The Purple Heart (1944)

A stock WW2 era drama which was produced for morale purposes.

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

Jerome Cady, Darryl F. Zanuck (story) (as Melville Crossman)

Stars:

Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, Farley Granger

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Dana Andrews	...	Capt. Harvey Ross
Richard Conte	...	Lt. Angelo Canelli
Farley Granger	...	Sgt. Howard Clinton
Kevin O'Shea	...	Sgt. Jan Skvoznik
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Lt. Peter Vincent (as Donald Barry)
Trudy Marshall	...	Mrs. Ross
Sam Levene	...	Lt. Wayne Greenbaum
Charles Russell	...	Lt. Kenneth Bayforth
John Craven	...	Sgt. Martin Stoner
Tala Birell	...	Johanna Hartwig - Berlin News Correspondent
Richard Loo	...	General Ito Mitsubi
Peter Chong	...	Mitsuru Toyama

Storyline

This is the story of the crew of a downed bomber, captured after a run over Tokyo, early in the war. Relates the hardships the men endure while in captivity, and their final humiliation: being tried and convicted as war criminals.

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Plot Keywords:

bomber | prisoner of war | death | murder | son murders father | 

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Taglines:

NOW it can be told! You'll burn with rage... and thrill with pride!

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

23 February 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

Corazón púrpura

Filming Locations:

Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,500,000, 31 December 1944

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Excerpts from two poems are recited in this film. They are "The Boys" by Oliver Wendell Holmes and "How Do I Love Thee-Let Me Count the Ways" by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

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Goofs

The captain of an Army-Air Force bomber would not use the phrase "abandon ship". This is a term a Naval Aviator or the captain of a ship might use.

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Quotes

General Ito Mitsubi: We will win this war because we are willing to sacrifice ten million lives. How many lives is the white man willing to sacrifice?

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Connections

Featured in Going Hollywood: The War Years (1988)

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Soundtracks

Hail to the Chief
Music by James Sanderson
Played during the opening credits

User Reviews

A fact based story

The Purple Heart was a very good movie for the times. The people who brand it "sappy" and "propagandistic", or the brain dead person who chortles about "patriotic lunkheads" enlisting in the armed forces because of this movie were not alive during that period. They know nothing about the horror of total war. The survival of this nation was in doubt, and men were dying or being captured by sadistic Japanese who murdered them while in captivity. Every parent dreaded the telegram delivery boy, thinking what it might mean. Ever heard of the Bataan Death March? This movie was a fact based story about captured Americans from the Doolittle raid, in which several American Airmen were tried as War Criminals, and some of them were executed. Such a show trial was not repeated, but it showed the beastiality of the Bushido warriors. Japan should hang it's head in shame. The performances were dead right for war time, and Dana Andrews was superb, there were few cliches, it was mostly truth. Mr Bartalotti was right, there was a great deal in a short time. A True achievement. For the silly few who worry about propaganda, remember we were at war, and remember Pearl Harbor.