Wake of the Red Witch
John Wayne stars as a 19th-century sea captain out for revenge against a  wealthy shipping magnate in this interesting and unlikely 1948 offering from  Republic Pictures. Wayne plays the wronged Captain Ralls with a convincing  bitterness that foreshadows his later work in the John Ford classicThe  Searchers, and his grim portrayal of Ralls hits a high point when Ralls  purposely wrecks his enemy's prize treasure ship. The painfully beautiful Gail  Russell costarred with Wayne only the year before inThe Angel and the  Badmanand delivers a memorable performance as the tragic Angelique. Gig  Young also stands out as a crewman who eventually learns the truth about Ralls.Wake of the Red Witchshares similarities in both character and climax to  an earlier Wayne picture, C.B. DeMille'sReap the Wild Wind, but this  film has a more direct approach in exploring the complex motivations of its  characters.--Mark Savary