I always thought this film was a buddy movie about John Wayne and Lee Marvin but actually it's a romance between Wayne and Elizabeth Allan, who I'd never heard of but who does a fine job - she's pretty, spirited, can act. And there's hardly any Wayne-Marvin stuff - far more important is Jack Warden, who plays Allan's estranged father, and who prompts the visit.
Really Maureen O'Hara should have played the Allan part. The film is like The Quiet Man, a romance between contrasting types, which is fine. I'm guessing it was either money, availability or the fact they wanted someone younger because (a) Hollywood and (b) in the story they wanted Allan to be the daughter of a friend of Wayne. Which mean Wayne romances someone young enough to be his daughter.
They could have adjusted the last bit - she could have been his sister, or cousin, it didn't really matter for the story. The main things you needed were (a) the culture clash of the uptight gal being charmed by the islands (b) fear she'll worry about miscegenation of the dad, which could have worked just as well for a brother.
Dramatically it feels wonky because we spent most of the film with Wayne and Allan then over an hour in we have to invest in the estranged relationship on Allan and her father Jack Warden. Warden's character is a real sh*t - another in a long, long line of absent fathers in John Ford films. He let his daughter grow up without spending any time with her. What a terrible person!
There are some pleasing shots of Hawaii. Everyone seems to have had a good time. Wayne and Allan have nice chemistry - mind you, Wayne had good chemistry with most of his co stars - it's one of the reasons he became a big star.
It's under-cast in some roles - it's a great idea to have someone chase after Allan for her money but instead of having someone who would be a real threat they cast Cesar Romero who is even older than Wayne and always depicted like an idiot.
Marvin and Dorothy Lamour is wasted, though Lamour gets to sing a few songs. It's a shame they had Wayne throw Lamour in a lagoon for comedy.
It's even more of the shame the climax consists of Wayne throwing Allan over his lap and spanking her then forcing her to kiss. Of course she gives in. Sometimes that happens in marital rape!
Australians will get a kick out of the end when an Australian Navy ship arrives on the island. The soldiers comically chase women down the street (to rape them?) while a couple of lower ranks hang out in the bar, all with Irish accents - one played by Dick Foran in what is clearly a Victor McLaglen style role. One sings "Waltzing Matilda", words are exchanged with Lee Marvin, John Wayne tries to calm things down by invoking the Battle of the Coral Sea ("we were ll on the same side") but a fight takes place... technically between the locals and the Aussies though Wayne and Marvin seem to punch each other. A local police officer, played by Mike Mazurski (in a role which must have been intended for Ward Bond) comically doesn't intervene. The officer in charge, played by Patrick Wayne, John's son, turns up and doesn't seem surprised, sending his men off to be disciplined.
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