User reviews

Reap the Wild Wind is Cecil B. DeMille's contribution to such sea-faring adventure classics as The Sea Hawk or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. John Wayne plays a ship captain, Ray Milland plays a lawyer, and Paulette Godard a feisty southern belle who comes between them. There's plenty of fights, a trial, and an entertaining squid. There's Susan Hayward, Robert Preston, Louise Beavers, and Raymond Massey. There's a wonderful music score and beautiful Technicolor. There's a playful monkey and a talking dog (coutesy of Milland's ventriloquism). And it begins with DeMille's narration to set the tone for an action-packed, if occasionally talky, picture. This is good old-fashioned filmaking at its finest! For fans of all of the above, plus Hedda Hopper in her last role not playing herself, I highly recommend you definitely seek this one out!

Having seen this film many times, I can understand those critics who regard it as yet another ripe example of director Cecil B. DeMille hokum and excess. But for me, it is far easier to side with folks who like "Reap the Wild Wind" as a prime example of rousing old-fashioned screen storytelling at its best.

Made just at the outbreak of World War II, Paramount spared no expense to mount this super-lavish yarn about romance, treachery, maritime adventure, shipwrecks, salvage risks involving "dead" ships, and the spectacle of rivals searching for evidence in the deep-----where diving to find it involves less danger than the chance encounter with a giant squid lurking in a sunken hull.

John Wayne appears in an uncharacteristic role-----a flawed anti-hero (long before that term was ever coined) who is likable, weak, not too swift but yet charming and easy to root for. Ray Milland also does an unusual turn here. He is both a man of intellect and action----clever, funny and brave. Paulette Goddard is a revelation to those who are unfamiliar with her screen work. Remember, this was 1942. The super-independent, feisty woman she plays with such enthusiasm----while a role model for today's feminists----also shows an understandable human vulnerability. She has never appeared in another film that allowed her to be strong, sexy and appealing all at the same time.

The extraordinary supporting cast is an absolute delight. They carry off some of the most outrageously cornball dialogue ever spoken with such conviction that it becomes enjoyable. Raymond Massey's slimy over-the-top villain is unique---and so is Robert Preston's pathetic character as Massey's far less crafty brother. Preston is given the task of uttering one of the film's most unforgettable lines when arriving at a prearranged meeting with his girl friend (a very young Susan Hayward) that may never EVER have been topped as a "groaner.".

Special mention should be made of the beautiful Technicolor employed in "Reap the Wild Wind", the engrossing special effects (outstanding for their time) and the exciting musical score written by Victor Young.

Altogether, this is a film that holds your interest from the start and never lets it down. It is grand entertainment from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Almost 65 years old, it is still fun to watch. Lots of fun!

DeMille epic about salvagers off the Georgia coast and Key west in the 1840s where takes place several ship wrecks . Mighty thrills with the screen's most romantic adventurer , including a fine cast , lesser story , and nice underwater cinematography . Along the Florida Keys, the beauty Loxi Claiborne (Paulette Goddard) along with the old captain Philip (Lynne Overman) carry out ship salvage business, rivalled only by the ruthless and unscrupulous King Cutler (Raymond Massey) and his brother Dan (Robert Preston) . As Loxi and Philip contend with Cutler taking place unexpected consequences . Meanwhile , Loxi rescues and falls in love with Jack Stuart (John Wayne), who comes to believe that his contender for Loxi, Stephen Tolliver (Ray Milland) , has sabotaged his chance at a new ship.

