So Proudly We Hail! (1943) User Reviews

Excellent film chronicling the nurses on Bataan

[blanche-2 · 8/10 · 27 September 2006]

Claudette Colbert heads up a team of army nurses caring for the wounded and dying in "So Proudly We Hail!" It's a great ensemble of fine actresses, including Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake, Barbara Britton and others. This is the women's story, not often told, but certainly harrowing and inspiring. These nurses are in the Phillipines when MacArthur pulls out and they become stranded on Corregidor.

The film is told in flashbacks, when the women are actually on their way home by ship, and Colbert, who plays "Davy" (Janet Davidson) is catatonic. The ship's doctor is trying to figure out how to help her and asks the women to tell their story. It's a rough one, filled with bombings, filth, malaria, little food, exhaustion, and dying.

When "So Proudly We Hail!" was released, no one knew how the war would end as we do now, and the fall of the Philippines was seen as a major defeat for the U.S. I suspect that although the impact of seeing it today is very strong, it must have been a lot stronger for wartime audiences.

As mentioned, it was wartime, so Hollywood didn't have a lot of men to choose from. George Reeves - today himself the subject of a film - plays Davy's love interest, John, and he's not only hunky but excellent. I couldn't figure out if he had a good speaking voice or I was just so used to hearing it after growing up with "Superman." But he's very effective, and it's sad that after serving in the war, he couldn't get his career back on track. Unfortunately, that happened to many actors who were just getting a foothold when war broke out.

The other actor is the often maligned Sonny Tufts, a big, good looking blond who wasn't much of an actor, but he doesn't detract from the film either. He was probably more suited to this role than he was to others later on.

But this is a women's movie all the way. At 40, Colbert was probably a little old for the role. However, she does a good job as a tough but motherly woman, protective of her nurses and quite the rule-breaker herself after she meets John. Veronica Lake gives what is perhaps her best performance as the angry Olivia. The supporting Oscar nomination should have gone to her - it's a showy role, and she does a fantastic job. Paulette Goddard did receive the nomination. She's a flirty, sexy man magnet and extremely likable. I've always thought in real life, with all that charm and charisma, she must have had to beat men off with a stick.

"So Proudly We Hail!" gives as realistic a depiction of the conditions of war and the tremendous work of the nurses who served. It covers the same material as the excellent "Cry Havoc!" - also about nurses on Bataan. I highly recommend both films.

As a bit of trivia, there were nurses who did not get out of Corregidor and were captured. They worked in the prison hospitals and had to endure terrible conditions, but surprisingly, they did survive -a tribute to their incredible inner strength and devotion to the wounded.

Effective combination of suds, realism, patriotism in story of WW2 nurses...

[Doylenf · 7/10 · 6 January 2005]

Hollywood deserves a big hand of applause for making SO PROUDLY WE HAIL at a time when the U.S. was still involved in WW2 and our struggles to overcome the Japanese in the Pacific. It opened to popular acclaim at New York's Radio City Music Hall where it played to contented audiences who were both entertained and impressed by the war realism depicted as nurses undergo the rigors of work among the wounded.

It's still pretty impressive, although some of the flag-waving gets a little heavy and the suds flow pretty freely when the nurses discover romance. Claudette Colbert leads the pack of nurses with a nobility only Claudette could demonstrate--and sincerity. In lesser roles, Veronica Lake and Paulette Goddard acquit themselves well, with Goddard receiving a Supporting Actress nomination.

Sonny Tufts achieved instant popularity with his role as the bumbling Kansas and George Reeves had one of the best roles of his career as Colbert's love interest.

What makes the film remarkable for its time is the way it handles all of the action sequences--and there are plenty of them. The explosions don't look as if they're happening on a studio set but in the jungles and terrain of the story--and they're mighty effective in their realism, something even today's audiences can appreciate.

On the debit side, the story is a little overlong and the flashback technique might not appeal to everyone. Still, it has holding power and is an example of one of the finer films of the period to deal with the role of women during World War II.

