Please sign this petition for the preservation of the Internet Archive, an essential resource for Classic Movie bloggers.
Usually TCM's Summer Under the Stars is a heavy viewing month but this year's schedule didn't excite me. Of course at this point I've seen a great many of the films they showed already. What about you, did you find the lineup lacking?
*indicates a rewatch
State Fair (1945) - Jeanne Crain & Dana Andrews, Dick Haymes & Vivian Blaine, Charles Winninger, Fay Bainter, Donald Meek, Frank McHugh, Percy Kilbride, Henry Morgan
Margie (1946) - Jeanne Crain, Glenn Langan, Alan Young
Young Widow (1946) - Jane Russell & Louis Hayward
*She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - John Wayne (& the John Ford Stock Company)
Ten Tall Men (1951) - Burt Lancaster, Gilbert Roland, George Tobias
*Clash by Night (1952) - Barbara Stanwyck, Paul Douglas, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe
The Miracle Worker (1962) - Anne Bancroft & Patty Duke
Little Treasure (1985) - Ted Danson, Burt Lancaster
*Ocean's Twelve (2004) - George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, etc.
Love is Blind (2019) - Aidan Turner
And Then There Were None (2015 - Mini-Series) - Aiden Turner
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (2018) - doc
Frank Capra: Mr. America (2023) - doc
Least Favorite Film: Ten Tall Men was a poor imitation of a late 1930s rollicking action/adventure Errol Flynn-type film. The first part of Little Treasure was good but then it was revealed that the female character's occupation was a stripper, so I had to skip some scenes.
Favorite Movie: I really enjoyed the two Jeanne Crain films.
Favorite Quote: "Fellow sufferers, are you plump? When you walk in the sun, does your shadow look like a crowd following you?"
Wednesday, June 7th, was the 100th birthday of the legendary crooner Dean Martin. Rio Bravo (1959), starring John Wayne, Ricky Nelson, and Walter Brennan, was one of Martin's first films after his split with long-time film partner Jerry Lewis (they began appearing in nightclub acts together in 1946 and made 16 movies between 1949 and 1956). And it is also one of my favorite of his roles.
In 2005 my uncle brought some recorded VHS tapes to give us when he came to visit. One had Rio Bravo and North to Alaska on it. My brothers and I watched those two films on a loop for over a month, whenever we had a moment (aka mom was gone and we were left to our own devices). They may not be Oscar-worthy films, but they are pure entertainment.
Rio Bravo, the film I am reviewing today, was based on a short story by B.H. McCampbell of the same name. Howard Hawks, who had been on a four year break from directing after a flop, took on this film supposedly as a response to High Noon (1952), which portrayed a sheriff who goes around the town asking for help against a gang of killers. In Rio Bravo, the sheriff, played by the one and only John Wayne, goes up against Nathan Burdette (John Russell), a man who pays others to do his dirty work, with just a drunk and an old man.
Are you calling me a drunk?
John Wayne plays John T. Chance (the "T." stands for Trouble). Dean Martin plays Dude, his drunk deputy who used to be good... real good. Now he's a town joke called Borochón, which means "drunk" in Spanish. Walter Brennan is the lovable Stumpy who walks with a limp. Other characters include Ward Bond as Pat Wheeler, who offers to help Chance and is killed for it, Ricky Nelson as Colorado, a young gunslinger who was in Wheeler's employ and now wants to get the man who shot his boss, and Angie Dickinson as Feathers, a woman who fits a lot of descriptions of a known card cheater's girlfriend. And of course the film wouldn't be complete without Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, who plays Carlos. He owns the hotel/bar and is another loyal friend to Chance.
Mr. Martin, who combines a lethargic and casual manner to perfection, and Mr. Brennan, who can do more with a cackle or a horse laugh than most, give "Rio Bravo" the added notches that raise it above the average Western.
