three actors are at their riveting best, almost making us forget the Olivier/Oberon/Niven flimization. Luther Adler is terrific in his perhaps finest role. He makes his obsession with Ralls palpable, both his hatred and respect seem to ooze from his pores in equal measure. Though his character is confined to a wheelchair, his power is never doubted, making him every bit the match for his more physically imposing rival. Gail Russell is an actress whose flame died out too quickly. Here she gives us one of her two best performances, the other being in "Angel and the Badman" from the year before which also starred John Wayne. Though the main focus is on the two male characters, her luminous, fragile Angelique gives the viewer a sympathetic refuge from the often ruthless machinations of Ralls and Sidneye.

Undeniably, John Wayne gives one of his best--and most complex-- performances here. That he was an excellent actor should be undisputed, though too often he found himself in roles where he played one-dimensional characters that would have bored except for his considerable charisma. Here, his character is alternately charming and broodingly malevolent, given to alcohol fueled bouts of violence and self-loathing, his motivations are often morally ambiguous. Wayne hits all of these notes with perfect pitch, and does something many actors would not have been able to accomplish--he makes us care about this often unlikable personality through the sheer force of his remarkable screen presence. It is this performance, most of all, that keeps "The Red Witch" from sinking under the bleak, sometimes oppressive weight of its plot.

Wayne shows real chemistry with Gail Russell

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 6 February 2023]

In this maritime melodrama from Republic Pictures and director Edward Ludwig, a new ship's officer Sam Rosen (Gig Young) finds himself stuck in the middle of a complicated revenge plot by grim ship's captain Ralls (John Wayne) and shipping magnate Sidneye (Luther Adler). As Rosen slowly learns of the two men's past, he finds himself just as entangled in their agendas as they are.

This was another of Republic's attempts at prestige filmmaking, made as Wayne's stardom was reaching its full heights. I have to say that Wayne's performance is pretty darn good, showing a range of emotion and depth of character. He seemed to have a real rapport with co-star Gail Russell, judging by this and Angel and the Badman. Much of the movie is rather hokey, though, and dragged out. Wayne gets to wrestle an octopus and go deep-sea diving, so any flashbacks to Reap the Wild Wind are understandable. Speaking of the octopus, this is the same prop that was later filched by the crew of director Ed Wood for use in his immortal classic Bride of the Monster. This movie must have been a special one for Wayne, as he named his production company Batjac after the shipping firm in the film.

"Lift me up so I can look at the sea...your sea!"

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 26 April 2008]

Half of a good movie. John Wayne plays a sea captain set adrift on the waters after a falling out with natives on an island in the East Indies; he's soon picked up by another ship but butts heads (in a gentlemanly fashion) with that captain, a well-respected shipping magnate, especially after they return to the native island and both men fall in love with a beautiful white girl. Mostly told (rather unnecessarily) in flashback, there are two treasure dives--the first for pearls and then for gold--yet by the time we get around to the second pillage, all the wind has gone out of this movie's sails. At a certain point passed the first hour, the narrative flashes seven years ahead into the future--and then proceeds for more time!--leaving viewers far behind. Gail Russell is indeed lovely as the woman who comes between the two ego-fed men, but her role turns the film from a sea-faring adventure story into a star-crossed, doomed-lovers romance, and the results are all wet. The Duke is fun wrestling with an octopus, saving a native boy from the piercing clamp of a giant clam, or mouthing off to whomever is in charge; he's at his most robust and handsome here, but his performance doesn't bolster the wayward plotting and his final scene is a real let-down. ** from ****

Wayne and Russell at their best

[rsda · 10/10 · 28 July 2004]

Wake of the Red Witch may be John Wayne in his most demanding role. He plays Captain Rawles who skuttles the Red Witch to later go back and rescue it's treasure in gold bullion. Wayne has never has so many colorful character elements in any film. And along side the beautiful Gail Russell, he manages his best performance. Ms. Russell as Anglelique is at her most beguiling and tragic. Her death scene in which Wayne carries her, dying, to look at the sea once more is as powerful as the death scene in "Wuthering Heights" which it is lifted from. The main advantage here is that Gail Russell is more vulnerable and beautiful than Merle Oberon was in "Heights" And the last scene with John and Gail at the wheel of the ghost ship, Red Witch is a never to be forgotten Hollywood film moment.

