Donovan’s Reef - 1963 - 6/10
Brawny John Wayne comedy set in the South Pacific.
After WWII, a handful of Americans stay on a small island.
One is a Boston doctor, with a trust that he uses to care for islanders.
A female scion arrives, purposely to disinherit the doctor.
Film is a cascade of hijinks, fights, monsoons, romance, songs.
The tone is light and breezy throughout; Wayne apparently did most of the directing after John Ford fell ill.
Island scenery and Pacific waves probably made this a hit with nostalgic veterans.
