Doc Martin For those with an IQ above room temperature and for whom reality is important I'll only comment that this John Wayne movie is one of his best. It contains the innocent fun of the US in 1963 and is a straightforward film with a straightforward story and, contrary to those with some sort of liberal axe to grind this film is exactly what it was intended to be, i.e., 91 minutes of fun with a decent look at one of my favorite places on earth Kalapaki Beach, Lihue, Kauai and the Duke in his prime.

Edgar Allan Pooh . . . you'll "spoil the child," but DONOVAN'S REEF provides just one more example of John Wayne's take on Family Management, which might be summed up as, "Spare the hand, spoil the wife!" DONOVAN'S REEF concludes with Mr. Wayne's "Mike" character closing his engagement deal with Elizabeth Allen's "Amelia" by turning her over his knee and giving her a few mighty whacks on her rump. A few years later John would reprise this mode of domestic man-handling in his penultimate collaboration with frequent co-star Maureen O'Hara, McLINTOCK! (Perhaps he spanked Mo in all the pictures they made together; my memory is NOT photographic!) Of course, in McLINTOCK!, Mr. Wayne made Whaling on the Wife a multi-generational family affair, as he had one of his Real Life sons redden the rear of the latter's movie mate. When these flicks featuring Battles of the Buttocks were originally released, Wayne's focus on the female derrière probably was considered to be, "Good, Clean Fun." When you ponder over this today, remember that if John had just spent MORE time recreating with ladies' butts and LESS time creating cigarette butts, he might have been able to make more movies!

John H. Holliday This is one of my favorite John Wayne movies; and that's saying a lot considering I think almost all his movies are terrific.The one thing I wish to add to the various reviews that have been made is that this movie has nothing to do with racism, which many claim it does. I see it as Donovan, Gilhooley and Andre trying to hide from Amelia that her father has other children with a woman not her mother, after her mother's death. The mother of the three children was Polynesian, but that's not the point; the point was that he had other children than Amelia.It's lots of fun, lots of laughs, great music, great scenery. I think it's great.

ma-cortes Wonderfully shot Ford film with a lively look at the Pacific atoll life , including amusing scenes , humor , acting class , familiar drama , a love story and sentimental nostalgia with interesting character studio of a varied assortment of individuals . Entertaining and fun story with agreeable romance adding strong knuckles for spectacular fight between Wayne, Ford's favorite leading man, against brawling Lee Marvin . It deals with two WWII buddies Donovan (John Wayne) and Gilhooley (Lee Marvin , similar role to starred by Victor Mclagen) are supposed to share December 7th for their birthday and meet every years on a South Seas paradise to engage a perpetual bar-brawl until a stuck-up Bostonian maiden (Elizabeth Allen) appears to find her lovable dad (Jack Weston who played Elizabeth Allen's father, was only nine years her senior in real life) who has fathered a brood of intimate half-casts . This amusing , good-natured film contains Ford's usual themes as familiar feeling , a little bit enjoyable humor , friendship and and sense of comradeship among people . Interesting screenplay portraying in depth characters and brooding events with interesting issues running beneath script surface was written by James Edward Grant and Frank Nugent , John Ford's habitual , and based on the story by James Michener . Here Ford goes to an atoll in an evocative and idealized portrait , paintstakingly constructed , about life in an idealized Pacific island .The main heroes , Wayne and Marvin , are two mighty tough guys who break beer bottles , tables and brawling among them . As in a fight with Lee Marvin, John Wayne underestimated an uppercut , he crashed through a table and fell down and director John Ford decided to leave the scene in the movie . This rollicking film featuring a magnificent performance by whole casting and acting class mainly supplied by starring duo and an excellent plethora of secondaries . This is the technically last movie that John Ford and his favourite actor , worked on together, although Wayne later provided the voice-over narration for Ford's documentary Chesty: A Tribute to a Legend . Both of whom , swap the wide open spaces of the prairie for the spaces of a marvelous Pacific island . That's packed with many Ford's regulars a and familiar characters such as Mike Mazurki , Dick Foran , Mae Marsh , Chuck Roberson ,some of them are uncredited and Patrick Wayne, John Wayne's son, has a small cameo, he plays the Australian Shore Patrol officer that breaks up the final fight . Good and colorful cinematography by William H Clothier and evocative musical score in Hawaian style by Cyril Mockridge . This sprawling , brawling adventure story was well directed by John Ford in a personal style . It's a hight-spirited tale with a sensitive fresh-air feeling , and one of Ford's finest movies . Rating : Better than average . Well worth watching for John Wayne and Le Marvin fans .