Benedito Dias Rodrigues
It's quite understandable that wartime this ultra nationalism propaganda make sense,war is war including this unreliable movie even more with John Wayne leading the process,works to Americans who needed to be convincing your people to die for the country....typical movie that didn't add to much in nothing...only to Americans whose are blind about the war!! Resume: First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 6
jacobs-greenwood
Directed by Edward Ludwig, based on a story by Borden Chase, who wrote the screenplay with Aeneas MacKenzie, this average war drama about the formation of Construction Battalions (C.B. - get it?) by the U.S. Navy during World War II also includes a love triangle subplot involving its three top-billed actors: John Wayne, Susan Hayward, and Dennis O'Keefe. Wayne plays a well known (and well liked, by his crews) construction company owner Wedge Donovan, who's recruited by Lieutenant Commander Robert Yarrow (O'Keefe) to help sell his idea to train and arm the construction specialists to his superiors.But Wayne's character (who dances the Jitterbug with Adele Mara, uncredited) is a bit of a hothead who doesn't take direction nor orders from others very well and that, in addition to his interest in Yarrow's girlfriend Connie Chesley (Hayward), is the basis for the story's conflict. The film's Score was nominated for an Academy Award.After Donovan's construction crew returns from doing a job for the Navy, during which several of his men are killed, Lt. Cmdr. Yarrow asks him to help go before some admirals to arm these specialists against the enemy. But when Donovan learns that the Navy wants to do more than just provide his men with weapons, that they want to train them (to fight properly) for perhaps 3 months or more, Wedge is impatient and refuses to cooperate further.Donovan decides to go with his men - William Frawley plays foreman Eddie Powers, Leonid Kinskey, J.M. Kerrigan, Grant Withers, Paul Fix, and Ben Welden (among others) - on their next job for the Navy, and Yarrow's newspaper reporter girlfriend Connie is assigned to go along for the story. She tells Donovan that the Lt. Cmdr. had been sent ahead to keep Wedge and his men from getting into trouble (e.g. the war). Their convoy heads for a Pacific island that's later invaded by the Japanese. During the invasion, when a few of his men are killed (because they weren't in the Navy's provided shelter), Donovan's temper gets the best of his judgment and he leads his construction crew into the middle of the crossfire that Yarrow had set–up to contend with Japan's invading force. The result is not pretty: a large number of Donovan's crew is killed or injured, including Connie, who'd been spending a considerable amount of time with Wedge.While Donovan is tending to her wound, she tells him that she loves him and Wedge proclaims the same before she passes out. Yarrow heard it all, but that doesn't keep him from forgiving and apologizing to Donovan's men for his error when, after realizing what he'd wrought, Wedge is at a loss for words.Wedge seems to have learned his lesson because he then helps Yarrow to form the Seabees, by recruiting construction specialists into training by the Navy for specific battalions (e.g. to build and repair runways and other requirements). Donovan's even given the rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, working for Yarrow. When Connie's better, she's as upset to learn that Wedge doesn't want her as Yarrow is that she doesn't want him.Donovan and Yarrow then ship off to another Pacific island to build and secure a runway with a fuel depot. Unfortunately, his men make easy targets for the (smiling) Japanese snipers that still infest the "jungle". Naturally, this leads Donovan, who had changed and learned to perform within the Navy's system, to ignore Yarrow's orders once again and nearly cause the depot to fall into the now invading enemies' hands. But, like the cavalry, Donovan and his men who had been hunting the snipers return just in time to save the day (tractors & cranes in combat!), causing Wedge to lose his life heroically.After a ceremony honoring the brave Seabees and their successful defense, Yarrow and Connie decide that they can be together once again.
timgrimes
A fine John Wayne movie and no WWII movie collector should be without it. This movie's great patriotic musical score is also a fine example of strong & very well-written harmonies for male chorus; the score sounds like the U.S. Navy Band's men's chorus (an astounding group of music professionals by the way) and is a dramatic performance that supports this very positive story of the Seabees. With some added drama along the way, this movie demonstrates some of the work done by the SeaBees - building facilities & runways on remote islands during WWII; massive runway construction with PSP grid materials, bulldozing, & hut construction, which were all representative of the basics that needed accomplishing during this campaign. This was a refreshing viewing experience in that the then media was supportive of the American fighting man, and while this may make some in today's culture wince, that's their problem. Today's warriors and sailors are just as honorable & deserving of the kind of support that surrounds this kind of movie, and watching this production reminds you of that fact. Very dramatic, perhaps over-acted at times, but a great story about our fine Seabees! If you are a patriot, I believe you'll enjoy this movie.
MartinHafer
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.