Haunting!

The plot of this flick is so confusing that the packagers . . .

[oscaralbert · 6/10 · 25 October 2015]

. . . of its 2001 Artisan "John Wayne Collection" DVD release could not even keep the main facts straight themselves on their WAKE OF THE RED WITCH jewel case. Angelique, the brunette flashback chick, is the NIECE--not the "daughter"--of Evil Island Commissioner Desiax. First Mate Rosen's blonde chick of the present, Teleia, also is only the niece--not the daughter--of Angelique and Captain Sidneye. Where the parents are of all these nieces running around underfoot in this story NEVER is explained; nor is the alleged existence of Angelique's daughter ever fleshed out. (Sometimes it might be wise to spring a few bucks and cast a few "extras" to make plot points a little more plausible.) Maybe one should not be too harsh in blaming the Artisan copy writers, as this flick is NOT close-captioned, preventing them from rechecking anything on the nonexistent subtitles, and the sound of many scenes has NOT been digitally restored, leaving it virtually inaudible (and forcing the poor Artisans to work under "garbage in, garbage out" conditions). John Wayne fans may wish to skip this picture, as the Duke's character "Capt. Ralls" is a drunken loser who flogs his sailors on capricious whims and destroys a Native Islander religion and deity. Capt. Ralls loses a pearl, loses his girl, loses his ship, loses ANOTHER ship, loses a cargo of gold bars, and loses his life. The final scene shows explicitly that this man is better off dead.

Octopus's Garden

[wes-connors · 4/10 · 27 April 2008]

Hired "Red Witch" skipper John Wayne (as Captain Ralls) vies with financier boss Luther Adler (as Mayrant Ruysdaal Sidneye) for not only the love of beautiful Gail Russell (as Angelique), but also five million dollars in gold bullion. Their tale is told in "flashback" style, by fellow traveler Gig Young (as Sam Rosen).

The story might be described as a "Heart of Darkness" attempt to adapt Wayne's "Reap the Wild Wind" into Laurence Olivier's "Wuthering Heights". The flashbacks do not really help build dramatic tension; rather, they make the story more confusing. Despite the presentation, the characters emerge as somewhat interesting, especially good is Mr. Adler's portrayal. There is some ambitious underwater camera-work, which fails, due to, for example, an unremarkable editing in of Wayne close-ups.

Everyone tries awfully hard to make "Wake of the Red Witch" hunt, but it doesn't.

**** Wake of the Red Witch (12/30/48) Edward Ludwig ~ John Wayne, Gail Russell, Luther Adler, Gig Young

Wild, dreamlike seafaring tale of stolen love

[shakercoola · 6/10 · 23 July 2019]

An American romantic adventure; A story set in the East Indies in 1875 and onwards, about an ongoing bitter rivalry between two men of the sea: the owner of the Dutch shipping company Batjak Limited, and the Captain of one of its ships. Based on the best selling novel in its day, this is a film which is creditable for its dynamic performance from John Wayne as the hard-drinking, unbalanced ship captain driven by love and hatred. Gail Russell plays her part delicately as the love interest, soft but provocative. Luther Adler gives a strong performance as the foil, elaborate and tricky. The production values are satisfactory with crisp photography of locations and underwater diving, but some scenes have lo-fi special effects. The picaresque story, while heart-rending and haunting, rambles along its long narrative time and may hinder a viewer's full immersion in the interest and suspense.

Worth seeing!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 15 August 2017]

Copyright 24 February 1949 by Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Mayfair: 9 January 1949. U.S. release: 1 March 1949. U.K. release through British Lion: 6 June 1949. Australian release through British Empire Films: 17 November 1949. 10,030 feet. 111 minutes.

NOTES: Filming from mid-July 1948 to early November 1948.

