Screen greats Claudette Colbert (The Sign of the Cross), Paulette Goddard (The Cat and the Canary) and Veronica Lake (Sullivan’s Travels) star in this passionate film based on a true story about American Army nurses during World War II. Colbert shines as Lt. Janet Davidson, in charge of nine nurses serving in the Pacific. From the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the time they are shipped home, these extraordinary women tirelessly treat the wounded despite constant reminders of danger, romance and heartbreak. Made during wartime with the cooperation of the American Red Cross, the War Department and the Army Nurse Corps, this stirring tribute to the brave “Angels of Bataan” received Academy Award nominations for acting (Goddard), writing (Allan Scott, Blue Skies), cinematography (Charles Lang, A Farewell to Arms) and visual effects. So Proudly We Hail also features George Reeves (TV’s Adventures of Superman), Barbara Britton (The Virginian), Walter Abel (Arise, My Love) and Sonny Tufts (The Crooked Way) with rousing direction by Mark Sandrich (Holiday Inn).
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Video Quality
So Proudly We Hail makes its Blu-Ray debut thanks to Kino Classics with a brand new 1080p transfer from a 2K master. This presentation is quite admirable given its age despite some deficiencies remaining after being remastered. The fetching black-and-white photography shot by Charles Lang sparkles in high definition with natural grain intact. The new transfer exhibits a great amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. You get a pleasing amount of detail present with textures on the uniforms and within the setting. Black levels are slightly on the milky side with minimal amounts of black crush, although almost nothing in the way of compression artifacts. The contrast is holds up well, although the track experiences fleeting instances of flicker and density fluctuation in the print. A minor layer of faint nicks and scratches remain, but there has been some attempt to clean it up. Kino Classics has done a fine job here.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a pretty good DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that serves this movie well despite some minor issues. This track does show occasional signs of age related wear and tear and some faint hissing. It can also sound a bit thin when it comes to the music, which is not uncommon when it comes to source elements of this vintage. The music does balance well with the dialogue and other important information. Dialogue and background noises are represented in pleasant harmony with all competing elements. Kino Classics has provided the most stable experience that they could. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Film Historian and Writer Julie Kirgo delivers a really stellar commentary track in which she talks about the “ripped from the headlines” nature of the film, the philosophical underpinning of the narrative, the careers of the creatives, how it compares to real-life history, the progressive nature of this depiction, the dated elements of the script and many other topics. This is a well informed track that is worth seeking out.
- Trailers: There is a nearly two-minute trailer provided for So Proudly We Hail. There are also trailers provided for The Gilded Lily, Since You Went Away, Thunder On The Hill, Nothing But The Truth, Reap The Wild Wind, Unconquered, Wake Island and Five Graves To Cairo.
Final Thoughts
So Proudly We Hail is a welcome detour from the wartime films of this era in Hollywood. While war is a malicious beast which affects all different types of people in substantial ways, that fact is not always represented on screen. The women at the core of this narrative are broadly defined as they lend their skills to the war efforts, yet they also are given moments to inject some nuance that transcends a simple archetype. This story offers your typical Hollywood gloss, although you might be surprised by how unsparing some moments are when it comes to the realities of their situation. The film is overlong, but it makes up for this mostly with strong performances across the board that keep you fixated on the screen. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that sports a strong A/V presentation and an informative commentary track. If you are a fan of the performers, this is a safe addition to your collection. Recommended
So Proudly We Hail will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on September 13, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.