The Fighting Seabees (1944)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Edward Ludwig

Writers:

Borden Chase (original story "Donovan's Army")
Borden Chase (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

10 March 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War | Romance

Tagline:

ROMANCE OF THE SEVEN SEAS! (original poster - all caps)

Plot:

Construction workers in World War II in the Pacific are needed to build military sites, but the work...

Plot Keywords:

Navy | Hospital | Doctor | Bomb | Jealousy

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

John Wayne	...	Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan
Susan Hayward	...	Constance Chesley
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Lt. Cmdr. Robert Yarrow
William Frawley	...	Eddie Powers
Leonid Kinskey	...	Johnny Novasky
J.M. Kerrigan	...	Sawyer Collins
Grant Withers	...	Whanger Spreckles
Paul Fix	...	Ding Jacobs
Ben Welden	...	Yump Lumkin
William Forrest	...	Lt. Tom Kerrick
Addison Richards	...	Capt. Joyce
Jay Norris	...	Joe Brick
Duncan Renaldo	...	Construction worker at party
Hal Taliaferro	...	Lt. Commander. Hood

Also Known As:

Donovan's Army

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | West Germany:12 (f) | Germany:12 | USA:Approved (certificate #9802) | UK:U | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Republic Pictures (I)

Trivia:

Roy Barcroft, a Republic stalwart, appears in this film as one of the Seabees. No effort was made to give him a "character" name, they simply referred to him using his real name, "Barcroft".

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Seabees are first deployed to the island, they embark in Higgins boats (no bow ramps). When they reach the shore, the Higgins boats are now LCVPs.

Movie Connections:

Featured in That's Action (1977)

Soundtrack:

Ireland Must Be Heaven, for My Mother Came from There

Another excellent Wayne wartime propaganda piece

Saying this film is "propaganda" is not an insult. No, it was deliberately crafted to encourage Americans that we can and will win the war if we stand firm. And what better image of this than the ever-vigilant John Wayne--the embodiment of the Hollywood image of heroism.

This film reminds me a lot of The Flying Tigers, though the plot isn't so melodramatic. It's about a crew of civilian engineers sent overseas to do construction for our troops (such as building runways and other projects). BUT, the evil Japanese in the movie take advantage of the fact that these are unarmed civilians and butcher them at every opportunity. So, what is The Duke and his trusted pals to do? Take up arms and use their own equipment when necessary to beat the stuffing out of the Japs! Yes, guys with bulldozers and clubs NEVER could have inflicted the casualties you witness in the movie, but man if it isn't entertaining to watch--particularly the explosive ending.