COMMENT: Superbly photographed, Garland Roark's solid adventure yarn boasts an arresting title, a great cast and a most promising story — all somewhat undermined by occasionally lethargic direction and unadventurous film editing. Judicious cutting by around twenty minutes would instantly convert an often feeble and unexciting picture into a ripping tale of derring-do and intrigue. True, it passes muster as is — just!

Wayne's performance is not only hard-hitting in itself but is adroitly given added impetus by contrast with the beautifully fragile and graceful Gail Russell. Mind you, we have to wait a mighty long time for Miss Russell's entrance. This is one of the plot's problems. Another is that the story is basically told in one long flashback, with two additional scenes later pegged on by another witness.

The large roster of support players is justly dominated by Luther Adler (who wages a successful but continuous battle against unconvincing make-up), Paul Fix (as the hero's obligatory pal), Gig Young (as the patsy narrator), the lovely Adele Mara (as the patsy's vis-à-vis), Grant Withers (a sadistic but not over-bright Youngeur), Henry Daniell (French and patronizing), Dennis Hoey (jovial minion of the law) and Jeff Corey (the dispossessed first mate). The rest are mostly walk- ons.

Wake of the Red Witch

[CinemaSerf · 7/10 · 5 January 2023]

John Wayne is veteran skipper "Capt. Ralls" who discovers that his employer has pinched his girlfriend - "Angelique" (Gail Russell) so with revenge in mind, he runs his ship - laden with $5m in gold bullion - aground at a secret location and is soon on the run from his erstwhile boss who knows the scuttling was deliberate and who wants his loot back! What ensues now are series of entertaining escapades as Duke wrestles all sorts of giant sea monsters; tries out pearl fishing; saves his best pal and tries to get his gal back - all as well as salvaging his plunder and staying one step ahead of the scheming "Sidneye" (Luther Adler). It's a well constructed, fairly action-packed film this - and it gives the star much more chance to demonstrate a little more depth to his character, with a script and pace that gives the story quite a compelling nature. Adler is great as the sleazy magnate, and the direction creatively uses the sweaty and moist environment to good effect - you almost expect Orson Welles to appear somewhere. It doesn't always work - there are some flatter moments especially in the third quarter of the film, but it all picks up well and Russell is on really good form engendering some charming and lively chemistry with both of her gentleman friends. I was a little underwhelmed by the conclusion, but all told this is certainly at the top end of any of their work - and it is well worth a watch.

An unusual escapade

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 19 August 2018]

WAKE OF THE RED WITCH is an unusual outing for John Wayne and a far cry from the typical western pictures that he's best known for. Here he plays a grizzled sea captain who hunts for a hidden fortune, fights with powerful rivals, and romances a girl in exotic climes. The story is slightly episodic and unusually downbeat, with harsh characterisation and an emphasis on conflict throughout, but it also feels quite fresh and engaging and the change of scenery for the star works well. It also has the inimitable scene of Wayne battling a giant octopus, which is worth the admission price alone.

The Duke Cuts a Romantic Figure

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 1 July 2006]

I have to say that for all those other reviewers who compared Wake of the Red Witch to Wuthering Heights I am grateful. I'd never really thought of it that way, but it is definitely true.

The Duke is hardly the classically trained actor that Laurence Olivier is, but as I've remarked in other reviews his was one of the great faces for movie closeups. His expressions are worth ten pages of dialog. And he is probably in his most romantic role as Captain Ralls of the Red Witch.

Of course this film is most compared to Reap the Wild Wind where also for romantic reasons, John Wayne piled a ship on the reefs and later went after the salvage. But though the other film is a big budget product from one of the premier studios, Wake of the Red Witch is a much better story.

The story is seen through the eyes of Gig Young as Wayne's first mate. Wayne sinks the Red Witch because his employer, the malevolent Luther Adler has taken the lovely Gail Russell from him, through the connivance of her father Henry Daniell.

Wayne gets not one, but three underwater scenes unlike in Reap the Wild Wind. He rescues young Fernando Alvarado from a giant claim, kills a giant octopus for native pearls and searches for gold bullion on the sunken Red Witch. All the sequences are nicely done.

The ending, some elements of Wuthering Heights are here. But I think it has more of a Maytime flavor to it.

