|
 Some make think So Proudly We Hail (1943), about a group of dedicated American Army nurses during World War II, would be a chick-flick. Surprise, it's a compelling drama starring Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, George Reeves and Barbara Britton and is appealing to any fan of a good drama.
In his introduction to the film on the DVD, Turner Classic Movie Host Robert Osborne said, "Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake all star in the film. All three of them were extremely popular box-office names at that time but not at that point accustomed to sharing close ups with other equally famous actresses." Osborne also talks about rumors of how the three starlets did or did not get along.
When a group of nurses are sent off aboard a Navy ship after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, they hardly know what lies ahead. Life seems shipboard happy while en route to their destination. The girls get to know each other and mingle with all the good-looking sailors.
Claudette Colbert
Lt. Janet Davidson (Colbert) is quite aware of the dangers of a shipboard romance, but despite her resolve, ends up falling for Lt. John Summers (George Reeves). This is told in flashback as Davidson is in a catatonic condition when first brought aboard the ship now heading back home.
As the story unravels from the beginning in the flashback, things get complicated however, when the ship's crew is dumped at Bataan in 1942. The nurses are immediately burdened with trying to patch up wounded soldiers and survive bomb blasts and constantly moving their medical camps as the enemy edges closer.
A wonderful cast of men and women makes this story resonate. Of course with the continuing presence of war situations worldwide since WWII, it's not a stretch to imagine any of this movie couldn't be real. That's a tribute to screenwriter Allan Scott who is said to have used the stories from journals and diaries of the actual nurses who served at Corregidor.
Sonny Tuffs
So Proudly We Hail is a movie everyone can enjoy. It's has action-adventure, danger, romance and humor, mostly coming from the comedic character of Kansas, played well by Sonny Tuffs.
Paulette Goddard &
Claudette Colbert
Kansas forms a shipboard romance with Lt. Joan O'Doul (Goddard) and she's a perfect match for Kansas, as they're both lighthearted and playful.
Although Goddard had made almost 30 films before So Proudly We Hail, they had mostly been small parts or unaccredited roles. Even though she was nominated for an Academy Award for this film, Hollywood didn't seem to warm to her natural beauty. She made several more films before leaving Hollywood in the 1940s and moving to Europe. So Proudly We Hail was only Tuffs second feature film, and he would later appear in The Virginian (1946) and The Seven Year Itch (1955) as well as other movies.
Veronica Lake & Claudette Colbert
Veronica Lake has one of the biggest transitions in So Proudly We Hail as Lt. Olivia D'Arcy. At first staid and almost caustic to her fellow nurses, she's immediately disliked. When Lt. Davidson finally uncovers what's causing her distress she finds redemption from her roommates, only to face what could be a life-changing event on Bataan. Lake was another Hollywood beauty who proved from her role in this movie that she could act. Sadly, she was miscast in one loser after another, gravitated to TV roles in the late 50s and never got the chances she probably deserved.
The hero and heroine of So Proudly We Hail both pulled off their roles. Colbert covered her character arc well, reeling us in during her tragedies, triumphs, fear and ups and downs. She looked wonderful whether in military war garb, a uniform or waking up from spending a dreamy night in fox-hole with John Summers. The lovely French-born actress would make more than 80 feature films including It Happened One Night (1934), for which she won an Oscar, and Private Worlds (1935) and Since You Went Away (1944) - both for which she received Oscar nominations.
George Reeves
Did you know he appeared in Gone With The Wind (1939), The Fighting 69th (1940), Winged Victory (1944) and Samson and Delilah (1949)?
So Proudly We Hail is not only a great melodrama but a true patriotic film and was nominated for four Academy awards: Paulette Goddard - Best Actress in a Supporting Role; Charles Lang - Best Cinematography, Black-and-White; Allan Scott - Best Writing, Original Screenplay; Farciot Edouart (photographic), Gordon Jennings (photographic), George Dutton (sound) - Best Effects, Special Effects.
So Proudly We Hail is part of Universal Studios Home Entertainment's Universal Cinema Classics - Wave 2 that includes Scarface (1932), No Man of Her Own and Unconquered. They feature Oscar-caliber casts, engrossing story lines and stunning production values that were hallmarks of Hollywood's Golden Era including Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Claudette Colbert and Paul Muni, with acclaimed directors such as Howard Hawks and Cecil B. DeMille.
Director: Mark Sandrich
Writer: Allan Scott
Cast: Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, George Reeves, Sonney Tuffs, Barbara Britton
Rating: Not Rated
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 4 out of 5
DVD Release Date: 5/22/2007
Run Time: 126 minutes
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Format: Black and White
Photo credits: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
|
