Donovan's Reef
1963 · Movie · NR · 109 min · ★ 6.3 · 59% critics
After a wealthy relative dies, a high-society woman travels to a laid-back Hawaiian island to track down the heir—her estranged father. Her arrival upends the easygoing routines of the locals, stirring up old friendships, family tensions, and plenty of rowdy humor amid the tropical setting.
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Streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1963
- Release date
- 1963-06-12
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Critic score
- 59/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.3/10 (157 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a sunny, lighthearted island romp mixing brawling humor with a surprisingly warm heart, in the vein of The Quiet Man or Mister Roberts; Not for you if dated jokes or rowdy slapstick put you off.
Pros: breezy island comedy; warm ensemble charm; gorgeous scenery | Cons: contrived plot beats; uneven slapstick; dated attitudes
Themes
- birthday
- half-brother
- priest
- veteran
- mission clinic
- polynesia
- bar brawl
- christmas
- piano
- half sister
- tiki culture
Cast & crew
John Wayne
as Michael "Guns" Donovan
Elizabeth Allen
as Ameilia Dedham
Lee Marvin
as Thomas "Boats" Gilhooley
Cesar Romero
as Andre de Lage
Mike Mazurki
as Monk Menkowicz
Jack Warden
as William Dedham
- JM
Jacqueline Malouf
as Lelani Dedham
- CL
Cherylene Lee
as Sarah "Sally" Dedham
Jeffrey Byron
as Luki Dedham
Dorothy Lamour
as Miss Lafleur
Directed by John Ford