The Army nurses on Bataan need help badly, but when it arrives, it sure isn't what they expected. A motley crew, including a Southern belle, a waitress, and a stripper, show up. Many conflicts arise among these women who are thrown together in what is a desperate and ultimately hopeless situation.
Acting
Blondell and Sullavan weaponize studio-era technique.
Production
Bataan on a backlot — claustrophobia as virtue.
Writing
Sidney's script sneaks radical class commentary past censors.
Director
Richard Thorpe
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Margaret Sullavan's marriage to Leland Hayward was collapsing during filming; her raw fragility is partly autobiographical.
One of the few WWII films centered entirely on women's experiences, made while the real Bataan was still happening.
US