WOW -- Outstanding movie

[franklinmjohnson · 8/10 · 5 January 2005]

Way ahead of its time. Intelligently written, movingly acted, extremely compelling battle scenes for a film of its era. Excellent, realistic performances by Veronica Lake, Paulette Goddard, Sonny Tufts, Walter Abel, Hugh Ho Chang, even George Reeves. I don't understand why this film isn't mentioned among the best of American-made war movies.

Some reviewers here have called it "propaganda," but it is hardly that in the context of the time. I was actually quite surprised by its even-handedness. (Yes, there are non-PC references to "Japs," as with every other American war movie of the era.) Disregard any disparaging critiques posted here and SEE THIS FILM.

This movie was FAR ahead of it's time.

[TheFilmHistorian · 10/10 · 31 May 2001]

"So Proudly We Hail!" is an absolutely magnificent film in every way. This movie was NOT a propaganda film like so many made during that time were. There was no "rah-rah" attitude anywhere in this film. This is one of the first films that put women in the spotlight as true war heroes, and in the front lines. The movie was extremely important for women, and how women are viewed in films. This film centers around the true horrors that the courageous nurses who served in WWII at Corregidor went through. NOTHING at all was candy coated, so to speak. As you watch this film, and remember that it was made in 1943, you will be shocked at some of the content for that time period. Amazing performances by all, including the great Claudette Colbert, George Reeves (from Superman fame), Veronica Lake (In certainly her finest performance), and Paullette Goddard who was nominated for an Academy Award. The script for this film was written by using the stories from journals, and diaries of the actual nurses who served at Corregidor. Some of these nurses made it back, and some didn't. Some of the surviving nurses of Corregidor were also brought in during production as technical advisors to the film makers. A few of them were even used as extras. Issues of Life magazine, and photographers from Life magazine who were there, were brought in assure even more accuracy concerning uniforms, and surroundings. The fact that this movie was released while the war was still going on, is further testament to it's courageous stance in not candy coating the horrors of war. This is one of the few old WWII films that I would love to see remade. A remake of this film could be as huge as "Saving Private Ryan" As you watch the film, you will see what I mean. This film was well written, had outstanding acting, mature subject matter for the time period, and was an historical achievement for putting courageous women in the spotlight. All of these elements together, make for a classic film that is a MUST SEE for everyone. Why this film is not in the AFI Top 100 is a mystery to me.

So Proudly We Hail! is a compelling tribute to the nurses of World War II

[tavm · 9/10 · 30 March 2010]

Since both of my Philippine parents were born while World War II was on and my mom eventually became a nurse, I've long wanted to watch this war drama about American nurses as they struggled to keep their sanity during that conflict. Before I go to the leading ladies, I have to mention that one of the first people we see on screen is one Mary Treen, a player from my favorite film-It's a Wonderful Life, who is another of the medical staff who provides some of the narration of the first half. She's just as compelling as many of the rest of the supporting cast which includes Sonny Tufts as a goofy soldier who falls for Paulette Goddard, and George Reeves as an Army man who takes a shine to Claudette Colbert. It's largely Colbert and Goddard who provide the spirit and occasional heartbreak of the film as we watch them both praise and whine about how the war is going. But the one genuine surprise here is Veronica Lake, usually a glamor girl in her roles, who becomes sullen here because of a tragedy involving Pearl Harbor. So on that note, So Proudly We Hail! comes highly recommended.

A war movie that's also a "women's film", or a "women's film" that's also a war movie

[jimjo1216 · 16 November 2013]

SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! (1943) has hard-hitting battleground action while telling a story about women (U.S. Army nurses) and women's issues. It's very well-done. The nurses struggle with their duty and their personal lives (romances, etc.) while facing the horrors of war. The special effects are surprisingly effective, rocking the camera with brutal explosions, and the war-zone drama is sure to bring a tear to one's eye.

The setting of the action is the Bataan Peninsula in the Philippines, where U.S. forces were hopelessly outnumbered and cut off from relief early in WWII. The film was made in the middle of the war when the outcome was anything but certain. It's a bit unusual in Hollywood films to see the U.S. losing battles. Seeing the Americans routed by the Japanese in the Philippines almost makes one wonder if the U.S. had a chance in the Pacific. The film has a patriotic flavor and seems to say that Americans have the courage and the spirit to overcome the early setbacks and get the job done (in the name of freedom, etc.).

