Wake Island
“Leathernecks... writing another glorious chapter of purposeful courage in America's history!”
Synopsis
In late 1941, with no hope of relief or re-supply, a small band of United States Marines tries to keep the Japanese Navy from capturing their island base.
Top Cast
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Brian Donlevy
Maj. Geoffrey Caton
Macdonald Carey
Lt. Bruce Cameron
Robert Preston
Pvt. Joe Doyle
William Bendix
Pvt. Aloysius K. "Smacksie" Randall
Albert Dekker
Shad McClosky
Walter Abel
Cmdr. Roberts
Mikhail Rasumny
Ivan Probenzky
Rod Cameron
Capt. Pete Lewis
Bill Goodwin
Sgt. Higbee / Narrator (voice)
Damian O'Flynn
Capt. Bill Patrick
Frank Albertson
Johnny Rudd
Joyce Arleen
Cynthia Caton (uncredited)
Hugh Beaumont
Captain (uncredited)
Barbara Britton
Sally Cameron (uncredited)
Hillary Brooke
Girl at the Inn (uncredited)
James Brown
Wounded Marine (uncredited)
Robert Carson
Marine (uncredited)
Don Castle
Pvt. Cunkle (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
August 11, 1942
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- John Farrow
- Screenplay & Story
- Frank Butler, W.R. Burnett
- Original Score
- David Buttolph
- Original Title
- Wake Island
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- Japanese, English
- Runtime
- 1h 27m
- Production Studios
- Paramount Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
John Farrow
Frank Butler, W.R. Burnett
David Buttolph
Theodor Sparkuhl, William C. Mellor
LeRoy Stone, Frank Bracht
Joseph Sistrom, Buddy G. DeSylva
Department Leadership Roster
Theodor Sparkuhl
Director of Photography
LeRoy Stone
Editor
William C. Mellor
Director of Photography
Frank Bracht
Editor
John Farrow
Director
Frank Butler
Screenplay
W.R. Burnett
Screenplay
Joseph Sistrom
Producer
David Buttolph
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Wake Island.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Wake Island.
War: World War II
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Movies categorized under War
Best Picture Nominees
Best Picture Nominees (updated 8/6/26)
Oscar Best Writing Nominees
Complete list of Oscar Best Writing Nominees
Oscar Best Supporting Actor Nominees
Complete list of Oscar Best Supporting Actor Nominees
Oscar Best Director Nominees
Complete list of Oscar Best Director Nominees
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Frequently Asked Questions About Wake Island
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Wake Island about?
In late 1941, with no hope of relief or re-supply, a small band of United States Marines tries to keep the Japanese Navy from capturing their island base.
Who directed Wake Island?
Wake Island was directed by John Farrow.
Who stars in Wake Island?
The principal cast of Wake Island includes Brian Donlevy, Macdonald Carey, Robert Preston, William Bendix, Albert Dekker.
When was Wake Island released and how long is it?
Wake Island was released in 1942 with a total runtime of 1h 27m.
Who composed the musical score for Wake Island?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Wake Island was composed by David Buttolph.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Wake Island?
Wake Island holds official age classifications: US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).