Hail the Conquering Hero (1944)

So much average

One of my all time favorites.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Preston Sturges was a unique figure in Hollywood history. As a writer- director of witty, cleverly plotted comedies his work combined wacky fun with occasional sharp satiric potshots at social institutions and human foibles. If Hollywood had a Moliere, Sturges was that.Hail the Conquering Hero (1945) is a good place to start in any study of Sturges' work. The then-daring plot line featured a small town girl who got married and pregnant at a USO party but never got the groom's name. Mix in the brilliant comedian Eddie Bracken (sadly now nearly forgotten) as an oddball soldier that some Marines decide to turn into a war hero for a lark and you have a quite clever social satire / sex farce that managed to satisfy the production codes of the day but is still funny and watchable now.

I adored this film and came close to giving it a 10--it's THAT good. But I am not a reviewer who gives out 10s willy-nilly and so I'll content myself with a 9 and a strong recommendation that you watch it.Eddie Bracken is marvelous as a poor schnook who wants to serve his country and make his family proud during WWII. However, he's rejected and cannot serve. Instead of telling everyone and disappointing them, he decides to pretend to be overseas. It's a dumb plan but one that gets absolutely crazy as the film progresses. The film picks up as Bracken is on his way home. A group of soldiers (headed by William Demarest) hear his story and feel sorry for him--so much so that they decide to help him pretend to be a returning hero and stick with him during much of the film. Again and again, the story gets wilder and wilder and the community ends up making a huge fuss over Bracken--now what is he to do?! Exquisitely written, acted and directed--this is a very fun film from start to finish.

Preston Sturges wrote and directed the 1944 film "Hail the Conquering Hero," which stars Eddie Bracken, William Demarest, Ella Raines and Franklin Pangborn. Bracken is Woodrow Truesmith, whose father was a famous war hero. Woodrow, however, is 4F because of hay fever. Discharged and depressed, he sits in a bar delaying going home. He confesses the truth to some marines he meets in a bar, and they decide to accompany him home to back up the story he told his mother - that he's in a hospital overseas due to war injuries. When he arrives home, he has a hero's welcome. Later there's a statue and a song. Then the town wants him to be mayor.Sturges' gift was coming up with wacky plots, while others of the era could create wacky situations within a plot. This one is pretty outrageous. As Woodrow feels more and more guilty, the public adulation becomes bigger and bigger. It's a strong message about people believing what they want to believe and their need for a hero.Bracken plays his role very seriously and lets the situation and the lines get the laughs. His character looks and feels trapped. Ella Raines plays his ex-fiancée, and she's very beautiful - a cross between Jeanne Crain and Gene Tierney, she gives a very sweet and sincere performance. She was a very underrated actress and beauty who for some reason never reached the top tier of stardom; today she is remembered for some wonderful film noirs in which she appeared. William Demarest is very funny as the marine helping to keep the story alive - at any cost.I enjoyed "The Lady Eve," "The Palm Beach Story," and "Sullivan's Travels" better, mainly because of their casts, but for Sturges fans, this is a must see.

I initially picked this up because I had just seen Phantom Lady with Ella Raines and was very impressed with her work in that film noir thriller. In this film she has a decidedly less prominent role though whenever she is onscreen my enjoyment of the film intensified. This is the first of Eddie Bracken's work that I have encountered. I think he did well with both the dramatic and comedic elements of his chracter. I have seen a few of Preston Sturges' films and in my opinion the director succeeded handsomely with this effort. In addition to the leads he elicited excellent performances from the character actors most of whom are recognizable to avid film buffs like all of us in the IMDB community I'm sure. As a change of pace from the more traditional WW II films, Hero is very smart and entertaining comedy. Recommended, 7/10.