Great Film overall

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

What is there about John Wayne? To me, he remains a sort of an enigma. There are quite a few of his films I admire and enjoy a great deal. Yet, his acting is about as shallow as a river in Death Valley. And, his acting in this film is pretty shallow in the love scenes....and this is essentially a love story. But worse than his love scenes is the scene where he is talking in his sleep. Although, the film around John Wayne here has some depth to it.Better than Wayne here is one actress who often doesn't get a lot of credit -- Laraine Day. This is one of her better roles, although for a B actress I was always just a bit partial to her.Sir Cedric Hardwicke is also excellent here, if unlikable. It's actually a role that fit him well. Equally good is Judith Anderson, not quite as austere here as she could be on screen.There are also a few fine character actors here: James Gleason and Paul Fix, for example. A very handsome Anthony Quinn is here, not yet having attained stardom. And, Quinn is very good here.Although it's only the sub plot, the building of a railroad tunnel here is quite interesting, and done quite well.The real plot here, however, is a controlling father, a woman who is interested in a man, and a man who is interested in that woman. Except for Wayne's shallow acting in the love scenes, this part of the story is well done, as well.If there's one thing to complain about -- aside from Wayne's awkwardness in love scenes -- it's the very fake exterior scenes that are matte paintings. The color is so fake.Personally, aside from a few films like "Rio Bravo" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence", I think this is better than many of John Wayne's films, but it is seriously underrated. I give it a strong 7 for the story line.

Is this John Wayne's best movie no, but I have seen it three times now and I enjoy the movie. Yes, it's more of a drama instead of an action movie, but that's not a bad thing. I think people today are just spoiled with over the top fast paced special effects driven action movies, and this makes it hard for people to have a little patience and slow down and just relax and try to enjoy the characters and the story. Also, to try and watch the movie through the lens of the time it was created and shown instead of trying to apply today's filming styles and standards to a movie over 50 years old it's a little crazy in my opinion. Anyway, overall I think it's a good movie and I find it enjoyable to watch especially at night when I want a more quite relaxing movie while chilling out in bed. So if it brings me joy in the end and every one else that likes the movie that's all that matters anyway.

A disaster movie long before they became popular in the seventies and thus a movie ahead of its time for that matter.The characters are not too much cardboard ,and thanks to John Wayne and to sir Cedric Hardwicke ,when the movie ends ,you do not know exactly who the "villain" was .Laraine Day is beautiful ,she resembles Linda Darnell and she is cast as the tycoon's daughter who falls in love with ... (well,I won't write a spoiler!).The movie is quite enjoyable and even features very good scenes : Wayne and Day,attending the office,and admiring each other ,under the girl's governess watchful incensed eye (Judith Anderson:who else?);in a more tragical mood,the death of the thirty-year-old man afraid of graveyards since he was a child and who wants to be buried in the tunnel is really moving.Aventures and melodrama.

There are lots of good elements here. There's great cinematography. The sets are big and look cool. Most of the actors are pros giving fine performances, including the ubiquitous Anthony Quinn, Edith Anderson, Cedric Hardwicke, and James Gleason. The Special Effects are top quality for 1947 with about 8 explosive mine blasts/cave ins and a good flood.There are however two elements which blasts this movie to smithereens: the script and John Wayne.The script has the John Wayne character doing absurd and reckless things. For example, he falls in love with Lorraine Day, the daughter of his boss, at first sight while being drunk. Her father orders him to stay away, but he is so horny for her, that he risks his own livelihood and the livelihood of dozens of men working for him to see her again. This just makes the character seem stupid. The stupidity kicks into high gear when he secretly meets her and drives off with her without telling anyone. Her father, fearing that she has met with an accident, rightfully, organizes a posse to look for his daughter.If Wayne's behavior is stupid in the first half of the film, his character turns destructive and obnoxious in the second half. He becomes fanatical about his building projects and alienates all his friends. In the hands of a capable actor like Gable or Bogart, this good guy turns bad role might have been interesting, but Wayne only knows how to play bad by looking constipated and scowling. He delivers his lines pretty much the same with a bitter, don't mess with me, hombre, tone throughout.Actually, there is one scene where Wayne does act well. The father/boss says to Wayne that he might have to "break Him" if he sees his daughter again. Wayne looks genuinely angry like he's been kicked and walks out of the room. Unfortunately, this is an exception, and in most scenes he just looks tired and gives a one sour note performance.I have watched about 50 Wayne films, only about 1/3 of his total, but I can not remember him being this bad in any of them. Therefore, I can't even recommend it for Wayne fans. This was the most expensive film RKO made until 1947 and also its biggest money loser. I can only recommend it for disaster movie fans and movie buffs who want to see major film disasters.