This is an exciting 19th century romp dealing with the freight route of America's Eastern seaboard prey to cruel salvagers along with the treacherous Florida coast . Adventure/romance/action movie featuring Wayne as a tough captain , the nasty Raymond Massey and a giant squid. It packs great sea spectacle , fist fights , shipwrecks , voodoo drums , lavish balls , dreary courtroom confrontation and a breathtaking giant octopus saves the day .Based on a novel published on Evening Post 1940 , being adapted by Jesse Lasky Jr , Charles Bennett, and Alan Le May . As Cecil DeMille who had directed in 1938 The Buccaneer referred to the famous battlle 1812 between the British and the USA in which pirate Jean Lafitte took part in the New Orleans battle . Then , Cecil along with his collaborators : Willam H Pine , Victor Milner , Arigley , Anderson from previous film made another epic , this ¨Reap of the woild wind¨in similar style and during 8 weeks . Being assisted by a real ship captain , Frank Ellis as technical assistant . John Wayne gives a good acting , as usual , as the stubborn captain who mistaken but vengeful joins forces with an enemy with tragic results. Flighty Southern belle Paulette Goddard is gorgeous as Loxi who soon finds herself turned apart between Milland's dandish insurance inspector and Wayne's brawny captain . Ray Milland arranges to put in a credible acting despite an embarrassing suit and a penchant for canine ventriloquism . Raymond Massey provides the best acting as an extreme villain , the ambitious , rolling-eyed salvager Cutler . Suport cast is pretty good , such as Lynne Overman , Martha O'Driscoll , Susan Hayward , Charles Bickford , Hedda Hooper , Walter Hampden , Beavers , and Robert Preston , among others .

It displays a colorful photography from Victor Milmer , and William Skall , shot on location in South Carolina, Kay West and Florida . Including excellent special effects by Academy Award winning Gordon Jennings . Along with impressive production design by Hans Dreier . Thrilling as well as romantic musical score by the classic Victor Young . This vigorous motion picture was realized in Cecil B DeMille's ordinary style , supported by a magnificent second unit by Harold Rosson ; both of them made some greatests spectacles of all time . Although a nimbler action filmmaker than Cecil might have made even more of the Oscar-winning effects work . Cecil produced and directed 70 films and was involved in many more . Many of his films were romantic sexual comedies , as he is supposed to have believed that Americans were curious only about money and sex . His best-known were biblical epics that further established him as the symbol of Hollywood such as King of Kings (1927), The ten Commandments (1923) , The Crusades (1935) and , of course , Charlton Heston's Ten commandments (1956) and he made two versions about The Buccaneer : 1938 and 1958 that was ended by Anthony Quinn and Arthur Rosson .

At the onset, I should point out that I am NOT a fan of the films of Cecil B. DeMille. I have always found that although his films are impressive visually, the dialog and acting is purely secondary at best. However, the acting here is a little better than usual for DeMille--Raymond Massey, John Wayne and Ray Milland are all fine. The only acting that really seemed poor was that of Paulette Goddard, but this isn't surprising because histrionic and over-the-top performances of leading ladies is a DeMille trademark (see Anne Baxter's performance in The Ten Commandments if you don't believe me).

Generally, this movie had a well-written plot and it was both unusual and compelling. So because of a decent plot and better than expected acting, this is already a pretty good DeMille film.

However, when it comes to the action, some things leave a bit to be desired. While to today's audiences the ship scenes will no doubt look pretty fake, for 1942 they were pretty good AND you could not see the sides of the pool in the underwater shots (something all too common in underwater scenes of the day). So, my BIG argument about the movie visually is the terrible action scene at the end involving the most fake-looking giant squid ever seen on film. I can't imagine, even in 1942, that people would have seen and believed this segment at all. In fact, I would think they probably would have laughed themselves silly! So, the overall product is a mixed bag. It is definitely entertaining, reasonably well-acted (apart from some histrionics here and there) and has fair special effect. It certainly is far from great, but is worth your time.

Reap the Wild Wind is a typical CB DeMille adventure epic concerning shipwreck salvaging around Key West in the middle of the 19th century. With a solid cast of established and fresh faces it features John Wayne on the verge of superstardom and Paulette Goddard giving us a glimpse of what her Scarlett O'Hara would have been. Colorful and crowded as in most of his pics it is a touch stilted at times but offers a well balanced rivalry between Wayne and first billed Ray Milland competing both in business and for the same woman.

A studio made high adventure the film's major draw is the climactic underwater struggle with a giant squid leaving the outcome of the two protagonists in doubt until they reach the surface. In this day an age of technology, the scene holds up quite well. In it's day on a big screen it must have really thrilled the audience which back then was well aware that CB delivered epic entertainment like no other.

I loved this movie. All the stars were at their peak. They looked so glamorous and young and vital in their careers. I loved Paulette Goddard.

