This here’s a story about that Donovan’s Reef movie. You know, the one with John Wayne. That fella, he’s somethin’ else. Always in those tough guy movies. Well, they made this one movie, Donovan’s Reef, way back when. 1963, I reckon. And they filmed it in a real pretty place.
They call it Kauai, in Hawaii. Sounds fancy, don’t it? But it’s just an island, far out in the ocean. Lots of beaches and trees. They say this movie, it’s all about some fellas who were in the war. Navy boys. This Donovan, Doc and some others like Gilhooley, after the war, they went to this island. French Polynesia, they call it. Sounds like a mouthful, huh? But that’s where this story is.
These fellas, they get together on this island. One of ’em, Doc, he’s got a daughter, and she’s lookin’ for him. There’s some pretty lady called Princess, too. She’s 21 years old, but in the movie, she’s a princess. It’s all make-believe, you see. But that Kauai, that’s real.
- John Wayne, he’s the big star.
- Lee Marvin, he’s in it too. A real tough guy.
- Elizabeth Allen, Jack Warden, Cesar Romero, Dorothy Lamour – they are all in the movie.
- They filmed it at this place called Ahukini Pier. I don’t know where that is, but it’s on Kauai.
And there’s this big canyon. Waimea Canyon. They call it the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Must be somethin’, huh? They filmed some of the movie there, too. When they was cuttin’ down a Christmas tree, I seen it in the picture. Near Poipu Beach, it was.
Now, this place where they filmed a lot, it’s called the Allerton Estate. Used to be where some queen lived. Queen Emma. Fancy name, huh? She had a house there, all white, with them coconut trees. You see it in the movie.
The movie folks, they like to film in pretty places. Makes the movie look good. And this Kauai, it sure is pretty. Green and blue, lots of water. Not like around here.
These fellas in the movie, they get into all sorts of scraps. Just like real life, I reckon. But it’s all fun and games in the end. They got a bar there, on the island. Donovan’s Reef, that’s what they call it. Just like the movie.
This John Ford, he’s the one who made the movie. He tells everyone what to do. Big shot, I suppose. He picked a good place to film, that’s for sure. That Kauai location is a real star of the movie.
So, they got this island, and these fellas, and this bar, and this canyon. And a princess. It’s all mixed up, like a big stew. But it makes a good movie. This Donovan’s Reef movie location is somethin’.
That Princess in the movie, her name was Leilani in real life. The movie set in a town called Haleakaloha. It’s in French Polynesia. It is a ideal society, pure and peaceful. It is like a paradise. And she was a student, at USC. I don’t know what that is, but it sounds important. College, maybe?
These war fellas, they been through a lot. Seen things you and I wouldn’t want to see. So they go to this island, to get away from it all. Find some peace, maybe. And they find it, in Kauai.
If you ever get a chance, you should watch this movie. It’s a good one. And you can see all these pretty places. Donovan’s Reef, Ahukini Pier, Waimea Canyon. All them places on Kauai.
This here movie, it’s about friendship, and second chances. And finding a little bit of paradise, even after you been through a war. And it’s all set in a beautiful place. And that princess is a nice girl. I guess that is it. The movie is called Donovan’s Reef.
