Immortal Sergeant (1943)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Instant Favorite.

A different way of telling a story

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

1943's The Immortal Sergeant is a tedious and overly melodramatic bit of dullness that makes you glad we won WWII. But how? I never got a chance to suspend my disbelief with this movie. Every moment I saw characters running hither and yon, pursuing Nazis or being strafed, I reacted with a dull, throbbing irritation. The movie is so drab that whatever does get done right gets lost in the wrong. Henry Fonda, the young Canadian soldier in the Royal Army, is such a wussburger, he's willing to let Maureen O'Hara go to a teddibly uppa-crust war correspondent (Allyn Joslyn) instead of popping him in the nose. He whines to his sergeant (the immortal one--Thomas Sullivan) that he can't have a rank of responsibility. When he takes over the patrol, he has to quell a mutiny, slaughter a bunch of Italians and Germans, and make it back to base, all the while being crippled by some of the most boring flashbacks I've ever seen. By the time our hero gets a medal pinned on his hospital robe (yeah, he makes it), he has turned in to a nasty, kill-em-all-and-let-God- sort-them-out candidate for a commission. He tells the teddible war correspondent that if he doesn't get a letter to O'Hara telling her he wants to marry her, he'll murder the journalist friend.Sheesh, not "I'll smack ya in the kisser" or "I'll dance on your head, but "I'll murder you."So much for Mr. Nice Wussburger. I think I liked him better.The Immortal Sergeant didn't teach that to Corporal Jackass.

"Immortal Sergeant" was apparently not one of Henry Fonda's favorite film roles. I am not sure why "The Big Street" wasn't his least favorite (it was god-awful, believe me) but he disliked it. And, I might add, my wife wasn't super-fond a this film as we watched it. However, I really thought it was pretty good...though I do wonder if the main character played by Fonda might have been schizophrenic--that's because throughout the film he keeps hearing the voice of his sergeant--even though the guy is dead!The film is a WWII propaganda film. Because of this, it's main thrust is NOT realism but to bolster folks' support of the war effort. I cut the film a bit of slack, as it was 1943 and keeping up morale was a major concern. What I didn't like was the casting of Fonda, as he was supposed to be a Brit--and seemed about as British as John Wayne or Hattie McDaniel! In this sense, I could see why he didn't like playing this role--but the plot is pretty good and more than makes up for this.The sergeant in the title is played by Thomas Mitchell--and he's very good in this role. This guy is a career soldier and seems indestructible to his men--and he is adored by them. However, although he seems to have all the answers, his corporal (Fonda) seems quite different--unsure of himself and not at all the soldier Mitchell is. But, when the sergeant is killed and Fonda is left in charge of a small group of men in the North African desert, he's given a chance to show his mettle.In many ways, this film is a lot like the film "Sahara"--though "Sahara" is a much more enjoyable (and less realistic) film. Both are set in the same locale and are about a small group of soldiers overcoming greater numbers of enemy soldiers. But the casting and script just weren't quite as good here--though the film STILL is enjoyable and did what the studio wanted it to do. I also appreciate how the men in this film were NOT indestructible--many died even though you KNEW how it all had to end. Not brilliant but quite entertaining.

Henry Fonda looks just like he appeared in 1940's "The Grapes of Wrath."This is quite a good film detailing several soldiers caught in Africa during World War 11 and how they eventually overcome their perils.Thomas Mitchell, as the old-time sergeant is a standout here. There is able support by Allyn Joslyn, Reginald Gardiner and others.Maureen O'Hara is used mainly in flashbacks here as Fonda thinks back of his past while trying to lead his men to freedom.The ending seems rushed up as Fonda wakes up in the hospital and is told how they got out of their predicament.

SPOILER This movie is lauded for its realistic battle scenes of soldiers suffering during wartime. Henry Fonda is Colin Spence, a well meaning Canadian gent; Benedict(Reg Gardiner)a brash British bloke, his nemesis. They are schoolmate writers in love with the same beautiful woman, Valentine(Maureen O'Hara). They attended school together but while Benedict was privileged, Colin was humble. It has been the same in life, where Benedict has enjoyed fame and fortune and Colin has known only failure. After seeing a French acquaintance herded to prison camp during the nazi occupation, Colin decides to enlist. There he meets his Immortal Sergeant(Thomas Mitchell), a frankly admittedly self flawed man who runs his small quirky outfit with instinct and wit, leading them on long traverses through hot desert seeming with no end but resulting in nazi casualties and while he gets killed provides for his men and gives them hope to carry on. They discover a nazi outpost and raid it for some much needed supplies. They then surround the camp and do a good job of killing the men. Three of them survive, and two of them including Cpl Colin Spence are now declared heroes. While recovering in hospital, a journalist reporter comes to interview Col. Unbeknownst to both of them, it is Reg. Col had just got a telegram from Valentine, and he tells Bene to wire her his intent to marry her. Reg says no way, but Col now has backbone and says you better. Reg does it and Maureen is now here to wait for her Lieutenant a the station upon his return home. Another happy end!