When you really, really want that iced coffee, I mean... beer ;)
After arresting Joe Burdette (Claude Akins) for murder, Chance has to hole up at the jail to wait for the Marshall to arrive. Nathan Burdette, Joe's brother, is a powerful man who will do anything to get him out of jail.
You're a rich man, Burdette... big ranch, pay a lot of people to do what you want 'em to do. And you got a brother. He's no good but he's your brother. He committed twenty murders you'd try and see he didn't hang for 'em.
Let's get this straight. I don't like a lot of things. I don't like your men sittin' on the road bottling up this town. I don't like your men watching us, trying to catch us with our backs turned. And I don't like it when a friend of mine offers to help and twenty minutes later he's dead! And I don't like you, Burdette, because you set it up.
While their holed up, Dude decides to give up drinking. Chance gives him his old duds and pearl-handled pistols he bought after Dude had pawned them for liquor money.
There is a brief period of quiet before the action goes down and, since a Dean Martin movie wouldn't be complete without him singing a song AND you have Ricky Nelson in the cast, what better time for a duet?
If the tune sounds familiar, that's because it's the theme from Red River (1948) also starring John Wayne and directed by Howard Hawks. You can here the original theme here. The lyrics are in the comments.
Dean Martin also recorded another song titled "Rio Bravo" that, except for the last two lines, is not sung in the film. It was released as a single at the same time as the movie.
By the memory of a song,
While the river Rio Bravo rolls along.
Only the last two lines of the song are sung in the movie as Dude and Stumpy walk "into the sunset" at the end.
Before the end of the movie however, there is a rousing gunfight involving explosives and fist fights. And throughout the film Chance and Feathers argue and make up, ending with him finally saying he loves her.
Angie Dickinson on set with director Howard Hawks.
This was the last film that John Wayne wore his hat from Stagecoach (1939). It was also his last of 22 films with Ward Bond and Bond's last feature film. Wayne also wore his belt buckle from Red River (1948).
There are only five close-ups in the movie: Joe firing his gun, Dude's hands trying to roll a cigarette, Dude pouring a shot of whiskey back into the bottle and a beer glass where a drop of blood falls in, and Chance's boots tapping together in Sheriff's office as he's sitting in a chair.
Feathers's dialogue was occasionally inspired by the character of "Slim" To Have and Have Not (1944), as when, after the first kiss, she says: "...it's better when two people do it," recalling the phrase "it's even better when you help;" and again later when she says, "I'm hard to get - you're going to have to say you want me," recalling Slim's "I'm hard to get, Steve - all you have to do is ask me."
Angie Dickinson was only 26 at the time of filming. John Wayne was 51.
There are a ton of behind-the-scenes photos from this film. I shared a bunch of them during the 2015 Summer Under the Stars, which you can view here.
Rio Bravo will be airing on TCM on August 12 at 12:45am ET.
Before you start reading, press play (Ugh. I had the wrong song). Also, know that I hummed
the music probably the entire time I was writing this post.
Rio Grande (1950), if I'm pressed to choose, is my favorite John Wayne film. And if you know me you know I LOVE John Wayne. Therefore, when I learned of The John Wayne Blogathon my friend Hamlette was hosting, I decided it was time I gave this beloved film a full post.
This film was included in my 5 Movies on an Island list. Here are the reasons I gave in that post:
It has a fantastic cast: Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and a host of other familiar "Ford" faces.
It has a great soundtrack (yes, we have the cd): the soft, heart-stirring instrumentals, the beautiful theme of "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" running throughout, and the melodious harmony of the Sons of the Pioneers.
It has some of the best on-screen chemistry in the entire history of film: John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara... need I say more? The Duke really knew how to kiss a woman so that she'd never forget it and if you all alone on that island, well... you need something to never forget either.
Lastly, everything else! The directing by John Ford, the majestic vista's, the action, suspense, romance... how could it NOT be on my list??
So now that I have given you the reasons I love the film, I will tell you more about the film itself.
