We see the evolution of the Duke in these pictures and both of them are good to see for his fans. If you don’t have them in your collection the low price for this double feature makes them worth owning.
Bottom line: (I’m going to put this in all my Lionsgate Duke reviews so skip down if you want to hear my thoughts on the actual films) Lionsgate just repackages the titles that they’ve already released (under the Artisan/Republic Pictures banner). Those hoping for new transfers will be most disappointed. However, those Duke fans that don’t own these titles might want to take a look because they’ve doubled them up and reduced the MSRP (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price).
What the back of the box has to say:
But when he leads his unit in an all-out assault against the Japanese, Donovan is brought up on court-martial charges and must fight for his life on a new battlefield. The Fighting Seabees offers an entertaining combination of strong supporting performances by Daniel O’Keefe and ravishing, about-to-be superstar Susan Hayward; brawling, big budget action sequences; and an Oscar-nominated score – all of which led Leonard Maltin to give “3 stars” to this spirited saga turned box office bonanza.
Wake of the Red Witch (my rating: 3 stars): John Wayne battles enemies above and below the waves – including a giant killer octopus – in Wake of the Red Witch. This sprawling epic adventure pits the tough-minded Captain Ralls (Wayne) against the treacherous Captain Sidneye (Luther Adler) in a bitter rivalry on a South Seas isle. At stake is a fortune in pearls hidden in an underwater cave.
At risk is the hand of the beautiful Angelique (Gail Russell), daughter of Desiax (Henry Daniell), the tyrant ruler of the island who plans to marry her off to Sidneye. In an attempt to rescue Angelique, Ralls must seize the pearls and exchange them for her freedom. The danger continues as fate holds one final test of the strength and bravery for the bold Captain and the woman he loves.”
Wayne plays another gung-ho American in the Fighting Seabees who can’t stand to sit on the sidelines while his construction men are left in harms way. So he does something about it but several character flaws, such as his love for the taken Susan Hayward and his bullheadedness, make sure that he sometimes lead his men into imminent danger. He basically abandons his post and takes the majority of the men to kill the Japanese when his pal is shot by a sniper.
However, by the end of the show he’s the red-blooded American hero even though we see those flaws. It’s also one of those rare pictures where the Duke [spoiler] gets killed by the end of the picture[/spoiler]. Wake of the Red Witch sees the Duke going after pearls and having to fight a rubber octopus. It also features appearances by the oily villain Henry Daniell (how well he played these types), Olympian Duke Kahanamoku as the island chief, Henry Brandon as the chief’s second, and Gig Young as the youthful Sam Rosen.
The film plays like several in one as we flashback to the past of Captain Ralls. I could be wrong but I could see some of the character he played in the Quiet Man in the way the Duke portrayed Captain Ralls.
The Fighting Seabees and The Wake of the Red Witch are presented in fullscreen. The Fighting Seabees contain textual cast and crew information and production notes, but the Red Witch has no special features. Fighting Seabees appears to have some audio troubles since I kept hearing a low rumble during it. It didn’t destroy my enjoyment of the film but it was an annoyance, like the sound was recorded next to a motorboat engine.
The Fighting Seabees/Wake of the Red Witch is now available at Amazon . As of yet, this version of the DVD is not available in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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