Cry 'Havoc' (1943)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Powerful

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Margaret Sullavan made only sixteen movies. This is her second last. The none-too-interesting plot is built around army nurses on Bataan. At 97 minutes, it runs a little too long, but it's competently directed by journeyman Richard Thorpe and imaginatively photographed by Karl Freund. On the other hand, screenwriter Paul Osborn makes almost no attempt to disguise the film's origins in a stage play. Almost the whole of the movie's action is confined to a one-room dug-out. True, there are actually two or three cinematic forays into the outside world to accommodate a bit of action (put across with rapid tracking shots), but director Thorpe is content to play along with the stage groupings in the dug-out. Although obviously dated, the movie is comparatively restrained in its patriotic flag-waving. The cast is sound, but embarrassing propaganda in long takes and flat, medium shots, make this journey a somewhat weary 97 minutes.

As a patriotic exercise in morale rising this film does a good job even though it is downbeat but as an opportunity to see an amazing group of actresses gathered together it can't be beat.With its almost totally female cast, a very young Robert Mitchum just starting out is in and out of the picture in about a minute, this is a rare bird indeed. It's closest match would be The Women but unlike that high comedy cat fest this is a grim examination of the bravery of a group of dedicated nurses and volunteers during the seize of Bataan.All the women are terrific but a few stand out. The great Margaret Sullavan in her second to last feature is fantastic as the outwardly tough nurse Smitty who is hiding many secrets. Ann Sothern and Joan Blondell are wisecracking experts and even under these tough conditions manage to brighten their scenes with plenty of snap. Two of the best character actresses the movies ever had, Fay Bainter and Connie Gilchrist, don't have much too do but inject their special touch into their scenes. Each actress gets some type of spotlight moment and that makes this a memorable exercise. While surely actual field hospitals are much tougher than the one shown here the film still doesn't scrimp and try to make this seem glamorous in any way. These women are going through hell and the ending leaves little doubt that their struggles are far from over but that their courage helped to win the war. A fine piece of entertainment.

I have seen this movie about a dozen times on TV since I was a wee lad, way before DVR. So, while watching it again on TCM the other night in the scene where the gals are taking a recreational swim - just before they are attacked by an enemy plane (why the enemy wasted ammo on a bunch of bathing beauties is beyond me), Ella Raines appears to have a wardrobe malfunction with her bathing suit top. I re-played the scene several times on DVR and there is definitely some naked right boobage. Connie(Raines) gets shot and killed at the end of the scene. Janet Jackson got off easy. How this scene made it past the censors of the era is amazing.

Like I said, any film with Margaret in it is going to give some viewer satisfaction, but this otherwise potentially great film has an insurmountable flaw for me. I refer to the ridiculous "eternal triangle" romantic sub plot involving "Lt. Mary Smith", her non-regulation husband, and one of the volunteer women. If you haven't seen the film, I won't tell you which, despite checking the spoiler box. Probably this silly business was in the original play, but if it wasn't, then Hollywood owes an apology to the movie going public for spoiling this tribute to the nurses and volunteers who served on Bataan in the early days of the Pacific Theatre of War, circa 1941-1942. If you could edit out the foolishness, this would no doubt be a very accurate picture of conditions facing the wounded soldiers and the women and doctors who tried to care for them. I don't know whether the Japanese deliberately bombed hospitals and aid stations, but there is plenty of evidence that such bombings occurred, accidentally or otherwise. Indeed, our own pilots were not completely innocent of such mistakes in various wars. Sometimes non-combatant establishments are poorly identified, but it is pointless to argue these points. War really is Hell, you know.Well, for the good part of the film, we have 13 fine actresses (14 if you include uncredited Anna Q. Nilsson; it might be fun trying to spot her among the "nurses") of various ages from young to middle-aged. Emphasis is on Margaret Sullavan, Marsha Hunt and Fay Bainter for the serious aspects, and on Ann Sothern and Joan Blondell for what Hollywood no doubt regarded as humorous and "romantic" relief. None of them disappoint. You could look on the basic story as "Greek Tragedy", for the fate of Bataan is fore-ordained from the outset. The Japanese are going to win this one for the time being, and the nurses are headed for imprisonment. I hope what another commentator has said about their receiving good treatment is true. It would be one bright spot in the record of treatment of POW personnel by the Japanese in World War II.