THE FIGHTING H (69T) Movie Review
1940 William Keighley
Rule number one of reviewing states that films should be judged by how well they do what they set out to do. This early piece of pre-war propaganda means to prepare 1940 audiences for an imminent war by lionizing a World War I regiment. It does just that without shame or subtlety, so to criticize the film as a false representation of that terrible war misses the point. It begins with a pious introduction and ends on an even higher moral note, pleading with God to bless and embolden America.
The title refers to the 69th New York regiment, and the studio states its reverential aims right up front: “In gratitude to all those millions of young men who served and fought in the fighting forces of the United States in the last war … to the Rainbow Division, which most nearly represented in its ranks all of our States and Territories … to the 69th New York Regiment (165th Infantry, A.E.F.) which was the average, yet the epitome of our national courage … and to the memory of Fr. Francis P. Duffy, a beloved Chaplain and a truly great humanitarian … Warner Bros. respectfully dedicates this film.”
Despite the “Rainbow” moniker, it's primarily an Irish unit. One recurring joke revolves around a Jewish guy (Sammy Cohen) who calls himself Murphy. The protagonist is Jerry Plunkett (James Cagney), a tough, cocky kid who's in trouble from the moment he sets foot in Camp Mills, even before he is officially enlisted. The year is 1917 and the 69th is getting ready to ship out to France.
Three key supporting characters are based on real people; the regiment's commander, “Wild Bill” Donovan (George Brent); Sgt. Joyce Kilmer (Jeffrey Lynn), the poet most famous for “Trees”; and, of course, the chaplain Fr. Duffy (Pat O'Brien), a veritable saint in khaki. In a moment that's not untypical, right before the 69th is to go into battle for the first time, Donovan falls to his knees before Fr. Duffy and asks his blessing for the regiment. As director William Keighley blocks the scene, the characters could be re-creating a pose from a medieval tapestry, with a king in armor kneeling before a pope.
But that is not the film's central issue. Plunkett's transformation from bad boy to hero is the point, and it is accomplished through unusual, if dubious, plot turns in a swiftly paced script. Plunkett's transit is a bumpy ride, but Cagney makes it believable … well, believable enough. As an actor, he was just hitting his feisty stride, and he simply powers through the more incredulous stretches of an emotional-psychological roller-coaster ride. His performance alone is enough to recommend the film, but both the training sequences and the combat scenes are extremely well done for the most part. Not surprisingly, in the big no-man's-land finish, heroics overpower common sense. That's also when the religious and sacrificial elements are taken to such flamboyant extremes that more skeptical and irreverent viewers may not be able to contain themselves. (See accompanying quote.)
Cast: James Cagney (Jerry Plunkett), Pat O'Brien (Fr. Duffy), George Brent (Wild Bill Donovan), Jeffrey Lynn (Joyce Kilmer), Alan Hale (Sgt. Big Mike Wynn), Frank McHugh ("Crepe Hanger” Burke), Dennis (Stanley Morner) Morgan (Lt. Ames), William Lundigan (Timmy Wynn), Dick Foran (John Wynn), Guinn “Big Boy” Williams (Paddy Dolan), Henry O'Neill (The Colonel), John Litel (Capt. Mangan), George Reeves (Jack O'Keefe), Frank “Junior” Coghlan (Jimmy), Sammy Cohen (Mike Murphy), Joseph Crehan (Doctor), Eddie Dew (Regan), William Hopper (Pvt. Turner), Frank Mayo (Capt. Bootz), Herb Anderson (Casey), Byron Nelson (Soldier), Harvey Stephens (Maj. Anderson), Charles Trowbridge (Chaplain Holmes), Roland Varno (German Officer); Written by: Fred Niblo, Norman Reilly Raine, Dean Franklin; Cinematography by: Gaetano Antonio “Tony” Gaudio; Music by: Adolph Deutsch. Producer: Jack L. Warner, Hal B. Wallis, Warner Bros. Running Time: 90 minutes. Format: VHS.