Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)

Woodrow is discharged from the military for hay fever, but fabricates receiving a heroic honorable discharge before returning home.

Director:

Preston Sturges

Writer:

Preston Sturges

Stars:

Eddie Bracken, Ella Raines, Raymond Walburn

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 4 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eddie Bracken	...	Woodrow Truesmith
Ella Raines	...	Libby
Raymond Walburn	...	Mayor Everett J. Noble
William Demarest	...	Sgt. Heffelfinger
Franklin Pangborn	...	Reception Committee Chairman
Elizabeth Patterson	...	Aunt Martha
Georgia Caine	...	Mrs. Truesmith
Al Bridge	...	Political Boss
Freddie Steele	...	Bugsy
Bill Edwards	...	Forrest Noble
Harry Hayden	...	Doc Bissell
Jimmy Conlin	...	Judge Dennis
Jimmie Dundee	...	Cpl. Candida

Storyline

Having been discharged from the Marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) delays the return to his hometown, feeling that he is a failure. While in a moment of melancholy, he meets up with a group of Marines who befriend him and encourage him to return home to his mother by fabricating a story that he was wounded in battle with honorable discharge. They make him wear a uniform complete with medals and is pushed by his new friends into accepting a Hero's welcome when he gets home where he is to be immortalized by a statue that he doesn't want, has songs written about his heroic battle stories, and ends up unwillingly running for mayor. Despite his best efforts to explain the truth, no one will listen.

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Plot Keywords:

national film registry | screwball comedy | mayor | mother | u.s. military | 

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Taglines:

"The Great McGinty" Was Great! "The Lady Eve" Was Wonderful! "The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek" Was Marvelous! But Wait Until You See The Greatest Comedy To Come Out Of This War.

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Herói de Mentira

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the 400 movies nominated for the Top 100 Greatest American Movies.

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Goofs

Camera shadow on the backs of citizens when Woodrow comes out of the house after being nominated for mayor.

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Quotes

Mayor Everett D. Noble: This problem is not local, it's national. In a few years, if the war goes on - heaven forbid - you won't be able to swing a cat without knocking down a couple of heroes. Now... are we going to be governed by young men - very young men - however well-meaning or patriotic they may be - whose principal talent consists of hopping in and out of wolfholes...
Political Boss: Foxholes.
Mayor Everett D. Noble: Huh?
Political Boss: They're called foxholes.
Mayor Everett D. Noble: ...talent consists of hopping in and out of foxholes and killing hundreds of enemies with one swoop of ...

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Connections

Referenced in Preston Sturges and 'The Miracle of Morgan's Creek' (2005)

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Soundtracks

Mademoiselle from Armentieres
(uncredited)
(Also Called "Hinky Dinky Parley Voo")
Music traditional
In the score several times

User Reviews

Preston Sturges just could not go wrong

Yet another perfect film from Preston Sturges, Hail the Conquering Hero is perhaps his most touching film, too. If you've seen Miracle at Morgan's Creek, then you have to see this one, and vice versa. They are sister films: Bracken plays a young sap who couldn't fight in WWII because of health reasons. Where Miracle was mostly about Bracken's quest to win a girl who's dumbstruck at the sight of a man in uniform, Hail deals itself an even better hand. Bracken's in a tight situation. The struggles are both comic and poignant. 10/10