SimonJack Two movies were made during World War II that focused on the service of nurses in that war. A third movie was made for TV in 2010 by an Australian company. It was based on diaries, written by Australian nurses, that were discovered more than 50 years after the war. The nurses were serving with Australian forces in Papua New Guinea. They were captured, along with several nuns and clergy of a Catholic mission near Rabaul. The mission group was later moved inland to escape repeated bombing by the Allies at Rabaul which was a major Japanese naval base. And the nurses were separated and taken to Japan. This latest movie is called "Sisters of War," and it's mostly about the internment of the nurses and mission group as Japanese prisoners. Many American nurses from Bataan and Corregidor were also captured and interned by the Japanese. They could not be evacuated in time, but their ordeal is not part of the American films. The two American films that came out in 1943 and 1944, respectively, were "So Proudly We Hail," and "Cry Havoc."All three of these films are excellent and of historical value for the time and events. The plots and stories are different, based on the experiences they cover (with some Hollywood touches in the American films). But they all show the courage, caring and stamina of the women who served as nurses in the thick of battle. The late American historian and author Stephen Ambrose ("Band of Brothers" and many other works), called the nurses who served in the Pacific theater heroes. "They were the bravest of the brave, who endured unspeakable pain and torture.""So Proudly We Hail," is the best of these three outstanding films and stories. It's based on a book by Army nurse, Lt. Juanita Redmond, who was in the small group of nurses that was evacuated from Corregidor just before it fell to the Japanese in May, 1942. The book, "I Served on Bataan," covered the five months from the Japanese attack of the Philippines on Dec.8, 1941, to the fall of Corregidor. It didn't take Hollywood long to make a movie on the book and to get it out during the war. The book and this movie are about the ordeal of the nurses over those five months, first on Bataan and then on Corregidor. Although no nurses were killed, some were wounded as the Japanese continually shelled and bombed the Allied positions.Another Army nurse among those who were evacuated was tabbed by the military to be an adviser for this Paramount movie. But, Lt. Eunice Hatchitt wanted to dissociate herself from the film because she didn't like some of the Hollywood touches to the story, especially two romances. So, her name doesn't appear in the film credits. Even with the Hollywood touches, "So Proudly We Hail" is an outstanding movie, in all respects. The re-creation of the Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor was most impressive and gave a very real feel to the film. The story is told and seen in a nearly continuous flashback from several of the nurse evacuees on board a ship as they are returning to the States. The romances aren't distractions and are believable for the time and place. They offer a little respite for the movie audience from the drudgery, constant shelling, and endless work the nurses endure. One can only imagine the hell they must have lived without such short respites as we movie-goers get."So Proudly We Hail" has an impressive cast of women actors of that time -- Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, Veronica Lake and many more. And all delivered outstanding performances in their roles. The film received four Academy Award nominations in a year of strong competition. Among other wartime flicks that took many awards for 1943 were: "Casablanca," "Watch on the Rhine," "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Crash Dive," "Air Force," and "This is the Army." The film has occasional humorous dialog, along the lines of cynical remarks one might hear or make in the military. One such is when a bell sounds. Unidentified nurse, "I don't know if that's an air raid warning or mess." Janet (Claudette Colbert), "Either way, it's a warning." This movie – for its subject matter, script, performances, and quality of production, ranks among the very best of war films of all time. It's one of the few I score a 10+.

lastliberal Paulette Goddard, in her greatest role, shines in an all star cast that includes Claudette Colbert (It Happened One Night), Veronica Lake, George Reeves ("Adventures of Superman"), and Yvonne De Carlo (American Gothic, "The Munsters").It is a real war movie that is a tribute to the brave nurses that served in WWII. M.A.S.H. looks like paradise compared to these conditions.The script and the special effects were excellent, as was the B&W cinematography. This film is timeless and shows just how hard things were at the time. These nurses were truly superwomen, working long hours under impossible conditions.There is no rah rah rah for the USA in this film, as it was made during the war, and we really didn't know how it would turn out at the time.

tavm 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.

ltlacey 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.