><><><><><><><
Rio Grande (1950) was made for one reason: so that John Ford could make The Quiet Man (1952). That's right, it was part of a deal - "you make this movie and we'll let you make that movie." And am I ever thankful that this deal was made!
For a long time, John Ford had wanted to make a movie in Ireland called The Quiet Man with John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara in the lead roles. Republic Pictures, who had promised Ford complete artistic freedom of any films he made under their banner, did not think the film would have enough box-office appeal (boy, were they ever wrong!) and told Ford that he could make the film only if he made an inexpensive Western first, using the same stars to be used in The Quiet Man. The story chosen was James Warner Bellah's "Mission with No Record." It was to be a conclusion of the Cavalry Trilogy (Fort Apache, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon - both based on stories by Bellah). Filming began on June 15, 1950 on location in Moab, Utah.
The film tells the story of Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke (Wayne) who is stationed on the Rio Grande to keep the Apaches. His son Jeff (Claude Jarman Jr.), whom he hasn't seen for fifteen years, shows up one day as a new recruit, who failed at West Point. He is followed soon by his mother, Yorke's estranged wife Kathleen (O'Hara) - Yorke burned down her family's ancestral home under orders when their son was only a baby, cementing the growing rift between them. Rounding out the cast is John Ford's stock company: Victor MacLaglen as Quincannon (a name used in other Ford films), Chill Wills as Dr. Wilkins, Ben Johnson as Trooper Tyree, Harry Carey Jr. as Trooper Daniel "Sandy" Boone (that name sounds kind of familiar!), and the Sons of the Pioneers as the Regimental Singers. Wayne's son Patrick also has a very small part in the picture, as he and Wayne's other children often did.
This film is different from the two previous cavalry pictures as instead of negotiating with the Indians and arguing with those above him, Yorke is simply trying to keep the peace. However, in classic John Ford style, there is a rousing fight between the soldiers and the Apaches after the Apaches attack the wagon train bringing the women and children to Fort Bliss and making off with the children, keeping them in an old church.
This was the first film that put Wayne and O'Hara together and the screen crackles with chemistry. You really do believe that they are an estranged couple who haven't seen one another for fifteen years but who still love each other deeply. They were an ideal match, both strong and independent yet complementing each other perfectly, O'Hara with her feistiness and Wayne with his quiet, commanding presence. They were believable because they respected one another and treated each other as equals. It was to be a trademark in all of their films together, cementing them as one of the greatest on-screen couples in the history of film.
Just watch the contemplative expressions of Wayne and O'Hara as they listen to "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen." You can instantly see that the song is significant to both of them, especially in the way Kathleen leans towards her husband and then moves away when he notices and in the way Kirby gazes at his wife at the end of the song.
You can sense the sexual tension even in this still image.
The O'Hara - Wayne combination was a sensation because she was the macho woman and he was the macho man.
~ Charles Fitzsimons (O'Hara's brother)
She was his (Ford's) idea of a beautiful Irish woman with spirit. Maureen was the sort of woman he would have invented.
~ Mary Loos
The other relationship in the film is between father and son. Jeff wants the father he never knew to be proud of him and Yorke, who is already proud of him, wants to make sure that he doesn't get hurt. And even though Jarman doesn't look at all like he could be the son of Wayne and O'Hara, both he and Wayne give touching performances, culminating in Yorke telling Kathleen, "Our boy did well" as he lies on a stretcher after having been shot with an Apache arrow.
The film ends with the rousing song Dixie, with Wayne smiling and O'Hara twirling her parasol, showing that all is forgiven and there are happier times ahead.
This film is a like a love letter. It is tender, poignant, stirring, and full of passion. And even though it was only made as part of a deal, it was still crafted with love and care. I could have written on and on about this film: interesting facts about the making of it and the experiences of the other actors, but love is the essence of the film, and that is the feeling I wanted to leave you with.