In my personal opinion, she has been overlooked by so many. She was a wonderful beautiful star. Can't believe in the re-release they put Susan Hayward ahead of Paulette. Hayward had a very small part. Paulette was the star of the movie. It's not the first time they have put Goddard last. Too bad. I think she's terrific. She had the ability to do comedy as well as drama. And she was a very gorgeous woman. That wonderful laugh of hers.

There's two attractions to this movie. First the period the movie is set is done beautifully, and the other is the high seas adventure.

The movie is set on 19th century American south about a sea captain Jack Stuart (John Wayne), and a young woman shipping company owner Loxi Claiborne (Pulette Goddard) . The issue is complicated by intervention of a third lover Steve Tolliver played by Ray Miland who becomes the prosecutor on the sinking of Southern Cross, captained by Stuart. Stuart endangers his life to find an evidence that a woman was aboard Southern Cross on the day of the sinking by diving to the ship's wreckage.

This is a pretty exciting movie. Beautifully shot with young John Wayne, and Ray Milland showing their best performances.

It's a quality movie that has aged well over the years and is recommended for viewing.

A common thread running through Cecil B. DeMille films is the leading lady having two men getting their hormones in an uproar over the leading lady. You've got Joel McCrea and Robert Preston rivals for Barbara Stanwyck in Union Pacific, Gary Cooper and Preston Foster over Madeline Carroll in Northwest Mounted Police, Charlton Heston and Cornel Wilde flipping for Betty Hutton in The Greatest Show On Earth, etc. But DeMille never did this theme better than in Reap The Wild Wind. Without Paulette Goddard coquetting both John Wayne and Ray Milland, you wouldn't have a plot for this film.

Additionally John Wayne for what maybe the only time in his film career plays a knave. After appearing to lose Paulette Goddard to Milland, Wayne goes over to Raymond Massey and Massey plays him like a piccolo and wins him over to his nefarious schemes.

Massey gives the best performance in the movie. There is a long trial sequence and Massey being an extremely shrewd lawyer almost turns the whole trial around and has court convinced that it's Ray Milland behind all the pirate wrecks in the Florida Keys. This after playing John Wayne for a fool. Massey is done in of course, but by something he really couldn't take into account.

The action takes place in the Florida Keys where Paulette Goddard owns a salvage company. Yet she lives in grand plantation style that would put Tara to shame. Now Florida was a Confederate state, but the only part of Florida that had the plantation culture was the panhandle. You didn't have Tara style mansions in the Keys.

But because the movie is set in the South you also have some really bad black stereotypes. DeMille was hardly the only director to use them though. But one incredible error slips through. One of the characters during the trial was a black actor named Oscar Polk who plays Saltmeat who is a crew member of John Wayne's ship and gives a key piece of testimony that ultimately proves to be Raymond Massey's downfall.

Saltmeat is identified as a Barbadoes free Negro in the film. But Saltmeat doesn't talk like Harry Belafonte. He sounds like any ordinary black actor who would be playing a field hand on the old plantation. I can't believe DeMille didn't realize this error. But I guess it was easier to bow to the racial stereotypes than show a black character realistically in context.

The movie made a lot of money in 1942. It was filmed in great technicolor and it did win an Oscar for Special Effects because of the climatic fight with a giant squid that Milland and Wayne engage in. The effects look cheesy now, but back in 1942 they were something else.

I think a lot of black people would be terribly offended if they watched this dated epic.

Cecil B. DeMille, other than THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, produced and directed one of his best films, in this swashbuckler. Along with rough seas, sailing ships, beautiful southern ladies, sea wrecks [he always has to have that disasterous wreck] a giant squid in a spectacular underwater scene in the hull of a wrecked ship, villains and heroes, DeMille rounds up a stellar cast in the likes of Paulette Goddard, fresh from her almost getting the role of Scarlett O'Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND, as Loxi Claiborne, who is in love with handsome Captain Jack, [John Wayne] who was just beginning to gain world wide fame and Steve Toliver, played by suave and sharp tongued Ray Milland, one of his best acting roles, along with a young Robert Preston and Susan Hayward as young lovers who become victims of the war over salvage rights of wrecked ships. Then there's Raymond Massey, as the villain, Cutler, Charles Bickford, Walter Hampden, famous for his stage performance of Cyrano, colorful Lynne Overman as Loxi's ship captain, Hedda Hopper [without a fancy hat] and Louise Beaver as a Mammy-type servant to Paulette [very Gone With Wind stuff]. The color of technicolor still holds up [not used that often in the 40s]. Goddard's performance alone is worth the admission. This was her second film for DeMille [the first being NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE] but not her last [ahead she was to play opposite Gary Cooper in UNCONQUERED]. In this film she shows why she came that close to getting Scarlett. Beautiful, oh, those green eyes, and feisty, like Scarlett, Paulette gives her best, including singing a rather salty sea chant at a social elite gathering of all of Savannah's fine ladies. This is available on VHS and worth getting a copy to view if you want to see the magical world of films of the forties. And the stars that made them.

