Hail the conquering hero 1992 like his war hero father who was killed in action during world war i, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken leaves his small town to join the marines. Preston sturges wrote and directed the 1944 film hail the conquering hero, which stars eddie bracken, william demarest, ella raines and franklin pangborn. Woodrow eddie bracken, overwhelmed and intending to confess that he never served in the marine corps, can. Having been discharged from the marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken delays the return to his hometown. Hail the conquering hero is widely praised as one of preston sturges best films, but i found it tedious and mawkish the 1944 equivalent of a dopey sitcom.
Rent hail the conquering hero 1944 on dvd and bluray. Hail the conquering hero film by sturges 1944 britannica. The box office closes 30 minutes after start of performance or last movie. In this film, eddie bracken plays the son of a wwi marine hero who is the first in his small town to sign up for military service. Many modern critics consider hail the conquering hero as sturges best film. Yes, it does become a tad cumbersome at times later in the film, but hail the conquering hero is truly a classic in anyones book. That venerated form, known as screwball, reached its apotheosis in the late 1930s and early 40s, characterized by sharp verbal sparring, chaotic plot. Sturges was nominated for two academy awards in 1944 for best original screenplay for this film, and for the miracle of morgans creek. All of these movies are today considered classics and it remains one of the great achievements by any filmmaker. Brackens speeches which frame the film are beautifully written, directed, and performed. Hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges eighth and final film for paramount, hail the conquering hero 1944 is a satire on mindless hero worship, smalltown politicians, and something we might call momism, the almost idolatrous reverence that americans have for the institution of motherhood. Ronald grant for a few happy hours, i was able to suspend the feelings of dread and.
Movie title from the film hail the conquering hero 1944, directed by preston sturges, starring eddie bracken, ella raines and raymond walburn. This movie was release around the end of world war ii. Hail the conquering hero 1944 is a comedy, war movie starring eddie bracken and ella raines. Hail the conquering hero is widely praised as one of preston sturges best films, and it earned an oscar nomination for its screenplay. But i found it tedious and mawkish the 1944 equivalent of a dopey sitcom. This is a 1944 movie and wwii was still going on so it has a lot of war related awareness in there and about small town america and traditional family values.
It took nerve for writerdirector preston sturges to lampoon the whole concept of hero worship in the middle of world war ii, but once more sturges oddball sense of taste and propriety paid off at the box office in hail the conquering hero. A frantically funny, satirical comedydrama, this film was directed by preston sturges and stars eddie. Hail the conquering hero is a comedy war movie set in home front america in world war ii. In his beloved series of films of that decadethe lady eve 1941, the palm beach story 1942, the miracle of morgans creek and hail the conquering hero both 1944, among otherssturges would help to perfect a very particular form of romantic comedy. Jul 01, 2011 academy awardwinning writer and director preston sturges sullivans travels delivers a hilarious satire on the american penchant for hero worship in hail the conquering hero. Writerdirector preston sturges 1944 film may lack some of the thematic typically taboobreaking originality of his other classics such as sullivans travels and the miracle of morgans creek, but, for me, hail the conquering hero is one of the mans outandout funniest films. The sentiment is occasionally rather precious for a sturges film, but that is my quibble. Hail the conquering hero 1944 official trailer, organic. Preston sturges did something delightfully subversive in this film, choosing to make another movie that appears on the surface level to be about patriotism and supporting our boys in the war effort. Watch hail the conquering hero online stream full movie. Hail the conquering hero was the first film made by exboxer freddie steele, the tacoma assassin, but its release was held up for so long. Watching hail the conquering hero has convinced me to find and view more of sturges films. Seamless opening scene from writerdirector preston sturges, introducing woodrow eddie bracken crying in his beer, and marines led by heffelfinger william demarest, in hail the conquering hero, 1944. Hail the conquering hero 1944 directed by preston sturges.
See what the critics had to say and watch the trailer. Hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges eighth and final film for paramount, hail the conquering hero 1944 is a satire on mindless heroworship, smalltown politicians, and something we might call momism, the almost idolatrous reverence that americans have for the institution of motherhood. Hail the conquering hero 1944 movie clip he could be president. I have always enjoyed watching sturges sullivans travels. Believing him a war hero, his mother prepares an elaborate celebration for his return. Hail the conquering hero 1944 is a satirical comedydrama written and directed by preston. Hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges synopsis. Jul 01, 2011 discharged from the marines for a hay fever condition, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken is too embarrassed to return home. That famous clutch of films culminates here in his best film, and all his ingenuity and grace are firmly in place. His performance gives an odd edge to the film, being an awful actor and a poor comedian helps him stand out and appear as someone more real and genuine. Hail the conquering hero 1944 movie clip home to the.
Sep 16, 2010 couldnt find a clip of this masterpiece anywhere else on youtube, so i decided to upload the first three minutes. It would make sense for him to follow his fathers footsteps, seeing as another war is going on, and he is of an age appropriate for the soldiering life. Hail the conquering hero 1944 hail the conquering hero. This particular man happens to be a son of a world war i hero. Hail the conquering hero may be writerdirector preston sturgess finest, funniest film. Hail the conquering hero is a miracle assemblage of poignancy and humor. Hail the conquering hero 1944 passed 1h 41min comedy, war september 1944 usa woodrow is discharged from the military for hay fever, but fabricates receiving a heroic honorable discharge before returning home. Preston sturges hilarious madcap comedy about a wwii soldier with a 4f discharge whose hometown mistakenly believes hes a returning hero. Severna park library anne arundel county public library. Hail the conquering hero is a story about a young man in the midst of world war ii. I dont know how it comes away still intact and with my heartfelt laughter and deepest respect no less. Salve, heroe victoriano miracles do happen having been discharged from the marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken delays the return to his hometown, feeling that he is a failure. Movie, hail the conquering hero movie,hail the conquering hero trailer,hail the conquering hero 1944, preston sturges,bill edwards.