Saw Rio Grande. It's great. After seeing the tripe that is turned out today, it's a delightful pleasure to see a show made by the Old Master himself.
~ Telegram from Frank Capra
This has always been my favorite song and scene ~ "My Gal is Purple"
Sources:
John Ford: Hollywood's Old Master. Ronald L. Davis. Volume 10 in The Oklahoma Western Biographies. University of Oklahoma Press,1995.
Print the Legend: The Life and Times of John Ford. Scott Eyman. Simon & Schuster, 1999.
Today's wedding gown is one that will be recognizable to many. It is from John Ford's The Quiet Man (1952). Worn by Maureen O'Hara, this iconic lace gown was designed by Adele Palmer, the Wardrobe Supervisor and Costume Designer at Republic Pictures for over two decades. She also designed the costumes for other John Wayne films such as Rio Grande and Angel and the Badman.
Unlike most movie wedding gowns, this one is seen for several scenes and from all angles. We see it at the wedding reception and again when the newlyweds go home and have their first married fight.
The first look at the wedding gown is a full length shot as John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara's characters pose for a wedding portrait.
The demure gown features delicate crocheted lace (probably Irish) with a floral pattern. It has a high scalloped neck and long sleeves and forms a "v" pattern down the fitted bodice all the way to the waist.
The gathered skirt has a lace insert that also forms a "v" pattern. It stops just above the floor.
(notice the pearl-drop necklace)
The veil is gathered around the crown of the head and falls to the back of the knee.
This picture appears to have a different bouquet then the small one in the film. Notice the Duke's boutonniere.
A look at where the lace sleeves meet the bodice.
TCM announced this week the auction of Maureen O'Hara's estate. You can find it by clicking here. Be sure to click on the pdf catalog instead of just scrolling through the website, as it has an introduction by Robert Osborne and photos of Maureen O'Hara wearing some of the items being auctioned! If only I was a billionaire...
John Wayne and Judy Garland were my first favorite actor and actress when I was little, and I still love both of them. However, I have watched John Wayne far more often. The following films have been seen so many times I can quote large passages from memory and throw them into ordinary conversations.
1. Angel and the Bad Man (1947) - Gail Russell
2. Fort Apache (1948) - Henry Fonda, Shirley Temple
3. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - Victor McLaglen
10. McLintock (1963) - Maureen O'Hara, Patrick Wayne, Stephanie Powers
John Wayne film I will NEVER WATCH AGAIN: Wake of the Red Witch (1948) - his death at the end left me and my brothers depressed the rest of the day AND the entire next day!
Honorable Mentions: Stagecoach (1939), They Were Expendable (1945), Without Reservations (1946), Red River (1948), Blood Alley (1955), The Comancheros (1961), El Dorado (1966), The Shootist (1976).
You already know most of these are going to be John Wayne films. Basically all but three and there's two more in the honorable mentions. What can I say?
1. Stagecoach (1939) - John Wayne & Claire Trevor, Thomas Mitchell, Andy Devine
2. Angel and the Badman (1947) - John Wayne & Gail Russell
3. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - John Wayne
4. Rio Grande (1950) - John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara
5. Broken Lance (1954) - Robert Wagner, Spencer Tracy
6. The Searchers (1956) - John Wayne
7. Rio Bravo (1959) - John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson
8. Alias Jesse James (1959) - Bob Hope
9. Cat Ballou (1965) - Jane Fonda, Lee Marvin, Michael Callan, Dwayne Hickman
10. The Shootist (1976) - John Wayne & Lauren Bacall, James Stewart, Ron Howard
Honorable Mentions:The Comancheros (1961), El Dorado (1966), Duel at Diablo (1966)
In case you were wondering, my favorite Westerns on the small screen are Maverick, Have Gun Will Travel, and most episodes of Bonanza (though if IS exasperating how none of the boys EVER get married).
