Secret Command (1944)

Director:

A. Edward Sutherland

Writers:

Roy Chanslor (writer)
John Hawkins (story)

Release Date:

30 July 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

DRAMA...by a handful of men and women who fight the enemy within our gates!

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Spy | Melodrama | Beautiful Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Pat O'Brien	...	Sam Gallagher
Carole Landis	...	Jill McGann
Chester Morris	...	Jeff Gallagher
Ruth Warrick	...	Lea Damaron
Barton MacLane	...	Red Kelly
Tom Tully	...	Colonel Hugo Von Braun aka 'Brownie' Brownell
Wallace Ford	...	Miller
Howard Freeman	...	Max Lessing
Erik Rolf	...	Ben Royall
Matt McHugh	...	Curly
Frank Sully	...	Shawn
Frank Fenton	...	Simms
Charles D. Brown	...	James Thane
Carol Nugent	...	Joan
Richard Lyon	...	Paul

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Company:

Torneen Productions

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Red Kelly (Barton MacLane) first meets Jill McGann (Carole Landis), he says, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelly," which is HIS character's last name. A moment later, he calls her by her 'proper' name, Mrs. Gallagher.

Revolving Irishman

These things generally are more interesting for their social history than the cinematic experience. But that history is hot and heavy here.

Its a strange thing to witness, how Hollywood toes the line on perceived social needs, sometimes taking the lead from Washington.

The US entered the war with a strategy not based on valor, or military prowess. It was simply based on outproducing the bad guys. We could make stuff faster than they could blow it up. So industrial sabotage was a real worry. We weren't worried about the Japanese because we simply locked up anyone who looked Japanese.It was the Germans who "looked like us," that were the worry.

So Hollywod ginned up some stories to fit, and this is probably the best of the bunch. The interesting thing here is how far the Irish had come as the prototype American. Only a few decades before, Irish (with Jews) were considered slime. They were quite literally the "other," the non-American.

Its anyone's guess why they rose so quickly. The common theories don't hold much water because we see other groups who behaved much the same way and never achieved the exalted status of the Irish as movie icons. But here we have it in spades: brawling is an honorable, friendly thing. Booze is never mentioned. All the hard working, patriotic, tough souls here are Irish. They win the war with pluck and expect no reward or recognition.

Now, that's a story. Incidentally, though the story, sets and action are pure hokum, that acting here is pretty modern and realistic. I think that's related to the Irish story.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.