In Cecil B. DeMille's 1840 America, pretty Paulette Goddard (as Loxi Claiborne) is a Southern belle who runs a "salvage business" inherited from her daddy. After a hurricane hits the Florida Keys with "wild winds," Ms. Goddard heads out to inspect a ship wreck. She helps rescue the ship's manly skipper, a wounded and light-headed John Wayne (as Jack Stuart). Nursing Mr. Wayne back to health are Ms. Goddard and her superstitious mammy Louise Beavers (as Maum Maria). Goddard and Wayne kiss and pledge their love, although he must go to sea and she travels to Charleston with pretty cousin Susan Hayward (as Drusilla Alston). At a fancy tea party, Goddard sings a song badly. This doesn't bother the third part of the film's love triangle, seafaring ventriloquist and lawyer Ray Milland (as Stephen 'Steve' Tolliver)...

Getting cozy, Goddard and Mr. Milland exchange come hither looks and talk about marriage. As you might expect, the men clash over Goddard. Mr. De Mille gets some good costumes and color photography (by Victor Milner and William V. Skall) for his effort, but fails to make this an artful epic. Apparently, something approaching "Gone with the Wind" (1939) was intended. While nicely decorated, many of the ship set scenes seem directed to look small. The relationships between the three leads – Goddard, Wayne and Milland – is confused and juvenile. Better acting honors go to the squirrelly monkey, the talking dog and the giant squid; although Robert Preston (as Dan Cutler) somehow finds his character and makes it work. Still, the film was a success at the box office and won an "Academy Award" for special effects.

***** Reap the Wild Wind (3/18/42) Cecil B. DeMille ~ Paulette Goddard, John Wayne, Ray Milland, Raymond Massey

In 'Reap the Wild Wind' we have a chance to see Paulette Goddard, front-runner for the Scarlett O'Hara role until Vivien Leigh showed up, sporting a Southern accent and enjoying herself as a feisty Southern belle heroine. Unfortunately, her part is nowhere as complex as the role she almost got in the Selznick epic.

It's a lusty period adventure about two battling ship salvagers who vie for a strong-willed Georgian girl. The outstanding special effects steal the film, as do the lavish sets and costumes of a bygone era. Susan Hayward is featured in a smaller role as Paulette's unfortunate cousin. Both are heavily burdened by Southern accents and roles that are paper-thin giving them little more to do than flounce around in frilly costumes and bonnets while the men--Ray Milland, John Wayne and Robert Preston--carry the main weight of the action-filled romance.

A stunning climax involves an underwater battle with a giant squid. Understandably, it won an Oscar for Best Special Effects. Beautifully photographed in technicolor, it's given the lavish Cecil B. DeMille treatment and makes an entertaining if foolish epic that shows its pulp romance origins.

I was eight years old when I first saw this movie on the big screen in 1942. It was my first color movie and the scenes with the giant octopus gave me nightmares for a long time after. Today I still enjoy the film for its beautiful color photography, exciting sea scenes and fine performances from Ray Milland and John Wayne. Wayne is unjustly accused of causing his ship to sink for profit. The story unfolds as he tries to clear his name .Paulette Goddard provides the love interest. The film never drags,whether on land or at sea where some of the most exciting action takes place.The underwater scenes,especially the finale ,are memorable. Supporting cast, score and special effects are all top notch.DeMille directs in his usual showman style. A fine effort from all concerned.

