We've Never Been Licked (1943)

Best movie of this year hands down!

Good movie but grossly overrated

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

There was a time when everyone in the United States was truly "united" following the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was no doubt about what had to be done, and the military might of the U.S. was there to do the job. In the wake of 9-11, there was another groundswell of patriotic feeling, but over time we have forgotten how priceless are our freedoms and how they have been protected over the years. This film reminds the history student (or anyone who has listened to their ancestors) of how real a threat can be. Cadet Craig, for reasons of nobility and integrity, sacrificed himself and his reputation for his country, his family and his alma mater. Who would do such a thing today? Maybe the first responders on 9-11; the threat in 1942 was real, the threat in the 21st century is real. This film reminds us of heroes, and duty, and country. It is well worth your time. Not the best acting, or the best story or the best filmography, but you are free to choose.

I worked for years with Aggie Cinema and we used to show this movie to the incoming freshman at our outdoor theater, the Grove. Aggie Cinema is defunct, along with the Grove so I'm not sure if the freshman get to see this gem any more.The interesting bit of trivia was that we were constantly trying to get decent copies of this film to show in the days long before movie restoration. We kept coming up empty handed. We later found out that Robert Mitchum had bought up most of the copies and burned them because he hated his performance. It was not a bad performance. This could have been a lost piece of film lore! Also, note the "mountains" in the scenes of College Station's countryside, which is rolling coastal plain.

Although it was not available except for on-campus showing, it is currently being marketed: http://secure1.esportspartners.com/store-aggieLocker/main_detail.cfm? nProductID=8176&sAuxTitle=We''ve%20Never%20Been%20Licked%20DVDI saw this movie several times during my college years at A&M, usually at "The Grove", now long gone itself. Viewing was mandatory for incoming Corps freshmen. I have a VHS copy of the movie, but it is now also available on DVD.Victor Mature, being interviewed by Johnny Carson, was asked what his worst movie was. Without hesitation, he replied: "I don't remember the name, but it was about some cow college in Texas."

Typical WWII tear jerker. If you are part of the generation that came of age around that era you'll still get some goosebumps when you see it even though it is really quite corny. I just wished I knew when it was ever going to be on TV again so I could tape it.