If you thought the 30s and 40s were a time of change in Hollywood, the 1950s was off the charts. With the accessibility of Television, many people were not going out to the movies, but instead, staying home and watching family sitcoms and game shows. When the Supreme Court outlawed block booking (selling groups of five or more films combining A pictures with cheaper B pictures) in 1948, the system began to crumble. Television hastened that end.
In order to lure movie-goers back to the theaters, studios decided it was time to make movies bigger and better. This was the decade of the Epic, the Technicolor Musical, 3-D, CinemaScope, Cinerama, VistaVision. With it came the loosening of the Hays Code, allowing topics back into movies that hadn't been allowed on the screen for two decades. Up popped the Rebel and a host of teen idols.
This list not only has three of my original Five Movies on an Island List, but it is also where my "romantic/girlish pleasure" side comes out. I mean, realistically, how many "Top Ten" lists have Gidget (1959) on them? Not to mention that four of the films have John Wayne in them!
1950s:
1. Rio Grande (1950) - John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara
2. The Quiet Man (1952) - John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara
3. Roman Holiday (1953) - Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert
4. White Christmas (1954) - Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye & Vera-Ellen
5. Mister Roberts (1955) - Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, William Powell, James Cagney
6. We're No Angels (1955) - Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, Aldo Ray
9. Gidget (1959) - Sandra Dee & James Darren, Cliff Robertson
10. Rio Bravo (1959) - John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Walter Brennan
Honorable Mentions: Sunset Boulevard (1950), Strangers on a Train (1951), Son of Paleface (1952), The Robe (1953), Sabrina (1954), Until They Sail (1957), The Defiant Ones (1958), Pillow Talk (1959), Who Was That Lady? (1959).
As any movie fan knows, choosing just a certain number of favorite films is both agonizing and fun. Agonizing because there's so many you want to choose (not counting that it depends on your mood) and fun because... well it's just fun that's all!
When making such a momentous decision such as choosing five movies to watch for who know's how long (remember how long it took to get off Gilligan's Island??), one must have some sort of criteria. Here is what I have come up with:
1. The films must leave you with a "feel-good" feeling, you certainly don't want to be sad or scared on you're island!
2. They must be films that stand up to the test of time - you can watch them again and again.
3. It would be good to have happy memories associated with the film, such as the annual family Christmas movie.
4. It should be long - why waste a choice on a film that only lasts 80 minutes!
5. At least one should have some great songs in it.
Notice I did not say it should have helpful hints on how to survive. The Swiss Family Robinson is ok, but not anywhere near the top of my list of favorites!
Lt. Robin Crusoe U.S.N. (1966)
Now that I have my criteria, here are my five films in order of release date (pre-1970s):
The Thin Man (1934)
William Powell & Myrna Loy
Because I HAVE to have at least one Powell/Loy movie! The mystery may not be all that exciting, but their on-screen chemistry is! Need proof? Click here!
Ever since I discovered Powell a couple years ago, I have been hooked. That man is an amazing and often overlooked actor. I have seen almost all of his "talkies" and I can honestly say he's great in all of them. The Thin Man is the film that boosted his career and made him a top box-office draw as a romantic leading man (this to a man who had played mostly villains in his silent career). This film also made Powell and Loy every movie fan's favorite couple and put the fun back in marriage. I could quote the series all day and look at gifs for hours. I adore these two together.
~ ~ ~
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Katharine Hepburn & Cary Grant
This movie is just flat-out, laugh out loud, funny. Hepburn's fast-talking may take a couple viewings to get used to but once you've got it, it just gets better and better. Practically every line is "quote" worthy and THAT HOUSE is to die for. And since on an island I'd most likely be living in a hut I need a house I can dream about.
My absolute favorite line in this movie is when Susan (Hepburn) and David (Grant) are out in the woods looking for Baby (the leopard) when they suddenly fall down, breaking David's glasses and Susan's heel to her shoe. In a completely ad-libbed looking moment, Susan begins walking around and says laughing in that funny laugh of hers, "I was born on the side of a hill." I. Love. That. Line. Luckily it's on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.
