Clevercell Very disappointing...

Pluskylang Great Film overall

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Ella-May O'Brien Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

jotix100 Legend has it that on the Eve of St. Mark's day, a maiden stepping into a church will see the people who will die the following year. It comes in handy when a group of soldiers marooned on a Philippine island fighting the Japanese, find themselves lost and probably dead in a short time.The story begins on a positive note as Quizz West, an eager young farm boy joins the army for a year stint. Coming home on a leave, Quizz brings along Janet, the girl he has fallen in love with, and who he will have to leave behind as he goes back. His parents, the Wests, are delighted with the choice; Quizz could not have elected a better person.As fate would have it, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, resulting in prolonging Quizz's stint, but wanting to serve his country in the hour of need, he goes to the Pacific theater of operations with his company. The men bonded since training camp and keep fighting together. During that time most men contracted malaria. With short supplies, they have to deal with a debilitating disease and the Japanese air power in the Philippines.A seldom seen film based on a theater piece by Maxwell Anderson, and adapted for the screen by George Seaton. The film was entirely shot inside the 20th Century Fox studios in California. John Stahl, the director, shows great ways in which he opened the film, including the war sequences that are convincing if one realizes the constrains of the production. The valor of the men in battle, as well as the camaraderie in basic training.The achievement of Mr. Stahl in the film was the level of acting he got from the cast that was gathered for the picture. Anne Baxter shows up as the sweet Janet, the girlfriend from home. William Eythe, as Pvt. West showed promise. Best of all is Michael O'Shea, a wonderful actor doing an excellent take as Thomas Mulveroy, the devoted fan of his Brooklyn Dodgers. Seen in minor roles, Frank Morgan, Ruth Nelson, Ray Collins, Dickie Moore, and the excellent Vincent Price as Pvt. Marion.

MARIO GAUCI A good war drama adapted by George Seaton from a literate Maxwell Anderson play is given the typical Fox polish and an experienced director to counter a cast peppered with new young talent (notably Anne Baxter, William Eythe, Michael O'Shea, Henry Morgan and Vincent Price).Of course, the film was intended as a morale-booster but, thankfully, the propaganda element (usually abetted by racist jibes) is kept at bay here; on the contrary, it strives to depict the characters as normal human beings who are thrust into extraordinary and often painful situations. Still, the expected doses of comedy (supplied by O'Shea) and romance (not only does country-boy Eythe become engaged to neighbor Baxter, but the whole gang gets to entertain a couple of lonely bar-room girls once in uniform) are present and accounted for; incidentally, it is odd seeing Price (looking quite youthful and serving as the butt of his buddies' jokes for his cerebral superiority being offset by perennial pennilessness!) amid this environment.The last act involves the war action proper, and even this is largely taken up by two of the men (Price included)'s bouts with malaria; the finale, then, sees the squad who had been cornered in a cave effect a fortuitous escape by sea (apparently, the ending of the original play was more downbeat)…followed by the voluntary conscription of Eythe's younger brother. By the way, the title is a reference to an obscure Catholic feast where, it is said, that one can see the figures of those about to die upon entering a church(!) – hence making for an ideal wartime metaphor.

writers_reign There's something nicely symmetrical in the fact that this movie was adapted from a play by Maxwell Anderson. Almost forgotten today Anderson began his career with the Broadway hit play What Price Glory (co-written with Lawrence Stallings). Produced in 1924 and twice filmed it was, of course, set in World War One and was a comedy about the love-hate relationship between Flagg and Quirt, sergeant and private. Twenty years on Anderson was more philosophical as perhaps befits someone with a penchant for writing in blank verse. He also turned his hand to writing lyrics and collaborated twice with composer Kurt Weill on Knickerbocker Holiday and Lost In The Stars, neither exactly laff riots though the former did produce the evergreen September Song. By 1944 the was was definitely swinging in the favour of the Allies but this didn't guarantee that no blood was spilled. Farmboy William Eythe is the main protagonist but both his family, sweetheart, and his platoon get plenty of screen time and equit themselves well, not least Ray Collins, usually a belligerent banker/politician but here subdued as Eythe's farmer father. Ann Baxter may be wasted as Eythe's girl back home but there is a nice ensemble feel to the whole thing. Dated, perhaps, but still worth a look.

rleather Run of the mill war time drama centering around the training and combat experiences of a small town farm boy.The cast of characters are a block of defaults from every war movie ever created. Only the over dramatized, over the top performance of the hugely over written script really lower this into a cinema play of the worst kind.The scenes in the nightclub when Vincent Price quotes Shakespeare are just dreadful.First victim of war is Vincent Price's accent. But the time they are going to war he's lost his Southern drawl! Amazingly, the C.O. in Mash turns up when he's in his 20's and HE SOUNDS THE SAME! It's amazing.Is it worth watching, well... if there's nothing better on. Otherwise, give it a miss.