The Hasty Heart (1949)

In the final days of WW2, in a M.A.S.H. unit in Burma, a severely wounded corporal watches in dismay as fellow soldiers pack-up to return home but a caring nurse and five remaining soldiers bring him solace.

Director:

Vincent Sherman

Writers:

Ranald MacDougall (screen play by), John Patrick (from the stage play by)

Stars:

Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, Richard Todd

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ronald Reagan	...	Yank
Patricia Neal	...	Sister Parker
Richard Todd	...	Lachie
Anthony Nicholls	...	Lt. Col. Dunn
Howard Marion-Crawford	...	Tommy (as Howard Crawford)
Ralph Michael	...	Kiwi
John Sherman	...	Digger
Alfie Bass	...	Orderly (as Alfred Bass)
Orlando Martins	...	Blossom

Storyline

It's 1945, Burma, the day the war is over! For many this means they've survived and will be going home. But not for everyone. A Scottish soldier, Corporal Lachlan "Lachie" MacLachlan is the victim of a wound to the lower back on this day. He's moved to a M.A.S.H. unit and undergoes surgery. As time goes by he begins to recover and watches, in dismay as soldiers pack up and head for home. The doctors have told him he needs to remain "for observation". The Colonel takes Sister Parker, the unit head nurse, into his confidence and tells her that the real reason Cpl. MacLachlan can't go home is because the wound he sustained destroyed one of his kidneys and the other one is defective and will shut down in three to four weeks. He asks her to put Lachlan up with some other soldiers she has waiting to go home so that he can spend his last days with friends. But Cpl. MacLachlan wants nothing to do with friends and prefers his own privacy to "idle chat". He's a hard nut to crack and their work ...

---

Plot Keywords:

soldier | burma | nurse | military hospital | bagpipes | 

---

Taglines:

They had 30 days to teach their hearts to behave ... !

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

Warner Bros. bought the rights to the play in 1945 for $100,000 ($1.4M in 2018).

---

Quotes

Cpl. Lachlan 'Lachie' MacLachlan: I've come to the conclusion the world would be a healthier place if more people were sick.

---

Connections

Referenced in Fulano y Mengano (1957)

User Reviews

This movie should be compulsory viewing

I came back from work one day and this old Black and white movie was on TV Damn, Black and White ??? and i had spent a fortune on my Dolby system, after flicking through the channels i came back to it, something about the main character caught my attention (Cpl. Lachlan "Lachie" MacLachlan) he was rude, obnoxious scaving and although he acted very tough he appeared to be very very lonely. For the next hour and a half i was hooked. Its a story about people (as simple as that) how they get along , how they dont get along its a very human story, no special effects, no twisting plots just a warm hearted story that you will come away from feeling better with the world. This is one of those Sunday afternoon movies you could easily flick past like i almost did. If you ever see it advertised take time out to watch it, it will make you cry and laugh all in the same scene. Take time to watch it........Highly recomended s c...

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 December 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hasty Heart

Filming Locations:

Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1