Reap the Wild Wind is directed by Cecil B. DeMille and is adapted collectively to screenplay by Alan Le May, Charles Bennett and Jesse Lasky Jr. from a Saturday Evening Post story written by Thelma Strabel. It stars John Wayne, Ray Milland, Paulette Goddard, Raymond Massey, Robert Preston, Susan Hayward and Lynne Overman. Music is by Victor Young and cinematography is shared between Victor Milner and William V. Skall.

The Florida Keys in the 1840s, hurricanes are rife and the salvagers of Key West rush to the frail schooners to claim salvage rights...

Whilst not up with the best of DeMille's epics, this is however a joyous romp of a high seas adventure. A top notch cast line up for some period flavours that is unfurled in glorious over saturated Technicolor. We have a rocky love triangle, dastardly villains with dishonesty poring from every bead of sweat, sword play, fisticuffs, fogs and a giant squid! and it even has time to be a court room drama as well. In short it is a ripping sea faring yarn.

The budget was considerable and DeMille ensures it was lavishly spent, and thus the pic was a box office winner and an Academy Award Winner for special effects. It's a touch too long, and gets a little bogged down in the mid-section, but entering the home straight it pulls itself back up and ends briskly, with Duke Wayne splendidly rounding off an interesting characterisation. 7/10

An American romantic adventure; A story set in Key West, Florida about the owner of a 19th-century salvage company who falls in love with a captain she rescues from a shipwreck, and helps him prove in court that the bore no blame for the vessel's sinking. However, a rivalry for her affections ensues when a lawyer comes to his aide. This maritime swashbuckler about companies racing to wrecks to salvage their contents, is great surface entertainment with sumptuous over-saturated colour. Thanks to Cecil B. De Mille's direction it sustains interest, and the superlative art direction and cinematography make it a very attractive film to watch. It also has some impressive action sequences too, which earned it an Academy Award for effects. That's just as well because it has a soft middle: perfunctory drama, and sluggish in courtroom theatrics. Paulette Goddard is suitably boisterous and charming, John Wayne is watchable, but Ray Milland is a little stiff where romantic charm was required.

Anyone who has had to sit through lumbering dinosaurs like The Ten Commandments might find it unlikely, But Cecil B. DeMille has actually made some films which, if not exactly 'good', are interesting in very unexpected ways.

Take Reap The Wild Wind, for instance. In theory, it is traditional, reactionary fodder, a tale about the greatness of America and capitalism, as the booming narrater assures us, with a feisty heroine tamed by an upstanding representative of the law, and a weak man who's punished for his crime against right.

But in practice, it's like Moby Dick filmed by Powell and Von Sternberg. The sexual dynamics of the film are unheard of for such a big budget Hollywood blockbuster of the early 1940s. Paulette Goddard is a strong-willed salvage captain, bellowing orders, embracing danger, constantly throwing a spanner in the works of her macho admirers.

It's these two you've got to see - there aren't gooses this camp outside of a Carry On. John Wayne - oh yes, the Duke - in an amazing, self-deluding, performance, is supposed to be a ragged man of nature, but he's really a big girl, passive and confused, who's constantly outwitted, both intellectually and physically, by Ray Milland's supposedly foppish, gay-coded, lawyer. Hilariously, he dresses in black polo necks, with Village People caps, and the daintiest red cravat. I never saw such finery in a John Ford film.

Milland, while unexpectedly resourceful and tough, is impossible to take seriously as an action hero, with his frilly shirts, fey curls and elegant elocution. And don't get me started on Raymond Massey...

THe film is nominally one of those disaster movies, like San Francisco and The Hurricane, in which a rambling love story pads out a now antiquated special-effects-laden finale. But, thankfully, here it doesn't quite work - serious scenes of action and suspense seem to be shot parodically, and with an oddly comfortable homoerotic bristle; the startling use of colour and costume is disorientating. Dandy monkeys and talking dogs add to the surreal effect. The 'spectacular' squid finale, while bereft of tension (due to DeMille's ignorance of the basic laws of film) is a minefield of sexual innuendo. A remarkable film.

Cecil Blount DeMille, CB. The original 'Name Above The Title'. No matter what Frank Capra stated it was DeMille who put the Director/Producer over the title. His was a name that brought in the public and their money when Capra was still a 'gag man' for Mack Sennett. From the first feature film in Hollywood, THE SQUAW MAN (1914) to his last production, THE BUCCANEER (1958) he represented HollyWoods commercial success.

