Trivia / Donovan's Reef

• Dawson Casting: Even John Wayne agreed that his role needed to be played by a younger actor, but he stayed with the project anyway.
• No Stunt Double: Lee Marvin did his own stunts.
• Real-Life Relative: John Wayne's son Patrick has a small cameo as the Australian Shore Patrol officer who breaks up the final fight.
• Throw It In!: During a fight with Lee Marvin, John Wayne underestimated an uppercut. He crashed through a table and fell down. John Ford decided to leave the scene in the movie.
• What Could Have Been: John Wayne wanted Maureen O'Hara to play his love interest, believing that he was too old for Elizabeth Allen.
• Vacation, Dear Boy: John Ford convinced Lee Marvin to accept his role because it meant a paid Hawaiian vacation.

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