Product Details

• Actors: Brian Donlevy, Robert Preston, Macdonald Carey, William Bendix, Albert Dekker
• Directors: John Farrow
• Writers: Frank Butler, W.R. Burnett
• Producers: Joseph Sistrom
• Format: Black & White, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Universal Studios
• VHS Release Date: April 23, 1992
• Run Time: 87 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300185192
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #246,143 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Wake Island, a sandbar rising 21 feet out of the South Pacific, was among the first U.S. outposts to be hit by the Japanese, virtually simultaneously with Pearl Harbor. Wake Island the movie was among Hollywood's earliest responses to America's being attacked and drawn into WWII. The Marine Corps defenders of Wake became instant war heroes, akin to the martyrs of the Alamo. Nothing could be done to rescue or even to reinforce and resupply them, and they fought on through air attacks and naval bombardment for two weeks until, finally overrun, they were wiped out.

That searing historical context had a lot to do with the movie's impact in 1942, and the sight of the dark forms of enemy planes coming over the horizon for the first time still carries a shock. Wake Island's a decent film, and it doesn't dishonor its subject with sham heroics and grandstanding. But the New York Film Critics voted John Farrow best director of 1942, and that's a reach. The first half hour sets up the allegory of America as melting pot (there's even a corporal named Goebbels), establishes horseplay as the coin of democratic discourse (especially for gyrenes Robert Preston and the Oscar-nominated William Bendix), and fosters familiar friction between new commander Brian Donlevy and civilian construction supervisor Albert Dekker. Then shortly after a beaming Japanese peace envoy has stopped by for dinner, things get rough. The scenes of warfare are more than adequate, but they'd soon be outdone, sometimes in films much less worthy than Wake Island. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Awful lot of money being wasted around here!", December 27, 2004

By 

Dave (Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wake Island (DVD)

For those who haven't seen this film, the above line is spoken by William Bendix and refers to the constant Japanese naval and air bombardment of Wake Island that the U.S. Marines and civilians endured on the base. I have always been fascinated with "famous last stands" in American military history, and the story of Wake Island is one of the most famous.

This classic war movie, while over 60 years old, is still very meaningful and entertaining today. Yes, some of the historical details are missing, but the brave determination of the Wake Island garrison is wonderfully captured. Brian Donlevy, who was usually stuck in supporting roles, gets top billing this time and does a great job. And William Bendix, one of my favorite actors from this period, steals every scene he's in with his typical tough-guy-without-a-brain role!

Many will view the movie's portrayel of the Japanese as unfair and racist, but remember this movie was released only months after the attack on Pearl harbor. The special effects are obviously dated, but they are quite possibly the best from any 1940s war movie I've seen. The director did a good job of using authentic combat footage, except for the footage showing bi-planes(?!?).

Of course, with a war movie this old the usual cliches are present, but this movie was aimed at an America that cried for revenge. There are many scenes showing Americans dying, yet the eventual American defeat and especially the surrender of Wake Island are downplayed (the surrender isn't even included in the film). If you want to know the full story of Wake Island, there are several great books available. And if you love classic b & w war films, add this gem to your collection!

33 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wake Island. I got to see the actual battlefield, September 30, 2000

By 

Joseph R. Aguirre (Houston, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wake Island [VHS] (VHS Tape)

While on my way to Vietnam. We had a stopover of about 2 hours on Wake Island. It was Hot! . From the air, it was just a polka dot in the middle of the Pacific. The first thing I wondered, why did anybody would want it. I read books about it and soon realized its strategic importance. But that was later, I was just in awe in just being there, where my fellow marines of 30 years before had fought a losing action.

While there I saw that they never got rid of the gun emplacements,that the Japanese planes that were shot down were sitll there and also the Wildcats that fought in the battle. I got to see the monument that was erected there and the graves of the construction workers that were later executed.

Seeing all this reminds me of Brian Donlevy as the courageous Marine officer in command and how he endevored to presevere against overwhelming odds. Rod Cameron as Capt. Bayler who becomes the "last man off Wake" and later the real Capt Bayler becomes the first man to return to Wake after the Japanese surrender.

William Bendix and Robert Preston as the two marines are the comedy relief but die valiantly in the end. Albert Dekker portrays the Construction boss who in the movie dies along with the other marines defending the last line of defense. In real life, both he and the marine and naval commander were sent to pow camps and survived the war. Special mention for Walter Abel who portrays the real commander and did not die during the battle. In real life, I believe his name was Cunningham,gave the order to surrender knowing it was futile to continue the fight.

Special kudos for MacDonald Carey for playing Capt. H. Elrod and possibly Maj. Putnam for the bravery of the Naval pilots who fought and died on Wake. Capt. Elrod, after the war, won the Congressional Medal of Honor, postumously.

Tbe battle scences are great, the dialogue crisp, the propaganda really overboard. But America at the time needed this, when everything was going wrong for her at this time. It was a story about defeat, but it was a glorious defeat.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fight to destroy destruction, May 7, 2005

By 

Steven Hellerstedt "SH" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wake Island (DVD)

Tenacious in the face of overwhelming odds, a small force of U.S. Marines defend the strategically important Wake Island against a series of Japanese attacks in 1942's WAKE ISLAND, one of the very first combat movies of World War II. So early, in fact, that production on the movie began before the island fell in late December of 1941.
The real Wake Island fell after the U.S. military force, and a large number of civilian construction workers, surrendered. The movie WAKE ISLAND portrays a `last stand' battle with no survivors. Significantly, the movie opens with the image of a silhouetted bugler playing `Taps.' Scenes of leave taking at Pearl Harbor quickly follow, introducing us to major players Maj. Geoffrey Caton (Brian Donlevy) and Lt. Bruce Cameron (Macdonald Carey). Soon after we move down in class and meet the two representative of the common soldier, Pvt. Joe Doyle (Robert Preston) and Pvt. Aloysius K. 'Smacksie' Randall (William Bendix).
Joe and Smacksie spend their time bickering, bantering, slugging each other and dreaming of home - Smacksie is to muster out within a week when we first meet him. Preston and Bendix are the comic relief, and they supply a rather heavy dose of it. Director John Farrow always included comedy in his movies, but some of the light-hearted moments in WAKE ISLAND surprised me. After all, in early 1942 the war wasn't going at all well for America, and Pearl Harbor and Wake Island both were painfully recent military defeats. Then again, perhaps laughter in the face of adversity and defiance in defeat boosts morale on the homefront.
In any event, the comedy doesn't undercut any of the heroism portrayed, and the understated and restrained Donlevy is just right as the commander facing impossible odds, or, as his character says of Wake Island , "It's a little strip of sand with a lot of water around it.... There's not much to defend, and not much to defend it with." The battle scenes are very well choreographed and considering that it was a rush job the end result is very polished. The transferred print is in good condition. Highly recommended.