With DeMille people fall into two (2) camps. We HATE that hack and his hokey movies or we love him for he put our dreams on the screen. We fall into that second group seeing our first DeMille film circa 1957 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956). My brother was four (4) and I was six (6) and we were enthralled with CB from then on. He dared to put BIG THINGS on the screen. They may not of always worked but he was unafraid to do them, stretching the envelope technically and did not give a damn what his critics thought and neither do we.

REAP THE WILD WIND (1942) was his second color film and we saw it in a re-release circa 1958. The plot is typical DeMille, obscure historical incident blown up for the big screen. Romance triangle punctuated by action sequences leading to a rousing conclusion. The film is well cast with Paramount Stars Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland. Not able to get Errol Flynn or Tyrone Power CB obtained John Wayne who turned in a credible and sincere performance. Milland stood up well to the 'Duke' and Ms. Goddard was a radiant love interest. A young Susan Hayward also showed her stuff with Robert Preston. Over shadowing all was Raymond Massey as the head villain with stooge Victor Kilian. Not to be forgotten was the CB stock company, from players who were with him during the silent era to Akim Tamiroff in a voice over for the 'Lamb'. Paramounts special visual effects wizard Gordon Jennings led that team and garnered a Oscar and Victor Young provide the score. Music being very important in carrying some of the fantastic goings on. Especially the Giant Squid scene that was directed underwater by CB himself.

The one (1) thing we never understood about CB is that he left many (BETTER) projects go fallow after investing money and time developing them. A few were THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, TITANIC and WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE. Two (2) were done by George Pal with CB as uncredited producer. It would have been very interesting to see how these would have turned out if made in the 1930s. Just thinking about the casting and how the special visual effects would have been done is a fascinating mind game.

Get ready for an epic love quadrangle aquatic adventure with Cecil B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind. Paulette Goddard, Ray Milland, John Wayne, and Susan Hayward all sneak behind each other's backs, deceive, seduce, and fall in love for real. And it takes two hours to sort it all out!

It's a little complex, though, and miraculously at the same time, a little tedious. It's as if screenwriters Charles Bennett, Jesse Lasky, Jr., Alan Le May, and Jeanie Macpherson, wanted the audience to take so long to figure out who's who and what they're doing that it would stretch the running time out. But, if you like large-scale adventures with lots of boat scenes, you might not mind. It reminded me of Tap Roots in a way, an attempt to recapture the epic splendor of Gone with the Wind but not really succeeding. You can tell everyone in this movie thinks it's an incredible blockbuster-which, to be fair, it was at the time-but nowadays with so many ship movies out there with more up-to-date special effects, it doesn't feel the same. The famous crane shot in Gone with the Wind doesn't feel the same today, either, so if you like stepping back in time, and you're totally riveted by hurricanes and shipwrecks, you might like this one.

Yet another star-studded box office hit few people have today even heard of. (Years later Raymond Massey remembered so little of this film that when he observed to John Wayne they ought to do a movie together it fell to Wayne to remind him that they already had.)

By the time he made this Cecil B. DeMille was leaving all the location work in the hands of second unit director Arthur Rosson and the scenes at sea are otherwise achieved with obvious models (although the giant squid is memorable enough for the film to collect its one Oscar, for special effects).

No matter. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and with a cast like that burnished with plush costume design and interior decor in sumptuous Technicolor it's an agreeable way to squander a couple of hours.

This was directed by Cecil B. DeMille, who was an overrated hack and most of his movies sucked except a few in the 1930's like Cleopatra and The Crusades. This movie has a great cast that includes Ray Milland, John Wayne, Paulette Goddard, Raymond Massey and also Susand Hayword and Charles Bickford in small roles. Wayne doesn't have the starring role and he and Milland are both in love with Goddard but she can't make up her mind. Massey is the villain who sinks other ships so he can get the cargo but Wayne and Milland don't trust each other and they strike up an uneasy partnership that doesn't go over too well. It's a decent movie but i couldn't help thinking that John Ford would of done a much better job of directing this movie.