Cry 'Havoc' (1943)

The Army nurses on Bataan need help badly, but when it arrives, it sure isn't what they expected. A motley crew, including a Southern belle, a waitress, and a stripper, show up. Many ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Thorpe

Writers:

Paul Osborn (screenplay), Allan Kenward (play),

Stars:

Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Margaret Sullavan	...	Lieutenant Smith
Ann Sothern	...	Pat
Joan Blondell	...	Grace
Fay Bainter	...	Captain Marsh
Marsha Hunt	...	Flo Norris
Ella Raines	...	Connie
Frances Gifford	...	Helen
Diana Lewis	...	Nydia
Heather Angel	...	Andra
Dorothy Morris	...	Sue
Connie Gilchrist	...	Sadie
Gloria Grafton	...	Steve
Fely Franquelli	...	Luisita

Storyline

The Army nurses on Bataan need help badly, but when it arrives, it sure isn't what they expected. A motley crew, including a Southern belle, a waitress, and a stripper, show up. Many conflicts arise among these women who are thrown together in what is a desperate and ultimately hopeless situation.

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | grief | malaria | philippines | sister | 

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Taglines:

The first great all-feminine drama of women in danger!

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Genres:

War | Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Angeli all'inferno

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Loew's

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the Hollywood run, MGM purchased the rights to the play for $20,000 and later paid an additional $15,000 for the rights to the Broadway production.

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Quotes

Flo Norris: They say after you've been in the army for a while you can do anything a horse does.
Helen Domeret: I don't *want* to do what a horse does.

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Soundtracks

"Blues in the Night"
(1941) (uncredited)
Music by Harold Arlen
Whistled by Marsha Hunt
Hummed by Ann Sothern

User Reviews

What a great chance to see a collection of great actresses

As a patriotic exercise in morale rising this film does a good job even though it is downbeat but as an opportunity to see an amazing group of actresses gathered together it can't be beat.

With its almost totally female cast, a very young Robert Mitchum just starting out is in and out of the picture in about a minute, this is a rare bird indeed. It's closest match would be The Women but unlike that high comedy cat fest this is a grim examination of the bravery of a group of dedicated nurses and volunteers during the seize of Bataan.

All the women are terrific but a few stand out. The great Margaret Sullavan in her second to last feature is fantastic as the outwardly tough nurse Smitty who is hiding many secrets. Ann Sothern and Joan Blondell are wisecracking experts and even under these tough conditions manage to brighten their scenes with plenty of snap. Two of the best character actresses the movies ever had, Fay Bainter and Connie Gilchrist, don't have much too do but inject their special touch into their scenes.

Each actress gets some type of spotlight moment and that makes this a memorable exercise. While surely actual field hospitals are much tougher than the one shown here the film still doesn't scrimp and try to make this seem glamorous in any way. These women are going through hell and the ending leaves little doubt that their struggles are far from over but that their courage helped to win the war. A fine piece of entertainment.