Claudette Colbert is solid as always in the lead, playing the selfless officer looking after the other girls. Paulette Goddard gives a great performance, earning an Oscar nomination. She's all personality. She's funny, but not overly so, and has some touching dramatic moments. Viewers will also see a side to Veronica Lake they'd never expect. Dark and serious.

George Reeves plays the soldier who falls in love with Colbert, giving her someone to worry about while she works to keep the hospital base running despite short supplies and occasional Japanese air raids. Marine Sonny Tufts pairs off with Goddard in a sweet, but more comical relationship.

Directed by Astaire-Rogers musical-comedy veteran Mark Sandrich, SO PROUDLY WE HAIL! is a very effective war drama. Even though it focuses on the nurses and not the soldiers, the depiction of war is gritty and tough. The action scenes pull no punches. Viewers sympathize with the characters in their personal struggles, but also with the greater American forces in the context of the war. It's interesting to see a film like this made during WWII when things could've gone either way for the "good guys". Sonny Tufts can't believe the U.S. is on the losing side of the Battle of Bataan. Claudette Colbert gives a speech about the reality of war, with Americans being killed in places Americans used to think of as exotic and far away. It's a global affair and the U.S. was in it now, for keeps.

7.5/10

Appropriate Tribute To The Nurses In WWII

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 12 August 2006]

Without some of the sappy romances, I would have rated this powerful movie a couple of stars higher. That's only my tastes in films. For the ladies, they might like this "war movie," a lot more because it pays tribute mainly nurses and all the romances are probably just the ticket.

But for 126 minutes, 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!!.

I did enjoy 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.

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.

To appreciate this film you have to keep it in context of its time

[kenpat54 · 9/10 · 3 June 2005]

I saw this film when it first came out. I liked it then and I like it now. Some argue that its a little too heavy on the patriotism. But if you remember it was made at a time when we weren't sure how the war would come out, the context keeps patriotism in perspective. Back then most everyone supported the war effort and the doubters kept their doubts to themselves. There were virtually no families without at least one member in the service and most of the non-service people worked in defense jobs. "So Proudly We Hail" was a timely film when it was made and 60+ years later its message is still relevant as an historical event.

Patriotism, social service, love, separation, longing and the fascinating life of the nurses who worked tirelessly during the war-let's hail them.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 27 January 2023]

So Proudly We Hail (1943) : Brief Review -

Patriotism, social service, love, separation, longing and the fascinating life of the nurses who worked tirelessly during the war-let's hail them. Mark Sandrich's name is known to me for directing those evergreen comedies and musicals in the 30s. I have seen The Gay Divorcee (1934), Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet (1936), Shall We Dance (1937), Carefree (1938), and Holiday Inn (1942), so this one is quite a surprise for me. The same man who makes gay films can make such a socially important film too. Yes, he did. So Proudly We Hail is an ode to the nurses who sacrifice their youth, love, and families for the country, but how many of us remember their work? It's interesting that this film came at the right time when Hollywood was experimenting with World War films, but hardly a few of them were focused on women, and even fewer had women on the field with soldiers. A year before, we had the Oscar-winning Mrs. Miniver, which also had family drama involved in it, whereas this one is more about the battlefield. Being an Indian, I was unaware of the fact that it was released just 13 months after the end of the Battle of the Philippines, with a focus on allied efforts at Bataan and Corregidor as well as MacArthur's dramatic escape from the Philippines. MacArthur's escape remains unexplored here, but the film successfully shows the horrors of war and the pressure during the bombardment. "He never saw his father, and his son will never see him. It's a pattern that will go on, I suppose, until we do make the world a decent place to live in." This quote really stabs your heart. Claudette Colbert and Paulette Goddard's fine performances, along with Mark Sandrich's sensible direction, make this one a nice watch. There is something about war-era films that you can't hate. You feel it, and you love it. You don't feel it; you don't have a heart or brain. All hail the war heroes and the nurses.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Powerful enriching classic about the triumphs of war time nurses!

