Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie

SincereFinest disgusting, overrated, pointless

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Toren G. Atkinson I'm a big fan of classic movies, but Wake Island is one of those buddy-buddy wartime films that doesn't quite fall into place for me. At the onset we're treated to a cast of M.A.S.H.-like characters with their pranks and foibles and stereotyped personalities, and the rest of the movie is basically combat. True to its age, Wake Island doesn't show any of the realism in warfare - typically we see the dirt get shot several feet in front of the actor and then the actor falls over - and we are treated to the overdone jingoism of the time. They've chosen the most uncharismatic actors to portray the Japanese and dress them up rather ridiculously. The actual history of the event is grossly misportrayed.Make no mistake, this is an entertaining hour and a half to be sure. But while the story is interesting and the acting is more than capable, this film could have benefited from twenty minutes more of character development and twenty minutes less of explosions. Though nominated for Best Picture, that award rightly went to The Magnificent Ambersons.

bkoganbing The battle for Wake Island concluded just before Christmas of 1941 and news from the place was pretty sketchy. It would not be known until after the war ended exactly what happened on the place.In many ways it was worse than what's shown here. With no help coming at all from the mainland USA or from Pearl Harbor which was licking its own wounds, there was an unconditional surrender declared. The construction workers who were building a base on the island when war broke out were all summarily executed as spies. The few Marines who did survive, survived in horrible captivity, probably made worse by the fact that America never tried to take the island back. When they had the overwhelming naval superiority, the Japanese were starved out, but so were the prisoners they had.So with an incomplete story at best, the writers at Paramount had free reign to do an Alamo like story and proceeded to do just that. Brian Donlevy is a stalwart Marine Colonel who clashes repeatedly with Albert Dekker the head of the construction workers. Comic relief is provided by Robert Preston and William Bendix as a pair of tough marines who joke about Bendix's impending discharge which occurs right on the day of Pearl Harbor.Bendix was nominated for Best Supporting Actor and while he's pretty funny in the part, when you consider he did a highly effective dramatic role in The Glass Key that same year, I'm wondering if the Academy put him up for the wrong film. He lost that year to Van Heflin for Johnny Eager.Wake Island is a dated story, dated but entertaining. Maybe someone will do a film of the real story there, the horrible captivity of our prisoners, just like what they endured in the Phillipines.

ed-munley Have seen this excellent movie numerous times over the years but, as I recall, years ago there was a scene where the radio operator told the marine commander that Pearl Harbor wanted to know if they needed anything. The marine commander, Brian Donvely, said "yes, tell them to send more japs". That scene has been cut out of the movie for the last 25 years or so. I know that the scene was originally in the movie because I have read the book by Major James Devereaux (actual commander of the marine detachment published in 1947- I have the paperback. Devereaux said he had seen the movie after he came back from the Japanese prison camp where he spent the war and stated he had never made that statement, that they had all the japs they could handle. Comments from anyone?

Michael O'Keefe Arguably one of the better WW2 movies. As Pearl Harbor is being devastated, a limited number of Marines on the small Pacific island Wake face an onslaught of Japanese prowess by sea and air. Knowingly outnumbered, these brave men put up the good fight for pride and country. John Farrow directs this action packed film that is commended for the moral boost it provided. The special effects are very good considering the era and technology available. I've watched this flick several times over the years and it still has an appeal.The very talented cast includes: Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, William Bendix, Albert Dekker, Macdonald Carey and watch for Rod Cameron, Hugh Beaumont and Frank Faylen.