Blu ray review: So Proudly We Hail

One of the best WW2 dramas of them all, this one deals with American women’s contribution to the war effort. However, what sets this movie apart, is that it does not deal with the homefront, but with combat. It has been released on blu ray by Kino Lorber.

Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake star in this film about nurses recalling their exploits during combat in the Philippines. The story then shows the drama, the violence, and the romance that occurs. The story has the women set up for a fairly easy placement in Hawaii being sidetracked after the attack on Pearl Harbor, as they are needed in Bataan to help wounded soldiers. As with the usual WW2 combat film, the fears, the courage, the determination, the fatigue, and the heartbreak are all part of the experience. The fact that these are women changes the dynamic, and it shows us that they have the same level of significance as the men in battle, saving lives during marathon sessions with endless casualties.

Colbert and Goddard both netted Oscar nominations for their fine performances (it was Goddard’s career-only nomination), but it is 20 year old Veronica Lake who most strongly resonates, especially with her truly powerful final scene. Lake had just come off a series of top film performances in such movies as Sullivan's Travels, This Gun for Hire, and I Married a Witch, and she offers some of her best work here.

Superman is brought up often in the script, so it is a fun coincidence that George Reeves appears in the film, years before that role on TV defined his career. Sonny Tufts makes his film debut here, and it is produced and directed by Mark Sandrich from Allan Scott’s screenplay.

Kino Lorber’s blu ray is from a new 2K Master and features an interesting and enlightening audio commentary by film historian and writer Julie Kirgo.

The blu ray can be purchased at this link: PROUDLY/HAIL