[electronicparty · 10/10 · 23 January 2003]

I was stunned by the sheer excellence of this movie. I've saw many World War II films and this by far is the most real to life. I've never saw war thank God, but if I were to I'd expect it'd be as this movie portrayed!

This in my opinion is a must see for all women. This movie shows the courage, leadership, and strong will of women who so often are taken for granted. Our world is kept in tune by these silent unsung heroes, not just in war but in daily living. Women are nurses, managers, business owners, mothers, and some how they manage the time to be wives.

I enjoyed this movie a great deal because of it's accurate portrayal of the power of women. How women can be strong in times of danger and be heroes in times of war, but all the while keep their femininity, compassion, and sensitivity.

Some of the things you'll see in this movie will amaze you. Things that may not or seldom do appear in movies today are in this remarkable film. For instance there's a scene where a woman chooses to sacrifice herself with a grenade for the good of her fellow nurses. Another is a short and quite violent fight between a couple of nurses.

The plot is very solid in my opinion and this movie gives no glory to war! It's a classic war time epic, done from a very modern perspective. It indeed is a gem in a plastic box.

The Heroism of WWII Nurses

[evanston_dad · 7/10 · 17 November 2020]

"So Proudly We Hail!" chronicles the services of a group of nurses in WWII as they travel with the United States Army through a series of famous defeats. Claudette Colbert plays the head nurse, while large supporting roles go to Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake, memorably playing against type. It came out in 1943, so it doubled both as entertainment and as propaganda for the war effort. But despite that, it strives for a more realistic and restrained tone, and it doesn't shy away from the brutal horrors of war. An obligatory love story anchors the film and really just slows it down as far as I'm concerned, but that was a convention of the time.

"So Proudly We Hail!" brought Goddard her only career Oscar nomination in the Supporting Actress category. It's a large role; her screen time probably equals Colbert's, who's billed as the lead. But it's not surprising she was pushed in the supporting category. The film was also nominated for its original screenplay, black and white cinematography (courtesy of many-times nominated Charles Lang), and its special effects, put to the service of several battle scenes.

Grade: B+

Veronica Lake in a unique role

[Niro · 9/10 · 12 November 1998]

Another fine film from AMC's 1998 "Veterans' Day Movie Marathon."

This one details (in flashbacks) the daily ordeals of a company of Red Cross nurses serving in Bataan and Corregidor during WWII. For a change, Paulette Goddard plays the nurse with most of the male admirers (Sonny Tufts in particular), with Veronica Lake showing up late in a decidedly unsexy role (about which I can't say much more than that, lest I ruin it for you). Both offer up career performances, if that's saying much. Their leader, durable talent Claudette Colbert, holds the troop together throughout, despite numerous tragedies. Helping to prop *her* up is her persistent suitor George Reeves (later of the TV series, "Superman"). Interesting for the fact that it was shot while the war was still raging ~ so there are a lot of decidedly non-PC references to "Japs" ~ but this is a real salute to the unsung women who served in "the big one." A must-rent.

4 Stars.

Saccharin War Romance, but important

[pluto-11 · 6/10 · 22 March 2005]

As a film goes, this one is rather dated, saccharin sweet romance (way - way over-the-top in the romance part). However, it is one of the few films that bothered to show the sacrifices that Red Cross Nurses, Doctors, and medical staff made during World War II. Because of that, it is an important film to see so that we can all appreciate their important contribution.

I just got done seeing it and I entered "World War II Corregidor" into Google and read several web pages that go into detail about the role Red Cross Nurses played in World War II. In http://www.gendergap.com/military/usmil6.htm it explains what actually happened on Corregidor and the part the nurses played. So, if you see this film - take a moment and educate yourself. If you are an American or affiliated with the Red Cross - you can take a moment and feel pride in their accomplishments. My late mother was a Registered Nurse who worked with the Red Cross after she "retired", so in my heart I paid homage to her and her generation by watching this film and reading the history behind it.

Anyway, pretty decent film except for the romance. Worth viewing.

Nurses at Bataan and Corregidor

[Garranlahan · 3/10 · 20 April 2006]

Not a single nurse in 1942-1945 who served in the Philippines died during the Japanese invasion or later in Japanese prison camps.

