Let’s look at Donovan’s Reef. When they first worked together on Mother Machree (1928), John Ford had already established himself as a reliable director while John Wayne was just relatively new to Hollywood. Over the next three decades – especially after the success of Stagecoach (1939) – the duo had established themselves as one of the most recognized actor & director collaborations in Hollywood history. By the time the 1960’s, Ford was entering the twilight years of his career when he and Wayne made Donovan’s Reef, which marked the 24th and final time the two would work together. Kino has licensed the movie from Paramount Pictures for its UHD Blu-ray debut.
The Production: 4/5
Life in the South Seas on the French Polynesian island of Haleakaloha could not be any more idyllic for WWII veterans and expatriate U.S. Navy buddies Michael “Guns” Donovan (John Wayne) and Thomas “Boats” Gilhooley (Lee Marvin). The two spend their time drinking at Donovan’s Reef – the bar Michael owns – and engaging in fistfights on their shared birthday of December 7th to the delight of the locals. However, their fun is upended by the arrival of the strait-laced Amelia Dedham (Elizabeth Allen) – who is not only the daughter of Michael and Gilhooley’s shared friend Doc Dedham (Jack Warden), but also the head of the Dedham Shipping Company – in search for her father for the stock he holds in the family company. What follows is a series of misunderstandings and deceptions before things are settled with some unexpected turns, especially in the relationship between Michael and Amelia.
For the final collaboration between John Ford and John Wayne, Donovan’s Reef represents a change of pace from the Western films that made their reputation together. From the script by frequent Ford collaborators James Edward Grant and Frank Nugent – working from a story by Edmund Beloin and original material developed by an uncredited James A. Michener – the film lightly spoofs the South Seas adventure pictures of the era while adding a touch of romance to the proceedings, especially when Donovan and Amelia start to get to know each other better; it should also be noted that eagle eyed Ford aficionados will be able to spot some easter eggs from previous Ford pictures buried within the film (a small, yet still fun part of the film’s charm). Frequent Wayne collaborator William H. Clothier’s cinematography is another huge asset here, with the Hawaiian Islands doubling for the fictional Haleakaloha and prolific composer Cyril J. Mockridge contributing a light and airy music score that underscores the fun here. The cast also appear to be enjoying themselves as well, giving a feeling of ease to the proceedings without ever feeling too laid back in pacing. While it may not be mentioned near the top of their frequent works together, Donovan’s Reef still manages to be one of the more entertaining films in the careers of John Wayne and John Ford, bringing their celebrated cinematic collaboration together to a close on a high-spirited note.
While John Wayne is the main draw here, it would be remiss to not mention the contributions of the supporting cast. As Gilhooley, Donovan’s buddy and sparring partner, Lee Marvin show off some comedic chops in the role; those chops would serve him well a few years later when he won a Best Actor Oscar for playing a washed-up gunslinger and a tin-nosed villain in Cat Ballou (1965). As Donovan and Gilhooley’s mutual friend Doc Dedham, Jack Warden is solid in a crucial part that drives the story; probably the closest thing to a main antagonist for the film, Cesar Romero is charming as the Marquis Andre de Lage – the last name is a reference to John Ford’s earlier film The Hurricane (1937) – the governor of Haleakaloha trying to romance Amelia. As the deceptively strait-laced Amelia, Elizabeth Allen has likely her best film role here (she would reunite with Ford a year later with his last western, Cheyenne Autumn); after emerging from a hiatus from film work with a cameo in the last Bing Crosby & Bob Hope “Road to…” picture The Road to Hong Kong (1962), Dorothy Lamour – reuniting with Ford following The Hurricane – is a welcome presence as Gilhooley’s longtime girlfriend Miss Lafleur. Rounding out the cast here are Mike Mazurki as Sgt. Monk, Marcel Dalio as Father Cluzeot, Dick Foran as the Australian Navy Chief Petty Officer O’Brien, Jacqueline Malouf, Cherylene Lee and Jeffrey Byron as Doc Dedham’s children, Patrick Wayne – The Duke’s son – as an Australian Navy Lieutenant, Edgar Buchanan as the Boston attorney Francis X. O’Brian, Jon Fong as de Lage’s assistant Mister Eu, prolific bit player Sam Harris as a member of the Dedham Family Council and Frank Baker as the captain who unsuccessfully tries to blackjack Gilhooley at the start of the film; that’s John Qualen’s voice you hear shouting “Man Overboard!” as Gilhooley leaps off the ship to swim towards Haleakaloha.
Video: 5/5
3D Rating: NA
For this UHD Blu-ray combo release, the film is presented in its original 1:85:1 aspect ratio, taken from a brand new Dolby Vision/HDR transfer created from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative; on the UHD Blu-ray disc, the film is presented in HDR while the accompanying Blu-ray disc presents the film in SDR. Film grain, skin tones, fine details and color palette are all presented faithfully with minimal issues like scratches, tears and dirt present on the transfer. When compared to the previous Paramount DVD release, this UHD Blu-ray combo is by far the best the film will ever look on home video and does full justice to William H. Clothier’s gorgeous cinematography.
Audio: 5/5
The film’s original mono soundtrack is presented on a 2.0 dual mono DTS-HD Master Audio track for this UHD Blu-ray combo release. Dialogue, sound mix and Cyril J. Mockridge’s music score are all presented clearly and strongly with minimal cases of distortion like crackling, popping and hissing present on the track. Again, when compared to Paramount’s previous DVD release, this UHD Blu-ray combo is now likely the best the film will ever sound on home video.
Special Features: 4/5
On both UHD Blu-ray and Blu-ray discs
Commentary by film historian/author Joseph McBride – The first of two new commentary tracks recorded for this release features McBride – author of Searching for John Ford – speaking about the many themes and motifs interwoven into the story from past Ford films.
Commentary by film historian/author Dwayne Epstein – The second new commentary track has Epstein – author of Lee Marvin: Point Blank – taking a more laid back, yet still informative look at the film’s production, including where it fits in Lee Marvin’s career.
On Blu-ray disc only
The Growler Story (21:03) – The 1957 short film by John Ford looks at the story of the S.S. Growler and its commanding officer during World War II; featuring Ford regulars Ward Bond and Ken Curtis, with narration by Dan Dailey.
Theatrical Trailer (3:53)
Bonus KLSC Trailers – The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Run Silent Run Deep, Wake Island & Sands of Iwo Jima
Overall: 4.5/5
A decent box office success upon initial release, Donovan’s Reef is a breezy and fun filled coda to the cinematic collaboration between John Wayne and director John Ford. Kino has likely given the movie its definitive home video edition to date, with a superb HDR transfer as well as two informative commentary tracks to go with a rarely seen – at least on home video – short film by the director. Very highly recommended.
Mychal has been on the Home Theater Forum’s reviewing staff since 2018, with reviews numbering close to 300. During this time, he has also been working as an assistant manager at The Cotton Patch – his family’s fabric and quilting supplies business in Keizer, Oregon. When not working at reviewing movies or working at the family business, he enjoys exploring the Oregon Coast, playing video games and watching baseball in addition to his expansive collection of movies on DVD, Blu-ray and UHD, totalling over 3,000 movies.
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