Laikals The greatest movie ever made..!

Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

utgard14 One of John Wayne's more divisive and different films from the 1940s. He plays a semi-villainous sea captain out to settle a score with a shipping tycoon. It's one of Duke's darker roles and as such it allows him to flex his acting muscles a bit. He does well in the role but, ultimately, it's not a good picture. What does it in is the downbeat story and muddled characterization. Luther Adler plays the guy Duke is seeking revenge against. I don't even know if he's the villain or Duke is, which is one of the more baffling parts of the film as both are shown to be bad guys in different ways. Gail Russell plays the woman at the heart of their troubles. I would say she was underutilized but her performance isn't the best so perhaps less was better in this case. Paul Fix and a mustachioed Gig Young play Duke's friends. Most people who check this out are going to dislike it, I think. But it is fascinating in a way, especially for someone who has seen most of John Wayne's work. Speaking of which, this bears a few similarities to another Wayne film about love triangles and men at sea - Reap the Wild Wind.

MissSimonetta Wake of the Red Witch (1948) is a pretty poor romantic drama and its plot is virtually the same as the Gothic novel, "Wuthering Heights" or at least the famous 1939 adaptation of it. Heck, there's even a scene which almost rips off Merle Oberon's death shot-for-shot! The acting is mostly uninspiring. And don't get me started on the laughable sea creature John Wayne battles! It was more memorable in Ed Wood's masterpiece of schlock, The Bride of the Monster (1955)! The script is equally cheesy. The ending is supposed to be poignant, but you're so unattached to these characters, so it's all moot.Skip it.

writers_reign This will provide a treat for those nostalgic for the kind of 'character' and 'supporting' actors that once fleshed out every film that came out of Tinsel Town. For me the attraction was Luther Adler, scion of a great acting family (father, Jacob, sister Stella) who did sterling work with the Group Theatre but made only a handful of films. Here he is cast as the type of 'heavy' played around the same period by the likes of George MacReady, Elliot Sloane, etc. Also on hand is Paul Fix, Jeff Corey and third featured male Gig Young, a good ten years before he evolved into 'friend of the leading man', in the shapes of Rock Hudson, James Garner etc. The plot is more or less Wuthering Heights with seaweed and in the Heathcliff role Duke Wayne acquits himself reasonably well whilst Gail Russell trades heavily on her fragile beauty and lacks the spine of a Cathy Earnshaw. Nevertheless it's an entertaining romp from Republic and worth a look.

whpratt1 As other viewers have commented, I personally viewed this film when I only paid 35 cents for admission and it was well worth it. John Wayne was my idol and just the thought of going down under the water was extremely unimaginable and fighting all the horrible creatures we just read or heard about was never viewed on a big screen. (Radio was our only big entertainment and we had to use our IMAGINATION!) In 1948 the country had just gotten over WW II and Hollywood did not have all the special effects it has in 2000! I have viewed this film over and over again and still remember how it kept me on the edge of my seat. All future generations will do the very same thing and admire how much the film industry has advanced in their technology. This is a great John Wayne Classic and to find fault with it is uncalled for.