MovieChat Forums > Wake of the Red Witch (1949) Discussion > The Duke Is Really A Bad Guy Here

The Duke Is Really A Bad Guy Here

posted 11 years ago by joeparkson
6 replies | jump to latest

Only his love for Angelique redeems him.

Otherwise, he's arrogant, vengeful and not above being a cruel bully when it suits him.

The way he goaded Mr. Loring into appearing incompetent before the crew and then beating him (a physically smaller man) into a pulp when he objected was rather repellent. I thought he had killed him; I was relieved to see him just bruised up at the trial.

When he finds out that Angelique is going to be married to someone else, it almost seems like he's going to break her neck in a rage.

Had the part been played by someone who regularly plays heavies (like Robert Ryan), then the character of Ralls would more clearly appear to be the heavy. Since it's the Duke, who's built up a reservoir of good will among his fans, we really don't see him as the bad guy.

The Duke must have loved this movie and the character of Ralls because he named his own movie production company 'Batjak' after the the Dutch shipping company in the movie.

Absurdity: A Statement or belief inconsistent with my opinion.

[–] rsda 11 years ago

In his new Biography, John Wayne is always referring to his cancer and failing health as his RED WITCH. This was his most under=rated film.

[–] dannieboy20906 10 years ago

Note that this was released by Republic Pictures. John Wayne was under contract to them and they put him where they wanted. I suspect that he did not like playing this part. I haven't seen the movie yet. If I have I don't remember it. It does sound more like a Robert Ryan role than a John Wayne role.

[–] knight_hawk2002 10 years ago

I would respectfully disagree Dannieboy. WOTRW represents one of John Wayne's best performances within a movie he had much influence on, this was intended as a more thought out version to Duke's earlier and in my view inferior movie "Reap the Wild Wind". Don't forget that many of Duke's regulars are here such as Paul Fix, Gail Russell and Grant Withers, if John Wayne had been unhappy with this role - by 1949 he would have had the influence and power to decline it.

[–] dannieboy20906 10 years ago

I think that I saw it many years ago without paying much attention. I confuse it with "Reap the Wild Wind," even though everything except the setting is different, I don't remember his character at all, and so on. The fight with the rubber octopus does stick in my memory.

I need to look for an opportunity to watch it again, and focus a bit more.

[–] phillipsdan83 (101) 4 years ago

Wayne wasn't as entombed in his image in 1948 as he would be within five years of this, and he was the 600 pound gorilla at Republic Pictures...he wouldn't have taken this if he didn't want to do it.

[–] p25735-261-505738 9 years ago

That was my thought at first, but as the story unfolds, you understand his motivations. His character had trouble handling emotional pain and would drink and lash out to cope. His scuttling of the Red Witch was revenge against Sidneye rather than greed. Having John Wayne play the character gave the character more complexity than an actor who usually plays heavies.