Mark Sandrich (1901–1945)

“We must have faith. We will fight to the death to make those tender and sentimental beliefs, like Christmas, a reality forever." — The chaplain in a quiet and solemn moment aboard a ship bound for Battan, while nurses gather around the Christmas tree.

This superb wartime drama deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Mrs. Miniver. Those who dismiss it offhand as propaganda would do well to view it first and try not being moved by it. Based on the stories of eight real nurses who had survived Bataan and Corregidor, and were still serving their country, it offers a very real look at the dark early days of WWII, when men and women were doing little more than buy America time to regroup after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Director Mark Sandrich, remembered more today for his wonderful films with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, makes this long yet tender tribute to those nurses and soldiers a film every American should see.

Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake make you forget about their beauty and glamour a few moments into the film as the viewer is swept up in their plight. Written by Allan Scott, and photographed by Charles Lang, with a fabulous score by Miklos Rosza, all three leads shine at various times throughout the film. Lake owns the first portion of the film, Goddard the middle, and Colbert the end. Colbert is the anchor, however, becoming more accessible as the film goes on. George Reeves, as Colbert's sweetheart, and Sonny Tufts especially, as Goddard's, make this film charming and heartbreaking, elevating it beyond Hollywood's standard take on WWII nurses.

As the film opens, the nurses are returning home from harrowing tours in Bataan and Corregidor. But something traumatic has silenced their leader, Lt. Janet (Davy) Davidson, who desired to remain behind, and now will not speak. The doctor believes the only way to help her is to know in full the background of what happened to them. So as painful as it is to talk about, Joan O'Doul (Goddard) and the other girls relate their story. What follows is a tender and moving tragedy made up of many little tragedies suffered by Americans during those early days of the war.

Davy and Janet find themselves on a ship in the middle of the Pacific awaiting orders after the attack on Pearl harbor. Veronica Lake joins the nurses in the shaky and uncertain future before them. Olivia (Lake) will not make friends or socialize with the other nurses. Only after they discover they are heading to Bataan, a place none have ever heard of, does Davy finally reach inside and pull out of her the heartbreaking reason she must go with them. Lake, so inextricably linked with Alan Ladd due to the wonderful pairing of the two stars, has one of her finest moments on film here. She will have another when the nurses must escape from the oncoming Japanese soldiers or suffer the fate of those women at Nanking. It is the pivotal dramatic moment in the film, changing the film's tone and letting us know that this is a serious film about war and sacrifice.

The human element is never lost amidst the bombings and makeshift hospitals, as letters from home, wartime romance, and the impending chance they may themselves not survive are handled extraordinarily well by director Sandrich. Colbert is excellent throughout as their solid leader, trying not to fall in love with a soldier (George Reeves) taken with her.

It is Goddard's Joan who lights up the screen, however, changing from a frivolous and flirtatious young woman into a woman of depth, a transformation brought about by war and circumstance. Her unexpected romantic attachment to a sweet but none-too-bright soldier named Kansas has both charm and a sense of realism. Sonny Tufts excels in the role of Kansas and left a real impression on moviegoers in 1943.

Little moments of normalcy and fun, such as Joan's black evening dress she takes or wears everywhere, even underneath the kaki, and Davy's Tojo, the tiny monkey given her by John, who becomes their mascot, are offset by deflating war news of convoys they were counting on for relief being sunk. There are constant bombings of the hospitals during the early days of the war as well. In this way, it is a very real picture of what happened, with war interrupting lives, taking people in directions they could not have foreseen. Mary Servoss gives a fine performance also as the Captain who suffers a loss greater than any should ever have to bear. Barbara Britton and Walter Abel round out a fine cast.

Those who either dismiss this film without seeing it first, or give up on it after the first half hour, are truly missing out on one of the most moving tributes to those who served their country during those dark early days of WWII ever filmed. Some truly did give all. A touching and fabulous film not to be missed.… (más)

While somewhat different than their charming and endearing musical films, this entry from Fred and Ginger is probably my favorite. Fortunately all the great elements that made the previous films so wonderful are still here, but this time those elements are interspersed between some nice screwball comedy that finally provided a showcase for Ginger's comedic talents. Fred is great as always, but this one is really Ginger's film, and she shines.

Once again, a fine Pandro S. Berman production and some magical songs by Irving Berlin made this Mark Sandrich film a sheer joy. An original idea by Marian Ainslee and Guy Endore was adapted to story form by Dudley Nicols and Hagar Wilde, then turned into a screenplay by Allan Scott and Ernest Pagano. Fred and Ginger, with fine support from Ralph Bellamy, Jack Carson and Luella Gear, turn all these elements into what, I believe, is the most "fun" of all their films.

Tony (Fred) is a psychiatrist trying to do his pal Stephen (Ralph Bellamy) a favor by seeing his radio singer wife-to-be, Amanda (Ginger), so he can figure out why she has called off their wedding three times! She blows Fred off as a quack when she overhears a transcription he's done which is less than flattering, but finally gives in and agrees to let Tony dissect her dreams and discover what's wrong with her.

A meal of lobster and mayonnaise, and a lot of other things, make her dream alright, but in her dream she's dancing with Tony! Amanda can't tell him, of course, and when he threatens to stop seeing her she makes up a dream that would keep ten psychiatrists busy and the fun really begins.

Rogers was fabulous in this film and it was the impetus for her very successful solo career post-Astaire. This light screwball comedy has some terrific moments. It's a laugh riot as Ginger walks out while being hypnotized, thinking she loves Bellamy, and going after Fred with a shotgun, so he can die like a dog! As Fred tells Bellamy while they run after her: "She's in a trance. She may even act, a little odd!"

During the dream sequence they get to dance to "I Used To Be Color-Blind" and later on at a party they do "The Yam" in a very fun scene. Berlin's "Change Partners" was nominated for an Oscar. But Ginger and the screwball comedy take top billing in this one, making it one of their best. It is sophisticated and funny. You don't hear as much about this one, because of the sublime perfection of their more dance-oriented outings as a pair, but don't let that stop you from picking up this wonderful film!… (más)