Donovan's Reef (1963): Cast, Ratings & Plot
Donovan's Reef is a 1963 adventure comedy directed by John Ford, starring John Wayne, Cesar Romero and Marcel Dalio. It runs 1 hour 49 minutes. Critics gave it 67% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 49m (109 min)
- Director
- John Ford
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Donovan's Reef About?
The premise of Donovan's Reef without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After serving together in World War II, three veterans—the rugged Donovan, the resourceful Doc Dedham, and the imposing Gilhooley—find themselves on a beautiful Pacific island. They devise a playful scheme to thwart Doc's daughter, who intends to take control of her family’s business. Amidst the idyllic setting, the men’s camaraderie and mischievous plan unfold, creating a humorous and heartwarming story about friendship and family.
Donovan's Reef Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- half brother
- south-pacific
- pacific island
- biracial child
- polynesia
- saloon
- laid back lifestyle
- spanking
- love
- bar
- singing in french
- falling into water
+38 more Show fewer
- priest
- three kings
- christmas music
- roof leak
- morse code
- swimming in the ocean
- swimming race
- medical doctor
- half sister
- second marriage
- navy veteran
- christmas tree
- marriage proposal
- wedding present
- birthday
- war veteran
- bar fight
- colonial governor
- title appears in writing
- 1960s
- silk underwear
- water skiing
- beach
- piano
- dancing
- biracial
- frere jacques
- singing
- polynesian
- pipe smoking
- family reunion
- irish american
- hawaii
- faith
- polynesian dance
- boston massachusetts
- polynesian music
- friendly brawl
Donovan's Reef Cast
John Wayne leads the cast, with Cesar Romero and Marcel Dalio. Directed by John Ford; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director John Ford
Also Starring in Donovan's Reef
· 6 moreMore from John Ford
More films directed by John Ford, best-rated first: The Grapes of Wrath, The Searchers, Young Mr. Lincoln and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.
Donovan's Reef Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Donovan's Reef 67% on Rotten Tomatoes and 64 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
-
IMDb 6.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 67% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 75%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 64 Metascore
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 62% User score
See on TMDB
Donovan's Reef Plot Summary
What happens in Donovan's Reef from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Nearly two decades have passed since the end of World War II, and Thomas Gilhooley, a former United States Navy (USN) veteran, has found himself working aboard a freighter. Realizing that the ship won’t dock at his intended destination, Haleakaloha in French Polynesia, he decides to leap into the water and swim to shore.
Meanwhile, Michael Donovan, another USN veteran and a close friend of William “Doc” Dedham, who serves as the only medical doctor in the area, is quite engaged with his life on the islands. When Doc requests that Donovan look after his three children during a two-week trip to provide medical care to the surrounding islands, Donovan readily agrees.
Full summary
The whole story of Donovan's Reef, scene by scene
Donovan's Reef Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Donovan's Reef.
How Well Do You Know Donovan's Reef?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main character who abandons ship to reach Haleakaloha?
Cars in Donovan's Reef
2 cars on screen: the Jeep CJ-5 and the Willys MB 'Jeep'.
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Jeep CJ-5 Important role -
Willys MB 'Jeep' Important role
Donovan's Reef Also Known As
23 alternative titles, including “Рифът на Донован” and “I tre della croce del Sud”.
- Also known as
-
- Рифът на Донован
- I tre della croce del Sud
- La Taverne de l'Irlandais
- La taberna del irlandés
- Die Hafenkneipe von Tahiti
- Kocsma a Csendes-óceánon
- Her kommer Donovan
- A Taberna do Irlandês
- הריף של דונובן
- Риф Донована
- Барът на Донован
- ドノバン珊瑚礁
+11 more Show fewer
- Rafa Donovana
- O Aventureiro do Pacífico
- Aventurero del Pacífico
- 도노반의 산호초
- Donovanův útes
- Donovanov greben
- 珊岛乐园
- La taverna de l’irlandès
- Etelämeren seikkailijat
- Donovans krog
- Donovan'ın Salonu
Seen Donovan's Reef?
Movies Like Donovan's Reef
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Beachcomber, Don’t Go Near the Water and Pearl of the South Pacific.
-
The Beachcomber 1954 -
Don’t Go Near the Water 1957 -
Pearl of the South Pacific 1955 -
Who Finds a Friend Finds a Treasure 1981 -
Waikiki Wedding 1937 -
Return to the Blue Lagoon 1991 -
Beyond the Blue Horizon 1942 -
Father Goose 1964 -
Return to Paradise 1953 -
Aloha 2015 -
All the Brothers Were Valiant 1953 -
Isle of Forgotten Sins 1943
Donovan's Reef FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast, ratings and post-credit scenes of Donovan's Reef, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Donovan's Reef?
Donovan's Reef runs 1 hour 49 minutes (109 minutes).
When was Donovan's Reef released?
Donovan's Reef was released on June 12, 1963.
Who directed Donovan's Reef?
Donovan's Reef was directed by John Ford.
More films by John Ford Who is in the cast of Donovan's Reef?
Donovan's Reef stars John Wayne, Cesar Romero and Marcel Dalio, among 10 credited actors.
How is Donovan's Reef rated?
Donovan's Reef has 6.7/10 on IMDb, 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, 64 on Metacritic and 62% on TMDB.
Does Donovan's Reef have a post-credit scene?
No. Donovan's Reef has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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