In contrast, the death rate among males in both situations, which included the Bataan Death March (in which the nurses did not participate), was absolutely horrific, and included slave labor in Japan by being transported there by unmarked Japanese hell ships routinely sunk by unknowing U.S. submarines where starved, sick, suffocating men locked in holds drowned by the thousands.

There were endless aspects of the movie that tried the viewer, even in 1943: maudlin speeches by the chaplain, nurses, and others (including a speech in a love letter at the end of the movie) every 15 minutes or so; front line soldiers and a Marine (who for some reason wanders around all alone in an Army unit, on the voyage over and in the Philippines when he should have been with his fellow Marines in the 4th Marine Regiment) who nonchalantly stroll back and forth at will from the front lines to the rear to schmooze with their girl friends; fraternization (absolutely forbidden) between a nurse and the (apparently) lost enlisted Marine (who is a PFC in his blouse and a Pvt. in his shirtsleeves); absolute confusion as whether these nurses were Red Cross (civilians) or U.S. Army and Navy; the usual tiresome 1940's litany of wisecracks; not a single, solitary mention of the U.S. Army medics and Navy Hospital Corpsmen who, unlike the nurses, indeed WERE in the front lines, decimated, and left behind with their patients (no Australia for them); Claudette Colbert and Paulette Goddard obviously too old for their roles; Veronica Lake with hair shoulder length; endless, childish cat fights; and a scene with Veronica Lake, Japanese soldiers (who don't fire but obligingly gather around), and a hand grenade which has no competition for the 20th Century's Prize for the Hands Down Stupidest Scene Ever Filmed in a War Movie. The production values were good, but that and its patriotism are the only positive things you can say about this movie.

Gratefully influenced 61 years later.

[paulap50 · 10/10 · 31 July 2004]

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.

The Nurses Of Bataan

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 29 April 2011]

So Proudly We Hail was Paramount Pictures tribute to the nurses who were tending the casualties at Bataan. The film got four Oscar nominations and great roles for some of Paramout's female stars like Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake, all playing nurses and also joined by Barbara Britton, Mary Treen, Dorothy Adams, Ann Doran and so many others.

Claudette is in charge of this group which sets out from San Francisco for assignment at Pearl Harbor. But the Japanese attack diverts the ship for the Phillipines where the nurses are rushed into tending the casualties on Bataan and Corregidor.

Having gone to the Phillipines as a tourist and having seen both places I thought Paramount did a remarkable job in re-creating both areas. The battle and evacuation scenes were very well done, one of the nominations that So Proudly We Hail got was for Special Effects.

Colbert gets herself involved with George Reeves and this was probably his best big screen performance. What an incredible tragedy that he went in the service and could not get his career momentum back as so many others did. Of course we all know he went on to be television's Superman and the tragedy that came out of that.

The military's no fraternization policy got a second wink when Goddard gets herself involved with Sonny Tufts in the film that got him his first notice. He plays a former football star from Kansas and appropriately named same in the film with a kind of goofball charm that was his trademark. Now wartime audiences either didn't notice or didn't care, but his New England accent stood out all over for a guy who was supposed to be from Kansas. Tufts was from the old New England WASP family that among other things endowed Tufts University. Why didn't they just call him Boston for the film?

The other Oscar nominations that So Proudly We Hail got was for Best Supporting Actress for Paulette Goddard, for Screenplay, and for Original Story. The film has held up remarkably well over the past several generations and it's a great tribute still to our army nurses in any war.

How we look at movies changes over time

[fightdirector · 10 December 2004]

Perception is everything...and perceptions change over time...

A question I have presented to my college film students: In the film, an U.S. Army Nurse (played by Veronica Lake) walks into a group of Japanese soldiers and blows herself and the Japanese soldiers to bits using hand grenades that were hidden in her Red Cross medical bag. In 1943 when the film was made, American audiences cheered her "heroic, patriotic" deed.

If she had been an Iraqi nurse in 2005 who walked into a group of American soldiers and blew herself and the American soldiers to bits using hand grenades that were hidden in her Red Crescent medical bag, she would be denounced as a "terrorist" and some would feel justified to shoot anyone in the future carrying a Red Crescent medical bag on sight.

