So Proudly We Hail! (1943)

Director:

Mark Sandrich

Writer:

Allan Scott (written by)

Release Date:

18 February 1944 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

The first great Love Story of our women at the fighting front!

Plot:

A group of nurses returning from the war in the Phillippines recall their experiences in combat and in love.

Plot Keywords:

Nurse | Bataan | Ship | Army Nurse | Corregidor

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars.

Cast

Claudette Colbert	...	Lt. Janet 'Davy' Davidson
Paulette Goddard	...	Lt. Joan O'Doul
Veronica Lake	...	Lt. Olivia D'Arcy
George Reeves	...	Lt. John Summers
Barbara Britton	...	Lt. Rosemary Larson
Walter Abel	...	Chaplain
Sonny Tufts	...	Kansas
Mary Servoss	...	Capt. 'Ma' McGregor
Ted Hecht	...	Dr. Jose Bardia
John Litel	...	Dr. Harrison
Dr. Hugh Ho Chang	...	Ling Chee
Mary Treen	...	Lt. Sadie Schwartz
Kitty Kelly	...	Lt. Ethel Armstrong
Helen Lynd	...	Lt. Elsie Bollenbacher
Lorna Gray	...	Lt. Tony Dacelli

Runtime:

126 min | Germany:112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #9026) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In keeping with Army regulation, Veronica Lake (Lt. Olivia D'Arcy) changed her famous "peek-a-boo" hairstyle. She only let her hair down once, in her final scene. Later she cut it, with much publicity, because women who copied her and worked in factories kept getting their hair caught in the machinery.

Quotes:

Kansas: I never get wounded.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Silent Night, Holy Night (1818)

Gratefully influenced 61 years later.

In 1967, there were three television stations, and at 9:30pm on Saturday nights, the weekend movies would start, and my mom and I would watch whatever was on. "So Proudly We Hail" was playing on a cold December night in New Mexico, and I was transfixed watching this black and white classic. Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake. I didn't know any of these actresses, but they became my idols, not the actresses themselves, but the women they portrayed. I always hoped there would be a war movie playing on those Saturday nights. I ask myself now, why I wanted to see these movies. When I turned 18, I talked to a recruiter, with dreams of serving in the Army, dressing in uniform, and playing soldier. My dream was not realized in the military, but in the civilian sector, and I "served" almost 30 years in ER's across this country. I know it's corny to say a movie influenced my life, but "So Proudly We Hail," did influence mine, profoundly. When Veronica Lake realized her comrades were in danger, and she made the choice to give her life for theirs, and her country, I realize that our daughters in the military are armed, and are making those decisions on a daily basis. So much has changed in 61 years, and yet they remain the same. I'm proud of this movie, and am grateful for the influence it had on my life on a Saturday night so long ago.