"The Story of Dr. Wassell" is an excellent non-combat war film. But there's still plenty of wartime action. It takes place in the Asian theater and South Pacific. It's the story of an Arkansas country doctor, Corydon Wassell, who went to China as a medical missionary in 1913. In 1936, he went on active duty with the U. S. Navy reserves, serving in the Far East. When World War II broke out, he was serving as medical officer for two destroyers that were lost off the coast of Java.
This is a wonderful story of a different type of hero than the one who charges enemy positions. Wassell stays behind when the American forces on Java are ordered to evacuate. That is, all except the wounded who can't walk. So he's a hero of self-sacrifice and great love for his fellow man that he wouldn't leave his wounded men behind to be captured by the Japanese.
This is a harrowing film at times, and at others times it has humor. It was based on interviews and recollections of many of the men, and of Dr. Wassell himself. His decision to stay behind with his men goes against his direct orders. Yet he finds one situation after another of being able to move his men to a port where they can be evacuated. Obviously, it has a happy ending. And when he is called to meet the admiral in Australia, he expects to get a lecture and maybe face a court marital. Instead, brass of all kinds are in the room waiting as they listen to a radio broadcast in which President Franklin Roosevelt tells of examples of American heroism, and the story he tells is that of Dr. Wassell.
In the introduction to the film, Cecil B. DeMille is listening to that very broadcast. He says that that inspired him to make the movie about Dr. Wassell and his heroism. American author James Hilton wrote a novel shortly after Wassell's efforts made the news. Wassell served as an adviser for the movie.
Wassell earned the Navy Cross for his actions. There is a gratuitous romance aspect in the film, but it's OK and fictitious. Wassell didn't mind it because his wife was back home during this time.
The film was released on July 4, 1944, in theaters across the U. S. It was an obvious morale-builder. But before that, it had a premier showing on April 29, 1944 in Wassell's home time of Little Rock, AR.
All of the roles are done well. As with some other war movies of the time, this one has one character who is over-the-top silly, clowning, etc. After a while that can grate on a person. It's OK to have someone like that - if there was in fact such a person. If not, I question his inclusion because it seems that he's pushing or forcing a lighter side in the film. I thought just one short scene was quite hokey and hard to believe. That was Wassell's standing before a huge Buddha in the jungle and asking Buddha to make the distant convoy sounds anything other than Japanese. If he was a medical missionary, he more likely might have said the Lord's Prayer, or prayed to God in some other way. Well, it may have happened that way, or it might have been a Hollywood insert with some specific intent in mind.
This is a fine film about sacrifice and caring for one's fellow man in terrible times. And an excellent film for any war collection.
This is a wonderful story of a different type of hero than the one who charges enemy positions. Wassell stays behind when the American forces on Java are ordered to evacuate. That is, all except the wounded who can't walk. So he's a hero of self-sacrifice and great love for his fellow man that he wouldn't leave his wounded men behind to be captured by the Japanese.
This is a harrowing film at times, and at others times it has humor. It was based on interviews and recollections of many of the men, and of Dr. Wassell himself. His decision to stay behind with his men goes against his direct orders. Yet he finds one situation after another of being able to move his men to a port where they can be evacuated. Obviously, it has a happy ending. And when he is called to meet the admiral in Australia, he expects to get a lecture and maybe face a court marital. Instead, brass of all kinds are in the room waiting as they listen to a radio broadcast in which President Franklin Roosevelt tells of examples of American heroism, and the story he tells is that of Dr. Wassell.
In the introduction to the film, Cecil B. DeMille is listening to that very broadcast. He says that that inspired him to make the movie about Dr. Wassell and his heroism. American author James Hilton wrote a novel shortly after Wassell's efforts made the news. Wassell served as an adviser for the movie.
Wassell earned the Navy Cross for his actions. There is a gratuitous romance aspect in the film, but it's OK and fictitious. Wassell didn't mind it because his wife was back home during this time.
The film was released on July 4, 1944, in theaters across the U. S. It was an obvious morale-builder. But before that, it had a premier showing on April 29, 1944 in Wassell's home time of Little Rock, AR.
All of the roles are done well. As with some other war movies of the time, this one has one character who is over-the-top silly, clowning, etc. After a while that can grate on a person. It's OK to have someone like that - if there was in fact such a person. If not, I question his inclusion because it seems that he's pushing or forcing a lighter side in the film. I thought just one short scene was quite hokey and hard to believe. That was Wassell's standing before a huge Buddha in the jungle and asking Buddha to make the distant convoy sounds anything other than Japanese. If he was a medical missionary, he more likely might have said the Lord's Prayer, or prayed to God in some other way. Well, it may have happened that way, or it might have been a Hollywood insert with some specific intent in mind.
This is a fine film about sacrifice and caring for one's fellow man in terrible times. And an excellent film for any war collection.