So Proudly We Hail review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 25 April 2020]

A chick war flick which manages to shoehorn in some impressive action sequences between romantic interludes. Goddard is enticing, Colbert a touch too mumsy, and Lake thankfully bails out early.

Amazingly realistic.

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 29 May 2012]

During WWII, Hollywood made a bazillion war films. Almost all of them were clearly propaganda pieces--lacking realism and intended only to bolster the war effort. Allied soldiers were, generally, supermen and the enemy were subhuman monsters. The films were effective but don't age well. However, a few war films from the era managed to be very effective yet realistic--sticking to the facts but doing such a thoroughly good job that they are timeless. Two of the best of this era have to do with the same events--the loss of the Philippines to the Japanese. One, "In Harm's Way", is told from the viewpoint of two Patrol Boat captains and this film, "So Proudly We Hail!" concerns an ensemble cast of nurses stuck on Bataan during the final weeks of this battle. Both are about equally good--and both are true classics.

The film begins with a small group of nurses en route from the Philippines. They've been evacuated and are heading to safety. However, several of them are clearly damaged--in particular the one played by Claudette Colbert. The story then flashes back to the beginning of the story--and you learn about all the nurses but particularly how Colbert got to this state. Among the cast are Colbert, Paulette Goddard and Veronica Lake. And, among the guys they fall for during the war are George Reeves (TV's Superman) and Sonny Tufts.

What I really liked about the film is that although the characters are fictional, the action is very real. The war isn't sensationalized or sugar-coated--it's bloody, brutal and unrelenting. And, unlike most war films of the day, it doesn't assume the audience is stupid and realizes it can paint a realistic portrait and still contribute to the war effort. The usual jingoism is absent--just a lot of good folks giving their lives in the line of duty. As a result, the film is often heartbreaking and is bound to make an emotional connection with the viewer. Paramount should be appreciated for a great script, exceptional acting and wonderful sets and special effects, as it looks like you'd think the Philippines SHOULD look. One of the best war pictures of the era--and one worth seeing.

By the way, Colbert's next film, "Since You Went Away" was also one of the greatest films of the era to deal with the war. It tells an amazingly touching story of a mother and her two daughters as they cope with the absence of loved ones. It's also a tearjerker and well worth seeing.

The story of Army nurses during WWII.

[ltlacey · 6/10 · 4 February 2009]

Let's get the ending of the film over with first. Janet is catatonic because she thinks that John has died. But we really do not know that he has. Now, this, as an ending works fine, as it leaves the viewer wondering as well. I like endings that you just do not know what's what. But it's her reaction when the doctor reads the letter from John, and we do not know when he wrote it, other than he was not at the front and fighting, but sitting in some bar drinking that just ruins this movie. She hears his words, and the doctor's voice becomes John's voice, and she comes out of her trance, so we know that she will be okay" Whether John is alive or not. So we are to assume that she will go straight to the farm and either he is there, or not, but whatever, she will wait for him. My main problem with this movie was the age of the actresses portrayed to play the nurses. Colbert was 40 and Goddard 38, but at least Goddard could pull off being a nurse in her 20s. Colbert, though, looked every one of her years. And what really got me was that Reeves was 11 years younger than Colbert, and looked at least 5 years younger than he was when this film was made. She looked like she could have been his mother in some of those scenes. And then we have all the makeup she wore as well. I know they were trying to make her look younger, but it did not work. And in the middle of a war, there they all are, especially Colbert and Goddard, all dolled up. I had read that the studio was trying to make this movie as believable as possible, and there are some actresses, even now, who refuse to go bare-faced, but come on. Colbert was beautiful and probably could have pulled it off sans all that makeup. Most of the others seemed to do without too much. Overall, a decent representation from a nurse's point of view, but otherwise, not worth the time.

Everyone's war, everyone's peace.

