Country doctor Dr. Wassell (Gary Cooper) is working on the island of Java as Japanese forces sweep across the Pacific. He boards a train with wounded sailors from the damaged cruiser Marblehead. He joins local nurse Tremartini "Three Martini". He and his charges are picked up by retreating British troops to be evacuated to Australia.
Cecil B. DeMille could have simplified this to a shorter movie about the evacuation. Apparently, he got the idea for the film after hearing about Dr. Wassell from one of President Roosevelt's radio broadcasts which is shown at the end of the movie. He can't help but make a movie that is way too long. The last hour almost works as a long escape road movie. It's rather static for an action thriller. It needs more intensity. That's after an hour and a half of really static story telling. It was released while the war is still raging and that is very heartwarming in a heart-wrenching time. In fact, the radio broadcast is probably the most compelling part of the movie.
Cecil B. DeMille could have simplified this to a shorter movie about the evacuation. Apparently, he got the idea for the film after hearing about Dr. Wassell from one of President Roosevelt's radio broadcasts which is shown at the end of the movie. He can't help but make a movie that is way too long. The last hour almost works as a long escape road movie. It's rather static for an action thriller. It needs more intensity. That's after an hour and a half of really static story telling. It was released while the war is still raging and that is very heartwarming in a heart-wrenching time. In fact, the radio broadcast is probably the most compelling part of the movie.