Awesome special effects

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 9 September 2023]

When sea captain John Wayne crashes and sinks his own ship, no one knows why. His first mate, Gig Young, is a loyal friend and follows him to his next job: working on a little fishing boat. It turns out Duke has had a master plan in mind for years, and all his mistakes have really been steps along the path. Cue the flashbacks.

It might sound a little boring to you, but Wake of the Red Witch is very exciting. A tense period piece with grudges, lost loves, and revenge schemes is always interesting to me, and the setting of a wild and stormy sea makes it all the more captivating. Director Edward Ludwig had his hands full and delivered wonderfully. The special effects and underwater scenes will make audiences wonder how it was filmed without technology. I've seen this movie a couple of times, and it still awes me. If you're looking for a cross between The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Down to the Sea in Ships, and Reap the Wild Wind, you've found it.

One of the Duke's most uneven films--and overall one well worth skipping

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 14 February 2007]

I've seen almost all of John Wayne's films (aside from a few of his early B-Westerns) and one of the last I still hadn't seen was this film. So naturally, I was excited to finally see this flick--even if the idiots who produced the videotape DID colorized it (yuck)!! Unfortunately, my long wait was not rewarded and instead I saw one of John Wayne's worst films of the 1940s. I think this is due to two main reasons. First, the script is wildly uneven and seems like a patchwork instead of a coherent script. While SOME aspects of it I liked (such as how the reason for Wayne's supposedly cowardly actions are only revealed later in the film--this was a creative way to weave the story), most of it was just a mess and the film was incredibly cheesy. In many ways, it was a lot like a remake of REAP THE WILD WIND--complete with the crappy giant octopus attacking the Duke while he was diving. Second, Wayne's part was also terribly uneven and his character seemed, at times, like a jerk--and once again, a lot like the guy he played in REAP THE WILD WIND. His beating the crap out of people while drunk and his moodiness in the film was a major turn-off. He just wasn't terribly likable. The romance also seemed under-developed and it just wasn't all that compelling. In fact, nothing about this film was all that likable and it is at best a mediocre time-passer. It's a shame as I was prepared to really like it.

By the way, as of 2/07, three reviewers gave this film a 10! Even if I am being overly harsh, I just can't see how this movie merits a 10. Is this to say that this film is as good or better than THE SEARCHERS, IN HARM'S WAY, THE SHOOTIST, STAGECOACH, THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE, THE QUIET MAN, FORT APACHE or SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON?!?! In fact, if I tried, I am sure I could think of dozens of Wayne's films that are simply better.

Interesting plot and cast with intrigue around the sea

[SimonJack · 8/10 · 4 September 2013]

I agree with others who liked this 1948 Republic gem of a film. And, although I could see where the story seemed disjointed at times, I think that worked in the film's favor. After all, this is a story of intrigue. Should not the plot have some mystery and inexplicable parts to it? I'm probably not the only movie reviewer here who did not read the book the film is based on. Nor had I ever heard of the book or its author, Garland Roark. I did look him up and found that he wrote a number of seafaring adventures as well as Westerns.

So, I thought the plot developed very nicely with the right amount of intrigue mixed in with some action, sea scenes, and romance. We gradually discover the background of the animosity between John Wayne and his nemesis, played quite ably by Luther Adler. The acting was very good all around, with Adler and "Duke" having the more dramatic and expressive parts.

I enjoyed John Wayne in most of the films he did outside his usual genres of Westerns and War flicks. Besides the good acting and plot, "Wake of the Red Witch" had some good cinematography with sea and sailing shots, and very good underwater action. All of this adds up to a very good and entertaining film.