[dexter-10 · 10/10 · 24 January 2001]

It is much too easy to fall into the post-World War Two media trap that the war was a man's war, and that women were just incidental to the effort. Thank goodness there are movies like this to remind Americans that the war was a total effort by almost everyone. In a real sense, women have not yet received full honor for their contribution to the war effort, whether they were ferrying planes, tending wounded, of carrying intelligence. In this film, one finds the horrors of war go beyond the battle lines into the minds of those who faced the reality of a world weary and frightened of war. This movie is also a reminder that most Americans during the war saw the fall of Bataan and the Phillippines as the major tragedy of the time. Pearl Harbor was frightening enough, but the very magnitude of defeat in the Pacific brought home the reality that there would be more casualties--if they could get off the island. It is difficult to find a Colbert movie of this period where she did not excel as a actress. This movie is no exception, she is extraordinary. Also, the evacuation scene is spectacular. If this movie did not inspire the Homefront to greater effort, what could? World War Two was everyone's war, and the peace would be everyone's peace.

war nurses

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 14 November 2023]

A group of nurses escape from the Philippines before it fell to the Japanese. They are tired and their leader Lt. Janet 'Davy' Davidson (Claudette Colbert) lies unconscious on a stretcher. They recall their experiences starting with them boarding the transport ship to Honolulu.

This got four Oscar nominations. I can do without the old fashion romances, but it was probably needed for the audiences of its day. Olivia is an interesting character. The early attack sets a good darker tone. Of course, this is war propaganda in those times. It has just enough realism to not be fake. All in all, it's a war movie for the war audience.

Classic War Film with Great Women Actors

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 16 February 2005]

During WW II everyone in America joined forces to fight against Japan and Germany. This film clearly portrays the great efforts of the Military Nurses who helped the wounded and even gave their lives in order to bring Victory for the USA. Claudette Colbert,(Lt. Janet Davidson),"It Happened One Night",'34, spread herself very thin trying to support the nurses and the soldiers in the hospitals. Paulette Goddard,(Lt. Joan O'Doul),"Reap the Wild Wind",'42 gave an outstanding supporting role while under constant bombing from the Japanese Zero planes. Veronica Lake,(Lt. Oliva D'Arcy)," I Married a Witch",42 surprised everyone in the Nurses Unit with her great act of love and service to her country. Veronica Lake in real life had a short lived career and was not truly appreciated for her great acting abilities. This 1943 War picture clearly shows the horror of War and the results which live forever in our hearts and souls, especially the Veterans who are wounded and living in the Veteran's hospitals even TODAY.

nurses in the pacific

[petersjoelen · 6/10 · 16 February 2024]

Quite a long film in which the story is told through a long flashback of a group of nurses who are just on their way to Australia from the pacific war zone.

One of the women is in an a sort of coma state and we see her story and that of her colleagues through a long flashback.

The film is quite big with a few large crowded scenes and a kind of tribute to the nurses who signed up for active duty in the Pacific.

Of course it is all quite romanticized, but the characters are built up well and gradually you as a viewer start to sympathize with them.

This film was made during wartime, so it clearly has a kind of propaganda-like message, but that is not that disturbing.

Compelling nuggets embedded in thin propaganda

[irish23 · 4/10 · 6 April 2008]

You pretty much know you're getting an heroic picture about Americans in battle when watching a war movie from 1943, so that helps set the stage up-front. The characters are idealized and thin, though certainly not as much as they could have been, and the pacing and narration don't quite hang together.

This picture is best seen as a collection of stories, some of which are so disturbingly human that they must be true. Veronica Lake does an outstanding job in her role, which consists of little dialogue but tremendous meaning. Claudette Colbert is perfect in her role, as are many of the other actors.

The two main male lead characters were almost painful to watch, with rotten dialogue and not much acting ability to pull it off.

The overall messages of the film are a real eye-opener compared to the propaganda we hear today (2008) regarding America's wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Themes of compassion, tolerance, and "sentimental virtues" make one realize just how far we've fallen in the last 60 years. As others have commented, it was surprising and at times shocking to see how far the filmmakers went to expose the horrors of war and the many ways people respond to it.

It was wonderful to see women of the same rank as men, and being portrayed as competent leaders and essential contributors. Courage and ingenuity shine through in memorable vignettes, reminding us that everyone near a war zone is affected by that war -- whether officially military or not.

My only wish is that the overall picture held together better as a whole. It's definitely essential viewing for its historical value, but isn't a classic film on its own.