Main Cast: Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, Thomas Mitchell, Allyn Joslyn, Reginald Gardiner
Release Year: 1943
Country: US
Run Time: 91 minutes
Plot
Though Henry Fonda is top-billed in The Immortal Sergeant, the title character is played by Thomas Mitchell. Set in the Libyan Desert during WW2, the story finds tough but compassionate British Eighth Army sergeant Kelly (Thomas Mitchell) in charge of a 14-man patrol. Kelly's corporal is Colin Spence (Henry Fonda), a shy and retiring Canadian. When the squad becomes lost in the desert, it is the guidance and example of Kelly that brings the timid Spence out of his shell. Kelly ultimately dies, leaving Spence in charge of the surviving soldiers. Applying the lessons learned from the Immortal Sergeant, Spence is able to lead his comrades back to allied lines, becoming a hero in the process. Second-billed Maureen O'Hara plays Spence's sweetheart in a series of gratuitous but effective flashbacks. Immortal Sergeant was based on the novel by John Brophy. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
A so-so wartime propaganda film, The Immortal Sergeant is not itself destined for immortality. Indeed, despite the presence of Henry Fonda in the lead, Immortal is a fairly forgotten film today, and not without reason. While not a bad film, it's a very dated one, and a film that many modern viewers will find corny. Audiences in 1943 would have responded differently, finding it a morale booster that reminded them of the important role one man can play in a difficult situation, especially during a war. But even 1943 audiences might have found the picture to be overly clichéd and quite predictable. Director John M. Stahl does, however, deliver the goods in terms of keeping the action sequences exciting, and he even manages to inject some genuinely moving moments into the proceedings: the sharing of the last cigarette sequence, for example, hits its target quite truly. Immortal's biggest asset, however, is Fonda. The actor apparently did not like the role, but one would never know it from his performance. He gives the part all the quiet strength and conviction that one could wish. Thomas Mitchell, in the title role, is also quite good, and the supporting cast does its job more than capably. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Melville Cooper - Pilcher; Bramwell Fletcher - Symes; Morton Lowry - Cottrell; Bob Mascagno - Specialty Dancer; Italia Denubila - Specialty Dancer; John Banner - German Officer; Wilson Benge - Waiter; Gordon B. Clark - Soldier; James Craven - Noncommissioned Man; Bud Geary - Driver; Frederick Giermann - German Soldier; Henry Guttman - Soldier; Charles Irwin - Non-Commissioned Man; Guy Kingsford - Lorry Driver; Peter Lawford - Bit Part; Anthony Marsh - Assistant Post Corporal; Donald Stuart - Post Corporal; David Thursby - Bren Carrier Driver; Leslie Vincent - Runner; Hans Von Morhart - Soldier; Eric Wilton - Headwaiter; John Whitney - Soldier; John Meredith - Soldier; Sam Waagenaar - German
