Wake Of The Red Witch (1948)
Wake of the Red Witch is a 1948 American adventure film directed by Edward Ludwig, produced by Edmund Grainger and starring John Wayne, Gail Russell, Gig Young, Adele Mara and Luther Adler. It is based upon the 1946 novel of the same name written by Garland Roark. The film is one of the few A-level features produced by Republic Pictures, as it had a relatively high production budget. It became one of Republic’ most successful releases.
Plot
Two men of the sea carry an ongoing rivalry: Mayrant Sidneye, owner of the shipping company Batjak Limited, and Captain Ralls.
Ralls is the ruthless captain of the Red Witch, Batjak’s flagship. He deliberately wrecks and sinks the ship and its cargo of gold bullion worth five million dollars. He escapes a charge of barratry when Batjak unexpectedly withdraws its complaint.
Ralls and his first mate Sam Rosen become fishermen on a schooner and follow a treasure map to an uncharted island, where they are greeted by Sidneye; the map was a ploy to lure Ralls to the island so that Sidneye could deal with Ralls in his own way.
A series of flashbacks describes how Ralls and Sidneye first met and how Ralls became captain of the Red Witch. Ralls and Sidneye had fallen in love with the same beautiful woman, Angelique. When Ralls accidentally killed Angelique’s uncle, she married Sidneye even though she loved Ralls. When Angelique became ill and was dying, Ralls heard the news and returned to the island, and Angelique died in his arms there. Ralls’ deliberate sinking of the Red Witch was an act of revenge against Sidneye for depriving him of the woman he loved.
Returning to the present, Ralls and Sidneye strike a deal: Ralls will reveal the exact location of the wreck of the Red Witch in exchange for a portion of the gold recovered from it. But when the salvage operation is to begin, it is discovered that the wreck is resting precariously, half on an underwater ledge and half hanging over deeper water, making salvage extremely dangerous. Ralls is the only one willing to take the risk. He dives down to the wreck and manages to secure a portion of the ship’s gold, but the wreck begins to slide off the ledge. Falling debris traps Ralls inside the wreck, and he is killed when the descending wreckage severs his air hose.
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