A hapless soldier reluctantly fools his hometown into thinking hes a war hero with the help of his marine buddies. Discharged from the marines for a hay fever condition, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken is too embarrassed to return. This film focus is around are main character woodrow truesmith. Sturges was nominated for a 1945 academy award for his screenplay. Met eddie bracken, ella raines en william demarest. Bracken is woodrow truesmith, whose father was a famous war hero. Hail the conquering hero was the seventh movie he wrote and directed in 4 years, following the great mcginty, christmas in july, the lady eve, sullivans travels, the palm beach story and the miracle of morgans creek.
Then suddenly, as if his frantic, frenzied comedies. Hail the conquering hero 1944 kaleidescape movie store. Rent hail the conquering hero 1944 starring eddie bracken and ella raines on dvd and bluray. Cast and crew credits for hail the conquering hero, 1944, directed by preston sturges, with eddie bracken, ella raines, raymond walburn, at turner classic movies. Hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges eddie. Hail the conquering hero passed 1h 41min comedy, war september 1944 usa woodrow is discharged from the military for hay fever, but fabricates receiving a heroic honorable discharge before returning home. Hail the conquering hero 1944 journeys in classic film. Hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges cast. And now that his hail the conquering hero has come to the paramount, you can see this beyond any question that might persist from his former excellent films.
Hail the conquering hero 1944 our final preston sturges film of the week with hail the conquering hero, one of two sturges films released in the same year, both starring eddie bracken the other being the miracle of morgans creek. Stick around afterward for a discussion of the film. Other articles where hail the conquering hero is discussed. Hail the conquering hero 1944 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Nov 15, 2010 hail the conquering hero is widely praised as one of preston sturges best films, and it earned an oscar nomination for its screenplay. High resolution movie poster image for hail the conquering hero 1944. Rent hail the conquering hero 1944 on dvd and bluray dvd. Couldnt find a clip of this masterpiece anywhere else on youtube, so i decided to upload the first three minutes.
Hail the conquering hero is a 1944 black and white wartime comedy that is directed by preston sturges this story was originally a screenplay and the playwright for that was also preston sturges. Eddie bracken, ella raines and william demarest in hail the conquering hero. Hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges cast and. This time backen played a marine who, having been discharged from the service because he suffered from hay fever, returns home to family and friends who. It was released in 1944 and is a black and white classic directed by preston sturges. While in a moment of melancholy, he meets up with a group of marines who befriend him and encourage him to return home to his mother by fabricating a. Hail the conquering hero 1944 is a satirical comedydrama written and directed by preston sturges, starring eddie bracken, ella raines and william demarest, and featuring raymond walburn, franklin pangborn, elizabeth patterson, bill edwards and freddie steele. Read the full synopsis of hail the conquering hero, 1944, directed by preston sturges, with eddie bracken, ella raines, raymond walburn, at turner classic movies. The image measures 1944 2954 pixels and is 16 kilobytes large. Like his warhero father who was killed in action during world war i, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken leaves his small town to join the marines during world war ii. Conquering hero packs an emotional wallop lacking, i think, in sturges other movies and i mean emotion other than joy and giddiness, of course. Hail the conquering hero 1944 the movie database tmdb.
Preston sturges eighth and final film for paramount, hail the conquering hero 1944 is a satire on mindless hero worship, smalltown politicians, and something we might call momism, the almost idolatrous reverence that americans have for the institution of motherhood. Unlike yesterdays great mcginty, hail the conquering hero blends sturges romantic ideals of patriotism. Starring eddie bracken, ella raines, william demarest, and raymond walburn. The title is taken from a musical composition by george friedrich handel titled hail the conquering hero comes that was written to commemorate the duke of cumberlands victory over the scots at the battle of culloden. Having been discharged from the marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken delays the return to his hometown, feeling that he is a failure. That venerated form, known as screwball, reached its apotheosis in the late 1930s and early 40s, characterized by sharp verbal sparring, chaotic plot twists, and snappy pacing that veered from witticism to pratfalling as it pleased.
Having been discharged from the marines for a hayfever condition before ever seeing action, woodrow lafayette pershing truesmith eddie bracken delays. While in a moment of melancholy, he meets up with a group of marines who befriend him and encourage him to return home to his mother by fabricating a story that he was wounded in battle. Find movie and film cast and crew information for hail the conquering hero 1944 preston sturges on allmovie. Academy awardwinning writer and director preston sturges sullivans travels delivers a hilarious satire on the american penchant for hero worship in hail the conquering hero. This film marks exboxer freddie steele and stephen gregorys feature film debuts. Hail the conquering hero has been ranked 3303 times, wins 54. Hail the conquering hero is a film directed by preston sturges with eddie bracken, ella raines, raymond walburn, william demarest, year.