Sunday, December 7, 2014

December 7 - Donovan's Reef

Today’s movie is a comedy with a scene that happens on December 7. Watch it tonight and enjoy.

DONOVAN”S REEF              

On December 7, 1963 [1:15 to 18:41]"Boats" Gilhooley jumps overboard and swims to the Polynesian island of Haleakaloha. When “Guns” Donovan, who lives on the island hears he is coming, the three children of his good friend Dr. Dedham make him promise not to fight Gilhooley and he agrees. However once Gilhooley arrives, they have a fight until Dr. Dedham stops it. It seems that since the two men have the same birthday, December 7, they have had a brawl for the last 22 years on their birthday. In Boston, Amelia Dedham learns that her father, Dr. William Dedham, whom she has never met, has inherited control of the families shipping business. However, if she can prove that he has been living an immoral life his inheritance will be set aside. She decides to go to Haleakaloha, prove that he is immoral and regain control of the company.  When word of her arrival reaches the island, the doctor is on a tour of the outer islands. Donovan, Gilhooley and the governor Marquis Andre de Lage decide that Dedham’s three kids by his second Polynesian wife must pretend to be Donavan’s children until the doc can return and explain things to Amelia. Donovan and Amelia get off on the wrong foot, but after some water skiing and swimming they declare pax and seem to be moving towards a romantic relationship. She learns that her father, Donovan and Gilhooley were trapped on the island during World War II and conducted a guerilla war against the Japanese.  The doctor returns and tells Amelia he stayed on the island after the war because while he felt he was not needed in Boston, he was needed on the island. He signs his stock over to her. Then Lage,  who has been trying to court Amelia for her money tells her Donovan’s three “kids” were all born out of wedlock, dimming her feelings towards Donovan. Amelia finally figures out the real story and she and the children acknowledge each other as siblings.   Amelia and Donovan make up and get engaged.

This is a morality tale disguised as a comedy. Not Wayne’s best effort or even his best comedy, but it’s still an engaging film.  

Date of the seventh given at 1:44. The events of this film occur just before Christmas.

Screenplay - James Edward Grant and Frank S. Nugent

Producer - John Ford

Director - John Ford

Runtime – 1 hour 49 minutes

Released – June 12, 1963

Starring –        

John Wayne as Michael Patrick "Guns" Donovan
Elizabeth Allen as Amelia Dedham
Lee Marvin as Thomas Aloysius "Boats" Gilhooley
Jack Warden as Dr. William Dedham
Cesar Romero as Marquis Andre de Lage, the French governor

Copyright by Ivan Walters in 2014.





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