Good WWII Flag Waver Movie

I just watched Corregidor (1943) on a DVD I ordered from Amazon. It was a cut above the normal patriotic films from the Second World War.

Otto Kruger was surprisingly good as the leading man. Elissa Landi was restrained as the woman in love with two men. Frank Jenks provided his normal wisecracks. And Wanda McKay really stood out with girl-next-door sexiness.

There is a whole lot of patriotic speechifying. It seems like all the main actors get at least one monologue about how democracies always have to be attacked before they will prepare for war, how Americans never quit, everyone is fully committed to the war effort, and how Americans will willingly sacrifice themselves for their country. During the first Japanese infantry attack on the defensive line, one of the GIs yells out something that sounds like, "come and get it, you sons of peaches!!!"

Corregidor accurately relates that some of the nurses were evacuated before the surrender, while showing that others did remain behind to become prisoners of war. The final movie scene on Corregidor shows the radio operator broadcasting a final message to the world, which was pretty close to the actual last radio call from the island just before the surrender.

Corregdior (1943) is a pretty good movie and is well worth watching.