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John Wayne, Gail Russell, Gig Young, Luther Adler, Adele Mara ... see more see more... , Eduard Franz , Grant Withers , Henry Daniell , Paul Fix , Dennis Hoey , Jeff Corey , Erskine Sanford , Duke Kahanamoku , Fernando Alvarado , Henry Brandon , David Clarke , Fred Graham , Myron Healey , Al Kikume , Fred Libby , Rory Mallinson , Jim Nolan , John M. Pickard , Norman Rainey , Chuck Roberson , Scott Wallace , Mickey Simpson , Carlos Thompson , Harry J. Vejar , Harlan Warde , John Wengraf , Robert Wood , Jose Alvarado , Fred Fox , Grant Means , Leo C. Richmond , Kuka Tuitama

This unusual, dreamlike John Wayne vehicle is set in the East Indies. The focus of the film is the deadly rivalry between two men of the sea. Ship's captain Rails (John Wayne) nurses a long-standing g... read more read more...rudge against shipping magnate Van Schreeven (Luther Adler). The reason for the animosity: Van Schreeven stole away Rails' love, Angelique (Gail Russell). Revenge has warped Rails to point that sometimes he seems to be the heavy of the picture. Complications involving valuable pearls ensue before the offbeat climax, which finds Rails scuttling his own vessel, the Red Witch, as means of getting even. The film's resolution is one of the strangest ever concocted for a Wayne picture. Wake of the Red Witch represented the second screen teaming of John Wayne and Gail Russell; the film must also have held some special significance for Wayne, since he named his own production company, Batjac, after the shipping firm depicted in the picture. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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57% liked it

2,119 ratings

Unrated, 2 hr.

Directed by: Edward Ludwig

Release Date: March 1, 1949

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DVD Release Date: May 22, 2001

Stats: 62 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (62)

  • bbcfloridabound
    June 29, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    This is an outstanding early John Wayne Film. Another early days at sea movie. When I first saw the title cover I thought maybe this was the same movie as Reap The Wind but I was wrong so wrong. This movie out does Reap the Wind by 10 fold. John Wayne is a sea captain who scuttle... read mores the Red Witch because of the cargo which is 5 million dollars worth of gold in 1948 so imagine the price today. The man he stole the gold from wants it back so this makes for a very exciting movie. 4 stars for this old Black and White.
  • jjnxn
    October 30, 2009
    jjnxn
    Decent enough retread of Reap the Wild Wind but nothing extraordinary. Good cast, both Gail Russell and Adele Mara look great and Gail is properly ethereal.
  • BlueHornet
    April 19, 2011
    BlueHornet
    I was surprised I hadn't seen this movie, at least growing up. Then to learn that this is one of the eight movies (out of over 200) in which his character dies, I was even more surprised. And, overall it's not a bad movie. I found it entertaining and kept my attention well. I... read moret's full of interesting characters who's relationship and back story are the main plot of the movie. It's story line is based on an interesting love triangle, greed, revenge, heroism, and some good old fashion sea faring action. The special effects and action is very outdated. Remembering that the movie is over 60 years old, I found it easy to look past.
  • 01MovieMan
    November 26, 2008
    01MovieMan
    John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain out for revenge against a wealthy shipping magnate in this interesting and unlikely 1948 offering from Republic Pictures. Wayne plays the wronged Capta...( read more read more... )in Ralls with a convincing bitterness that foreshadow... read mores his later work in the John Ford classic The Searchers, and his grim portrayal of Ralls hits a high point when Ralls purposely wrecks his enemy's prize treasure ship. The painfully beautiful Gail Russell costarred with Wayne only the year before in The Angel and the Badman and delivers a memorable performance as the tragic Angelique. Gig Young also stands out as a crewman who eventually learns the truth about Ralls. Wake of the Red Witch shares similarities in both character and climax to an earlier Wayne picture, C.B. DeMille's Reap the Wild Wind, but this film has a more direct approach in exploring the complex motivations of its characters. --Mark Savary
  • manly500usa
    January 8, 2008
    manly500usa
    Captain Ralls fights Dutch shipping magnate Mayrant Sidneye for the woman he loves, Angelique Desaix, and for a fortune in gold aboard the Red Witch.
  • wizardoftacoma
    January 20, 2007
    wizardoftacoma
    John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain. When shipping magnate Mayrant Sidneye (Luther Adler) steals the beautiful Angelique Desaix (Gail Russell) from him, a bitter sea skipper (John Wayne) swears revenge on his rival. Now, he's determined to keep the cargo of gold aboard... read more his ship, the Red Witch, all to himself -- and win Angelique back in the process.

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Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
September 30, 2005
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Who said Wayne couldn't act? Full Review

March 26, 2009
Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Bosley Crowther
March 25, 2006
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
November 7, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

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