3/5 Appropriate Tribute To The Nurses In WWII
  by Craig Connell (Lockport, NY USA)
The movie succeeds in paying tribute to unsung heroes of any war: the nurses. They were an extremely hard-worked, under-appreciated group during World War II, so this tribute is well- earned and I'm glad to have seen it. God bless those ladies who made such sacrifices.

It didn't hurt watching Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard and Vernoica Lake, however. All of them looked very pretty. Lake was missing her peek-a-boo long blonde hair but probably - at least facially - looked better than I've ever seen her. Her role was the most interesting.

But for 126 minute-film, as a male looking for an action film, I would have liked to see a bit less courtship scenes, which included some corny dialog. I realize they needed to break up the action scenes and give something for the females to watch, but they often made no sense. For example, near the end Colbert marries George Reeves (yes, Superman) even though she admits she knows almost nothing about the man!.

For those looking for a nice romance film - this is it.

5/5 A Moving Tribute
  by Bobby Underwood (Bakersfield, California United States)
"We must have faith. We will fight to the death to make those tender and sentimental beliefs, like Christmas, a reality forever." -- The chaplain in a quiet and solemn moment on a ship bound for Bataan, nurses gathered around the Christmas tree.


This superb wartime drama deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Mrs. Miniver. Those who dismiss it offhand as propaganda would do well to view it first and try not being moved. Based on the stories of eight real nurses who had survived Bataan and Corregidor, and were still serving their country, it offers a very real look at the dark early days of WWII, when men and women were doing little more than buy America time to regroup and rearm after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Director Mark Sandrich, remembered more today for his wonderful films with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, makes this long yet tender tribute to those nurses and soldiers a film every American should see.

Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake make you forget about their glamour a few moments into the film as the viewer is swept up in their plight. Written by Allan Scott, and photographed by Charles Lang, with a fabulous score by Miklos Rosza as accompaniment, all three leads shine in various times throughout the film. Lake owns the first portion of the film, Goddard the middle, and Colbert the end. Colbert is the anchor, however, becoming more accessible as the film goes on. George Reeves, as Colbert's sweetheart, and Sonny Tufts especially, as Goddard's, make this film charming and heartbreaking, elevating it beyond Hollywood's take on WWII nurses.

As the film opens, the nurses are returning home from their harrowing tours in Bataan and Corregidor. But something traumatic has silenced their leader, Lt. Janet (Davy) Davidson, who wanted to stay behind and now will not speak. The doctor believes the only way to help her is to know in full the background of what happened to them. So as painful as it is to talk about, Joan O'Doul (Goddard) and the other girls relate their story. What follows is a tender and moving tragedy of many little tragedies suffered by Americans during those early days after we were attacked. In 1943, it was a wonderfully dramatic film which helped our country understand just what we were fighting for and the sacrifice the free world was making towards that end. Viewed today, it is no less a moving document of a remarkable time in the world's history.

Davy and Janet find themselves on a ship in the middle of the Pacific awaiting orders after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Veronica Lake joins the nurses in the shaky and uncertain future before them. Olivia (Lake) will not make friends or socialize with the other nurses. Only after they discover they are heading to Bataan, a place none have ever heard of, does Davy finally reach inside and pull out of her the heartbreaking reason she must go with them. Lake has one of her finest moments on film here, and will have another when the nurses must escape from the oncoming Japanese soldiers or suffer the fate of those women at Nanking. It is the pivotal dramatic moment in the film, changing the film's tone and letting us know that this is a serious film about war and sacrifice.

The human element is never lost amidst the bombings and makeshift hospitals, as letters from home, wartime romance, and the impending chance they may themselves not survive are handled well by Sandrich. Colbert is excellent throughout as their solid leader trying not to fall in love with a soldier (George Reeves) taken with her, but not succeeding. It will lay more at her doorstep until one more retreat without knowing for sure he is okay will overwhelm her. It is Goddard's Joan who lights up the screen, however, changing from the frivolous and flirtatious to reveal a depth brought out by war and circumstance. Her unexpected romantic attachment to a sweet but none too bright soldier named Kansas has both charm and a sense of realism. Sonny Tufts excels in the role of Kansas and left an impression on moviegoers.

Little moments of normalcy and fun, such as Joan's black evening dress she takes or wears everywhere, even underneath the kaki, and Davy's Tojo, the tiny monkey given her by John, who becomes their mascot, are offset by deflating war news of convoys they were counting on for relief being sunk, and constant bombings of the hopitals during the early days of the war. In this way, it is a very real picture of what happened, with war interrupting plans and lives, and taking people in directions they could not have foreseen. Mary Servoss gives a fine performance also as the Captain who suffers a loss greater than any should ever have to bear. Barbara Britton and Walter Abel round out a fine cast.

Those who either dismiss this film without seeing it first, or give up on it after the first half hour, are truly missing out on one of the most moving tributes to those who served their country during those dark early days of WWII ever filmed. Some gave all. A touching and fabulous film not to be missed.

5/5 One of my all-time favorite films!
  by S.L.H. (Takoma Park, MD United States)
I've been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD! This film about Army nurses and based on actual letters from women writing home. It was a huge hit in its day but never made it to DVD until now. Claudette Colbert is the star but the other women in the film provide the perfect supporting cast. Veronica Lake is a standout as the woman traumatized by the attack on Pearl Harbor and gives an unforgettable performance that should have earned her an Academy nod but that went to Paulette Goddard instead. For the price of a rental you can't go wrong!

5/5 One of Claudette Colbert's Best!
  by Gloria J. Williams (California)
Are you looking for a really good, classic B&W, WWII movie? Look no further. I have always enjoyed watching Claudette Colbert in comedy (The Egg and I) historical (Drums Along The Mohawk, Cleopatra) and tear jerkers (Imitation of Life, Since You Went Away) but this movie is really something! Set at the onset of WWII, it's the story of a group of U.S. Army nurses leaving San Francisco for their tour of duty in Hawaii in December 1941. The attack on Pearl Harbor changes their destination, and their lives. Don't miss this one!

5/5 Stellar Film
  by R. Deniston (Lincoln, CA United States)
This movie was a real treat. Most war films focus on the military, front-line aspects, understandably, and it's rare to find one that centers around the nurses' experiences. It's a shame this film not more well-known--I found out about it when I read "Our Mother's War"--because it hits all the right notes. The three principles, Claudette, Paulette, and Veronica play off each other very nicely. They weren't just pretty faces, that's for sure!

Some things about the film may make today's viewers flinch, namely the act of calling Japanese people, "Japs." However, it is important to consider the point of view of those involved and of the initial audience. My paternal grandfather was a WWII vet, and until the day he died he always called Japanese people by that derogatory term. I don't like the practice, but I am a product of my time. While "So Proudly We Hail" and other films of the era are products of their time as well--and what isn't, even things that are timeless, like "The Wizard of Oz"--it does not detract from the picture as a whole.