VHS : Reap The Wild Wind [1942]

Rating: - Fiery Paulette,refined Duke,merry Milland, +a giant squid
I first saw Reap the Wild Wind on Channel 2 in Astoria, Queens, New York on a Sunday -- on the TV movie which ran at 1:00pm, while all us churchgoers were home now, and Mother was putting the roast on. Reap was and is an American story.

We first meet Loxi(Paulette Goddard), a provacative, headstrong young woman who is involved in her work -- she's not sittin' home, fannin' herself, havin' juleps. Our first sight of her shows her out on the waves, rescuing downed shipmen. She becomes torn between two strong men -- the understated, determined sea captain (John Wayne) and his antagonist (Ray Milland), a lawyer for the ship's firm who's out to prove that our wonderful captain deliberately scuttled "The Southern Cross" -- for profit!

We see Paulette kiss, get kissed, get spanked (no, it's not a John Ford film), almost get married -- she even sings tolerble well a sea shanty.

The subplots really uphold and expand Reap the Wild Wind: a cousin's shawl; brother vs. brother; a trial; a woman's scream; the undersea battle between two men, battling not only for proof, not only for a woman's love, but also for their lives.

The supporting cast -- Daniel Massey, Robert Preston, Susan Hayward -- and the stunning orchestration by Victor Young -- make this a must see film.

Paulette Goddard had been spurned for Gone With the Wind. Joel McCrea turned down the John Wayne role. Wayne-Goddard together -- the wild wind. See it!