Hail the Conquering Hero

1944 comedy

Rating: 16/20 (Jen: 13/20)

Plot: Woodrow Lafayette Pershing Truesmith, the son of a war hero, is discharged from the marines because of hayfever. Feeling like a failure, he stalls his return to his mother and small-town home and sulks in a bar. He buys a group of broke marines a round of drinks, and they get the bright idea to help him out of his melancholy by calling ahead to his home town and announcing that he is returning a war hero. Erecting a statue in his honor won't be the greatest of his problems.

It might not be as snappy (and there are some sappy moments), but it's still a clever little Sturges' comedy. There's a bit of satirical play and, of course, some great comedic writing, although there's not much here that is laugh-out-loud funny. It also lacks the Sturges' lunatics that generally frequent his movies. I didn't like the bit-over-the-top Eddie Bracken much as the title hero although I did like almost every other performance. I do appreciate this film for poking fun at what it's poking fun at, even more terrific for coming out in '44.