One of Duke's stranger parts

[utgard14 · 5/10 · 8 October 2017]

One of John Wayne's more divisive and different films from the 1940s. He plays a semi-villainous sea captain out to settle a score with a shipping tycoon. It's one of Duke's darker roles and as such it allows him to flex his acting muscles a bit. He does well in the role but, ultimately, it's not a good picture. What does it in is the downbeat story and muddled characterization. Luther Adler plays the guy Duke is seeking revenge against. I don't even know if he's the villain or Duke is, which is one of the more baffling parts of the film as both are shown to be bad guys in different ways. Gail Russell plays the woman at the heart of their troubles. I would say she was underutilized but her performance isn't the best so perhaps less was better in this case. Paul Fix and a mustachioed Gig Young play Duke's friends. Most people who check this out are going to dislike it, I think. But it is fascinating in a way, especially for someone who has seen most of John Wayne's work. Speaking of which, this bears a few similarities to another Wayne film about love triangles and men at sea - Reap the Wild Wind.

Wake Of The Red Witch Catches John Wayne In The Wake of Red River

[oldblackandwhite · 8/10 · 1 April 2011]

The first thirty minutes or so of Wake Of The Red Witch has so many characters, and it's so hard to figure out what's happening, it may remind you of The Big Sleep. After two lengthy flashback sequences, told by two different characters, the waters of the plot were a little less muddy. Unfortunately, at that point the story slowed down and sagged a little. Nevertheless, this is a very exotic (as in strangely but appealingly different) and entertaining movie and a different direction for John Wayne, who plays one of the most sinister and cruelest characters of his career.

Republic Pictures was a studio with a reputation for making movies on the cheap without the final product looking cheap. Most of their output were programmers, but they liked to turn out one or two "quality productions" per year. It looks as if Wake Of The Red Witch with a budget of over $1,200,000 was the quality of 1948. The movie premiered in Houston, Texas in late 1948 but did not get a general release until March 1949, which probably indicates some re-editing and perhaps new scenes. It has a terrific cast, headed by Wayne and Gail Russell, excellently supported by Gig Young, Adelle Mara, Luther Adler, Henry Daniel, Eduard Franz, Paul Fix, and Grant Withers. Edward Ludwig's direction is sharp, especially considering the complex script handed him by screen writers Harry Brown and Kenneth Gamet. Cinematography by Reggie Lanning is up to the best standards of beautiful back and white era. Though there is some obvious back projection in places, the South Sea sets by John McCarthy, Jr. and George Milo are lush and convincing, and stock footage from other movies (one of Republic's favorite cost-cutters) is blended in flawlessly. On the other hand the fluid editing we take for granted in pictures from the 'forties is spoiled by too many abrupt, blackout scene changes. This may point to some radical re-editing between the premiere and the general release three months later.

Set in the 1860's Dutch East Indies and surrounding area, the story revolves around a bitter but respectful rivalry between sea captain Wayne and ship owner Adler. These two strong, morally challenged men are locked in a long-standing mutual hatred. But each grudging admires the other as the most ruthless and competent man he knows. Their rivalry eventually becomes the sole reason each has for living.

Wayne was coming off the release of the highly successful Red River, which had actually been filmed two years earlier, when Wake Of The Red Witch was made. There was a little of Tom Dunson, the cruel, tyrannical rancher he played in Red River in practically every movie John Wayne subsequently made. There is a lot of Dunson in his Captain Ralls in Wake Of The Red Witch. He is Dunson magnified. Wayne and Adler's intense character studies are what makes this movie really worth watching. As for the rest of the cast .... judging by this picture, it would seem that Gail Russel, in addition to wrecking her career with booze, just wasn't really much of an actress. Adele Mara should have had the female lead instead of the second lead. And Gig Young should have kept the mustache.

Wake Of The Red Witch is one of John Wayne's best performances, an entertaining, action-packed, and mysterious picture.

Boring rehash of Wuthering Heights

[MissSimonetta · 4/10 · 6 August 2014]

Wake of the Red Witch (1948) is a pretty poor romantic drama and its plot is virtually the same as the Gothic novel, "Wuthering Heights" or at least the famous 1939 adaptation of it. Heck, there's even a scene which almost rips off Merle Oberon's death shot-for-shot!

The acting is mostly uninspiring. And don't get me started on the laughable sea creature John Wayne battles! It was more memorable in Ed Wood's masterpiece of schlock, The Bride of the Monster (1955)! The script is equally cheesy. The ending is supposed to be poignant, but you're so unattached to these characters, so it's all moot.

Skip it.