~ ~ ~
Rio Grande (1950)
John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara
I have always loved John Wayne. I have never known a time without John Wayne. It is therefore no surprise that a John Wayne film should show up on this list. In fact, I could easily choose ALL John Wayne films for this list and be very happy on my island. But I limited it to one (if you were wondering, my other four would be Donovan's Reef, The Quiet Man, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, and The Searchers).
Reasons I love this particular John Wayne movie the most:
It has a fantastic cast: Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., and a host of other familiar "Ford" faces.
It has a great soundtrack (yes we have the cd): the soft, heart-stirring instrumentals, the beautiful theme of "I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen" running throughout, and the melodious harmony of the Sons of the Pioneers (watch above).
It has some of the best on-screen chemistry in the entire history of film: John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara... need I say more? The Duke really knew how to kiss a woman so that she'd never forget it and if you all alone on that island, well... you need something to never forget either.
Lastly, everything else! The directing by John Ford, the majestic vista's of Monument Valley, the action, suspense, romance... how could it NOT be on my list??
Just LOOK AT HIM!!!
~ ~ ~
Roman Holiday (1953)
Audrey Hepburn & Gregory Peck
Roman Holiday is the most beautiful romantic comedy of all time. Not only is it pretty much everyone's introduction to the magic of the bewitching Audrey Hepburn, but it's filmed in the Eternal City itself. Upon finishing it I always want to start it over and watch it again.
Both Hepburn and Peck are perfect in their roles of European Princess and American newspaper man. And I love Eddie Albert as Irving, the photographer. He brings the perfect amount of humor to the film. And of course I HAVE to mention the award-winning costumes by Edith Head. One day I WILL go to Rome and I WILL be wearing an outfit like Hepburn's as I go on my own "Roman Holiday" (I would say I WILL eat gelato on the Spanish Steps but I don't want to be arrested - I don't think I could get out of it like Hepburn and Peck did).
And yes, I'm so obsessed with this movie that I MADE MY OWN TRAVEL BROCHURE tracing all the locations they visited IN ORDER.
~ ~ ~
White Christmas (1954)
Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, & Vera-Ellen
I have watched White Christmas with my family every year for as long as I can remember. I know all the words to almost all the song (Mom always fast-forwarded "Mandy"). I would say more about this amazing film but I'm writing about it next week for the Gotta Dance! Blogathon. I will say that, for me, this movie embodies Christmas and because we only watch it at Christmas, we look forward to it all year long (it's really unbearable around July - one is always ready for Christmas in the heat of the summer).
Two more things that are a PLUS in this movie: VistaVision & Technicolor :)
To satisfy you until next week.
There are so many more I could choose, but these are tried and true favorites that I will NEVER tire of. My last word to you is, go, watch as many of your favorite movies as you want and be thankful that you will never have to actually make this decision!
In case you were wondering what my post-1970s list would look like, and you probably weren't: Rocky (1976)...... Moonstruck (1987)............. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)...................... You've Got Mail (1998) and................................ Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) - man was that agonizing!!!
UPDATE: Let's hope that if this ever DOES happen, it's on the TCM Cruise and then we can watch each others movies!!!
That's what I thought when I heard about the "Dot" Blogathon honoring Dorothy Lamour hosted by Silver Screenings and Font and Frock. Okay, so I didn't really, but it's a good quote with which to start this post!
The quote comes from the John Ford film Donovan's Reef, which has been a favorite film of my family's for years. We lovingly refer to it as "Boolah Boolah," which are the first words of the opening song, in English, "Pearly Shells." Back before DVD's, we would listen to Mom describe this magical John Wayne movie set in Hawaii that we had never seen before. We wondered if we would ever find a copy to watch. Then one day, while visiting my mom's brother several states away, we found the old recorded VHS. Were we excited! We could hardly wait to see it! And it did not disappoint. It quickly became a favorite and we now own several copies - some things are just too hard to pass up.
