The Fighting Sullivans (1944)

Director: Lloyd Bacon
Starring: Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle

Synopsis:
The story of five scrappy brothers who join the Navy together after the Pearl Harbor attack.

Impressions:
This is a fascinating piece of wartime propaganda. There's actually very little time spent on the Sullivan Brothers' time in the Navy. It's mostly the story of them growing up and establishing their ironclad (though at times strained) bond. This is so effective as propaganda because it shows the Sullivans as ordinary American boys (which they no doubt were) and their strong bond of brotherhood had to have played enormously well at the time (and even now you almost want to get up and go to the recruiter's office at the end). When it comes to galvanizing folks on the homefront, I can't doubt this movie did its job. Give it a shot and see for yourself.

Rating:
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