After the financial flopping of THE CRUSADES, Cecil B. DeMille concentrated on films dealing with different aspects of American history from 1760 to 1942. THE PLAINSMAN dealt with Wild Bill Hickok, Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, and even Custer. THE BUCCANEER dealt with the Battle of New Orleans, Jean Lafitte, and General Andy Jackson. UNION PACIFIC dealt with the transcontinental railroad (no really historic figure dominated the story here). Then came an exception to this trend, when DeMille turned to the Mounties v. Louis Riel in Manitoba in NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE. But he returned to the American History with REAP THE WILD WIND. The final two films were THE STORY OF DOCTOR WADDELL (DeMille's only World War II film, oddly enough),and THE UNCONQUERED (his only pre - 19th Century American history film).

REAP THE WILD WIND, at first sight, does not quite seem as understandable as the others. THE PLAINSMAN is about the threat to the frontier of the Indians (getting modern weapons via villainous Charles Bickford). THE BUCCANEER does deal with how Jackson and Lafitte won the defining victory of the War of 1812, and saved the Mississippi Valley. UNION PACIFIC was how, despite crooks like Brian Donleavy, the great railroad united the U.S. with a backbone of steel. Even NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE explained why there were two nations going west to the Pacific, not three (the third made of Frenchmen and Metis and Indians). But REAP THE WILD WIND did not deal with westward expansion, or with land. It dealt with the America's other 19th Century frontier: the seas.

We don't think of it (outside, perhaps, of New England),but from 1800 to 1865 our merchant marine was quite vigorous. Confederate raiders like C.S.S. Alabama destroyed much of it, but until that we were giving Great Britain serious competition. But the background of REAP THE WILD WIND is actually a little out of date in the film. The story takes place in 1840 or so. It should be in the 1820s to early 1830s.

When Great Britain ceased being our rulers, our merchant ships suddenly were targeted by various predators. The best known was the Barbary Pirates (with whom we had two wars in 1804 and 1815). But in the Caribbean a number of freebooters and pirates sprung up to ravage our struggling merchant ships. Indeed, Jean Lafitte and his brother were suspected (possibly unfairly) of being among these - more likely the Lafittes were simply smugglers. In the late 1820s, Captain David Porter was sent with a small flotilla to clean out the worst pirate stations in the Caribbean. He did a good job. Actually, by 1840 our navy was doing a fine job protecting our ships.

But for some reason DeMille moved the story into the 1840s. It does not hurt the film, but it weakens it's historical accuracy.

Ray Milland represents a wealthy ship owner (Walter Hampden) whose ships are being lost to wreckers in a gang headed by Raymond Massey. Hampden's chief ship captain is John Wayne. As the film progresses he and Milland become rivals for Paulette Goddard. Her sister, Susan Hayward, becomes enamored with Massey's younger brother Robert Preston. Massey is not too keen on this, except if it gets him additional information of the movement of Hampden's ships. On the other hand, he uses the Wayne - Milland rivalry to get control (of a sort) over Wayne.

A shipwreck of the flagship of Hampden's line results, and this leads to Milland's attempts to bring Massey to book in court. But the latter is extremely clever, and he suggests that Milland's behavior may have led to the disaster. The court decides they need further evidence - and this leads to testing the testimony of a slave, who claims the ship was haunted, and there was a noisy ghost in the hold. Is it so, or was there a stowaway - possibly the missing Susan Hayward.

The conclusion, with three of the leads drowned or shot down on deck and Paulette Goddard averring that this was all her fault reminds one of the conclusion of say HAMLET, with corpses littering the stage. De Mille never tried that conclusion again, but it was a curious ending. It is also odd seeing Wayne (on his way to super-stardom after STAGECOACH, THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, and DARK COMMAND) in a supporting role, as was Hayward. Yet a decade later, when it was re-released, they got top billing over the actual stars Milland and Goddard.

Comparissons to "Gone With the Wind" will be inevitable in this Cecil B. DeMille epic which actually has a different time period and different historical battle as its focus. Dealing with the problems of the shipping industry in the 1840's, "Reap the Wild Wind" is a beautiful color epic where a Scarlet O'Hara like belle (Paulette Goddard) reigns over men's hearts while her Melanie-like cousin (Susan Hayward) finds tragedy. Boat Captain John Wayne and dashing Ray Milland are the two men after Goddard's heart, while a young Robert Preston vows revenge after a boating accident takes his sweetheart's life. The film has epic storm scenes, a fight between Wayne, Milland and a huge squid, as well as a trial sequence where secrets of the sea are revealed.

This lavish epic drama has some amazing photography, special effects, costumes and music, and is probably DeMille's best non-Biblical epic. It is ironic that both Goddard and Hayward ended up in this after they auditioned for the role of "Gone With the Wind's" Scarlet, and it is a change of pace to see Hayward in a rather gentle, submissive role, while Goddard (an underrated actress) steals every moment she is on. The lovable Louise Beavers is a more gentle version of Mammy, unable to control her charge (Goddard),yet loving her as if she were her own child. Such memorable character performers as Elisabeth Risdon, Raymond Massey, Charles Bickford and even Hedda Hopper got involved in the mix to make this one of the more exciting color epics of the World War II era praising American heroism.

In 1840, America's line life is the sea, with an intense commerce. In Key West shore, two ship savage companies dispute the wrecked vessels. The honest one belongs to the impulsive Loxi Claiborne (Paulette Goddard) and Capt. Phil Philpott (Lynne Overman) and the other one is owned by the unscrupulous pirate King Cutler (Raymond Massey). While rescuing the crew of the ship "Julliete", wrecked on the reeves by the First Mate Mathias Widgeon (Victor Kilian),Loxi falls in love for Captain Jack Stuart (John Wayne). She travels to Charleston to defend Jack and convince the ship owner to give the position of captain of the new steamship of the company, manipulating the powerful shipping company lawyer Steve Tolliver (Ray Milland),who also falls in love for her. This triangle of love leads Jack Stuart to bad and fatal choices.

"Reap the Wild Wind" is another great film of this great director and producer Cecil B. DeMille. The story is a triangle of love full of adventure, drama, suspense and romance. The use of the Technicolor is amazing, being this movie nominated for Best Cinematography, Color, and Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color. Awarded in Best Effects, Special Effects, shows a spectacular fight of Jack and Steve against an octopus in the end, in a wrecked vessel. The performances of the gorgeous and spontaneous Paulette Goddard, the intelligent Ray Milland, the naive and precipitated John Wayne, the villain Raymond Massey and the funny and smart captain Lynne Overman are outstanding and very well supported by a fantastic cast. The lines are also excellent, having right doses of humor. In my opinion, this movie is absolutely underrated in IMDb. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Vendaval das Paixões" ("Gale of the Passions")