"Who is in this wonderful film and what makes it so good?" you may ask. Let me tell you. As I already mentioned, this is a John Wayne film (we are huge Duke fans over here. My brothers and I grew up watching The Quiet Man most Saturday mornings). Wayne plays Michael "Guns" Donovan. He lives on the, sadly fictional, Hawaiian island Haleakaloha (Hah-lee-ah-kuh-low-ah), where he runs a saloon, Donovan's Reef. Also residing on this island paradise are Dr. William Dedham (Jack Warden) and his three children - "little half-casts," Father Cluzeot - pronounced "clue-zoh" (Marcel Dalio), the Marquis Andre de Lage, governor of this "wretched island" (Caesar Romero), and Miss LaFleur (Dorothy Lamour). Other assorted character include Mr. Eu (pronounced "you"), the always off-duty Sergeant Monk, Sister Angelique and Sister Mary Margaret, and the Australian Navy. There is just one more character to make the cast complete: Gilhooley.
Gilhooley, the kind of guy that has a woman in every port (played hilariously by Lee Marvin), and Guns Donovan fought together in the war along with the Doc. They also happen to share a birthday, Dec. 7th. Do they get together every year to celebrate together? Nope. In true John Ford fashion they have an annual birthday brawl.
Funny promo shot. The Sisters do not approve.
Gilhooley abandons the ship he is serving on and swims ashore. The women of the island greet him with kisses and leis. The men, however, are less than happy to see him, especially Fr. Cluzeot (you can see his entrance here).
He then seeks out his friend, borrowing a white suit while he's at it - "Something you can be buried in!" Miss LaFleur is very happy to see him - "You've come back to marry me!" she says as she throws her arms around him.
While the Doc is out ministering to some of the other surrounding islands, word comes that his older daughter, Amelia by his first marriage (wife died soon after childbirth) is coming to the island on a business matter. The Doc has never seen his daughter and his daughter doesn't know that he married again - to the Princess Manulani who died in childbirth. Worried at how she might react to her half-cast siblings, they decide to have the children pretend to belong to Donovan until the Doc returns so that he can tell Amelia himself. Elizabeth Allen plays the snobbish Bostonian perfectly. She turns up her nose and men like Donovan and claims that if he is an example of fathers she is glad she never knew hers. She has a change of heart however when she does meet him and sees with her own eyes all the good he has done for the people of Haleakaloha. Also during this time she falls in love with Donovan and figures out that "his kids" are really her half siblings. She welcomes them with open arms.
The cast in another promo shot.
So where else does Dorothy Lamour come in? Miss LaFleur works at Donovan's Reef. She has some of the best lines in the film.
Amelia runs into Fleur at a shop while looking for a bathing suit. Fleur is looking at a wedding gown. "Are you contemplating matrimony?" Amelia asks. "What young girl my age doesn't contemplate matrimony" Fleur shoots back (she is quite obviously in her 40s).
In another scene, Fleur is singing at the bar. When she is done, she does to sit with the Marquis. He orders her champagne. Fleur quickly says "No no no no, my voice. A slug of gin, if you please." You really have to hear her say it. Her line delivery is comedy at its best.
She also sings "Silent Night" for the Christmas pageant.
She starts singing at 2:50
There's another humorous scene at the end of the film but you'll have to watch it for yourself.
Though Lamour isn't in much of the movie, it just wouldn't be Donovan's Reef without her. I wish I could include a compilation of her clips in the movie, as my little review really doesn't do her justice, but I have no idea how to do that. It's hard to describe comedy.
A behind-the-scenes photo with the Duke.
Miss Lamour's contribution is slight, but she obviously
appreciates the free-and-easy spirit of the whole wacky affair.
Lamour's muumuu was borrowed from John Ford's wife, cutting down on costume costs (I'm guessing the yellow one).
