Post by Zone Fighter on Apr 28, 2008 17:20:46 GMT -8
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
John Wayne tried to enlist but was rejected due to a shoulder injury. So he made movies promoting the American war effort instead,
John Wayne - Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan
Susan Hayward - Constance Chesley
Dennis O'Keefe - Lt. Cmdr. Robert Yarrow
William Frawley - Eddie Powers
Leonid Kinskey - Johnny Novasky
J.M. Kerrigan - Sawyer Collins
Grant Withers - Whanger Spreckles
Paul Fix - Ding Jacobs
Ben Welden - Yump Lumkin
William Forrest - Lt. Tom Kerrick
Addison Richards - Capt. Joyce
Jay Norris - Joe Brick
Duncan Renaldo - Construction worker at party
Hal Taliaferro - Lt. Commander. Hood
This is a fictionalized story of the real life Seabees (Construction Battalion) of the US Navy.
Construction Engineer Wedge Donovan has a contract to build bases for the US Navy. When some of his men are killed or maimed by the Japanese he's angry that the Navy refused to arm them (because arming civilians violates international agreements, they would legally be considered spies). Navy officer Robert Yarrow wants Donovan to help him convince the Navy to create a battalion of construction experts, who would be trained in combat and put in uniform. Donovan doesn't want to wait the several months that would take. So on his next assignment he secretly takes guns and when the Japanese attack again, he gets more of his (untrained) men killed. He joins the Navy as a Lt. Commander and finds 1499 other men to train. Now trained Donovan and his men set out to build an airstrip and oil tanks. Naturally the Japanese attack.
In the midst of all this there is a love triangle. The third party is reporter Constance Chesley, Robert Yarrow's girl. She falls for Wedge Donovan who is so noble, refusing to steal another man's girl, that he pretends he didn't mean it when he said he loved her when she was wounded. If you've seen any war movies you know that one of the two men is going to die. I won't tell you which one.
I usually enjoy John Wayne movies (there are exceptions). I did enjoy this one.
John Wayne tried to enlist but was rejected due to a shoulder injury. So he made movies promoting the American war effort instead,
John Wayne - Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan
Susan Hayward - Constance Chesley
Dennis O'Keefe - Lt. Cmdr. Robert Yarrow
William Frawley - Eddie Powers
Leonid Kinskey - Johnny Novasky
J.M. Kerrigan - Sawyer Collins
Grant Withers - Whanger Spreckles
Paul Fix - Ding Jacobs
Ben Welden - Yump Lumkin
William Forrest - Lt. Tom Kerrick
Addison Richards - Capt. Joyce
Jay Norris - Joe Brick
Duncan Renaldo - Construction worker at party
Hal Taliaferro - Lt. Commander. Hood
This is a fictionalized story of the real life Seabees (Construction Battalion) of the US Navy.
Construction Engineer Wedge Donovan has a contract to build bases for the US Navy. When some of his men are killed or maimed by the Japanese he's angry that the Navy refused to arm them (because arming civilians violates international agreements, they would legally be considered spies). Navy officer Robert Yarrow wants Donovan to help him convince the Navy to create a battalion of construction experts, who would be trained in combat and put in uniform. Donovan doesn't want to wait the several months that would take. So on his next assignment he secretly takes guns and when the Japanese attack again, he gets more of his (untrained) men killed. He joins the Navy as a Lt. Commander and finds 1499 other men to train. Now trained Donovan and his men set out to build an airstrip and oil tanks. Naturally the Japanese attack.
In the midst of all this there is a love triangle. The third party is reporter Constance Chesley, Robert Yarrow's girl. She falls for Wedge Donovan who is so noble, refusing to steal another man's girl, that he pretends he didn't mean it when he said he loved her when she was wounded. If you've seen any war movies you know that one of the two men is going to die. I won't tell you which one.
I usually enjoy John Wayne movies (there are exceptions). I did enjoy this one.
