Main Cast: Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell, Fay Bainter, Marsha Hunt
Release Year: 1943
Country: US
Run Time: 97 minutes
Plot
Allen R. Kerward's flagwaving stage play Proof thro' the Night was vastly improved in its screen adaptation, which was retitled Cry Havoc. Margaret Sullavan (making her first screen appearance in two years), Joan Blondell and Ann Southern are among the appropriately deglamorized actresses playing Red Cross nurses caught up in the Pacific War. As the Japanese army forces most of the American troops to retreat from Bataan, the nurses remain, tending to the miserable wretches left behind to defend a defenseless post. This atypical MGM production is far more successful in depicting the plight of courageous women trapped behind enemy lines than was Paramount's over-touted So Proudly We Hail (and the acting was better to boot). Among the very few male characters in Cry Havoc is young bit player Robert Mitchum, appearing briefly as a mortally wounded soldier. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
One of the few films to look at the women who served in World War II, Cry Havoc is a moving little drama that, while far from a great film, has its fair share of rewards. Chief among these, in addition to its subject matter, is its sterling cast. The uniquely talented Margaret Sullavan leads the ladies, bringing her special brand of steeliness and vulnerability to a role that requires both. Few actresses did "nobility" and "resolve" in quite the same way as Sullavan, and she's aces throughout. Matching her point for point is Ann Sothern, who managed to be both refined and brassy, delivering sharp quips in the most ladylike way possible. The relationship between these two ladies is crucial, and the actresses play it for all its worth. Joan Blondell, whose brassiness is unrestrained by Sothern's refinement, is also in top form, and there's fine work as well from Marsha Hunt, Connie Gilchrist, Ella Raines and the rest of the cast. Rcihard Thorpe's direction is solid, if unimaginative. Where Havoc stumbles slightly is in its script. The film's stage origins are all too apparent, despite attempts to open it up. There's also a slightly mechanical feel to the plot, and too often the speeches become "speechifying." Finally, the love triangle that is set up feels forced, despite the efforts of Sullavan and Sothern. Still, even with its shortcomings, Havoc is well worth viewing. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