Donovan's Reef was filmed mostly on Kaua'i, Hawaii. The home of the French island governor is the Allerton Estate home and former summer residence of Hawaiian Queen Emma near Poipu Beach, now a part of the National Tropical Botanical Garden (without the scenes of boats and canoes on the Wailua River, which were edited and merged with scenes filmed at the Allerton Estate). Other locations on the Island included Waimea Canyon, Hanamaulu Bay, and Ahukini Pier.
John Wayne's son, Patrick Wayne, appears briefly in two scenes, one at the bar where he breaks up a fight, and at the Christmas pageant.
The yacht in the film belonged to John Ford. It was named the 'Araner,' a name used in the film for one of the ships.
This was John Wayne and John Ford's last film together.
Don't forget to read all of the other posts on Dorothy Lamour!
I was deeply saddened to learn that Maureen O'Hara passed away this morning in Idaho at the age of 95. I knew this day would come one day but I had hoped it wouldn't come for a few years more. Almost one year after receiving an honorary Oscar, that fiery red-haired Irish woman, the "Queen of Technicolor," has left this world forever. However, she will never be forgotten and will live on in her films, in the films she made with John Wayne, and in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street.
With two of her sisters: Margot (left) and Florrie.
She was born Maureen FitzSimons in Ranelagh, Dublin, Ireland on 17 Aug 1920. She was the second child in a family of six. As a child she excelled at sports, which enabled her to perform the majority of her own stunts in her films. When she was 14 she was accepted to the Abbey Theater where she studied operatic singing in addition to acting.
With her brother, James. You may recognize him as Fr. Paul in The Quiet Man.
Her brother, Charles, was also in the film as the man who gives the toast at the wedding.
Her big debut into film, after playing in two small roles under her own name, and for the first time as Maureen O'Hara, was in Alfred Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn (1939) alongside Charles Laughton, who discovered her. The Irish beauty was only 19 years old. Her next film was also with Laughton, the famous Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). Maureen played the gypsy girl, Esmeralda.
After starring in three more films (A Bill of Divorcement; Dance Girl, Dance; and They Met in Argentina), Maureen began her long friendship with director John Ford in How Green Was My Valley (1941). She played the tragic character Angharad, the older sister of Roddy McDowell and daughter of Donald Crisp, who marries a man she doesn't love but who can afford to take her away from the horrors of a mining town.
Her next film, To the Shores of Tripoli (1942), was her first with actor John Payne, whom she would star again with in Sentimental Journey (1946) and Miracle on 34th Street (1947).
Sentimental Journey
That same year, Maureen took on the role of Lady Margaret Denby in the swashbuckling pirate film The Black Swan (1942). She took roles in several other historical films, including Against All Flags (1952) with Errol Flynn.
Miracle on 34th Street is probably the film most well known because of it's status of Christmas Classic (Maureen was the last cast member alive). Maureen plays Doris Walker, an employee of Macy's in charge of the famous annual Thanksgiving Day Parade. At the last minute she has to hire a new Santa Claus, who insists that he really is Kris Kringle. John Payne is the dashing young lawyer who takes Kris's case when Kris is sent to an institution. It's one of my favorite holiday movies and a "can't miss."
With Natalie Wood.
Rio Grande (1950) brought Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne together for the first time. This was followed by The Quiet Man (1952) - set and filmed in Maureen's beloved Ireland, The Wings of Eagles (1957), McLintock! (1963), and Big Jake (1971).
What girl doesn't want to be kissed like that?
Other well known films include The Parent Trap (1961) alongside Haley Mills and Brian Keith, Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (1962) and The Rare Breed (1966) with James Stewart, and Spencer's Mountain (1963) with Henry Fonda.
With her daughter, Bronwyn. The other lady is clearly related as well (one of her sisters?).
Maureen retired from the movies in 1971 but returned from 1991 to 2000 making one film and three TV movies. (For a complete list of Maureen's films, click here.)
