Movie spotlight
The Florida Keys in 1840, where the implacable hurricanes of the Caribbean scream, where the salvagers of Key West, like the intrepid and beautiful Loxi Claiborne and her crew, reap, aboard frail schooners, the harvest of the wild wind, facing the shark teeth of the reefs to rescue the sailors and the cargo from the shipwrecks caused by the scavengers of the sea.
In 1840s Key West, Florida, Loxi Claiborne runs a salvage business, employing sailors to recover goods from shipwrecks. She becomes entangled in a love triangle with two men: Jack Stuart, a roguish sea captain, and Stephen Tolliver, a principled lawyer and plantation owner. As their rivalry intensifies amidst storms and dangerous salvage operations, Loxi must navigate her feelings and the treacherous waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
Reap the Wild Wind was a commercial success and a lavish production typical of Cecil B. DeMille, praised for its spectacle and adventure. While some critics found the plot melodramatic, its star power, elaborate sets, and thrilling storm sequences were widely admired by audiences.
Praised for its grand scale and exciting action sequences.
Noted for the strong performances of its leading cast.
Criticized by some for its over-the-top melodrama.
Google audience: Audiences enjoyed the thrilling adventure and romantic elements, appreciating the impressive production values and the chemistry between the stars.
Won the Academy Award for Best Special Effects. Nominated for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Color.
The film famously features a climactic scene involving a hurricane, for which DeMille employed over 1,000 extras and meticulously recreated the destructive force of nature.
AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources
The last twenty minutes or so go some way to redeeming this otherwise rather meandering romantic drama that has a cast that looks good on paper but is much less effective on screen. John Wayne ("Jack Stuart") is the captain who has just los...
Ripping Yarns! Reap the Wild Wind is directed by Cecil B. DeMille and is adapted collectively to screenplay by Alan Le May, Charles Bennett and Jesse Lasky Jr. from a Saturday Evening Post story written by Thelma Strabel. It stars John ...