Cry 'Havoc'
| Cry 'Havoc' | |
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Cinema poster
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| Directed by | Richard Thorpe |
| Produced by | Edwin H. Knopf |
| Screenplay by |
Paul Osborn Jane Murfin (uncredited) |
| Based on |
Proof Through the Night (play) by Allan R. Kenward |
| Starring |
Margaret Sullavan Ann Sothern Joan Blondell Fay Bainter Marsha Hunt |
| Music by | Daniele Amfitheatrof |
| Cinematography | Karl Freund |
| Edited by | Ralph E. Winters |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cry 'Havoc' is a 1943 American war drama film, produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and directed by Richard Thorpe. The cast is primarily female, with the main roles played by Margaret Sullavan, Ann Sothern, Joan Blondell, Fay Bainter, Marsha Hunt, Ella Raines, Frances Gifford, Diana Lewis, Heather Angel, Dorothy Morris and Connie Gilchrist.
The film is based on a play by Allan Kenward which opened in Hollywood, California in September 1942. The play was also presented on Broadway, under the title Proof Through the Night with Carol Channing and Ann Shoemaker. However, the play was not successful, opening on December 25, 1942 and closing January 2, 1943 after 11 performances. The title comes from a famous line in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: "Cry 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
The film tells the story of a mixed group of Army nurses stationed in Bataan during World War II. At the beginning of the film, the head nurse, Lt. Mary Smith (Margaret Sullavan) begs her superior, Capt. Alice Marsh (Fay Bainter), for more nurses to help deal with the excessive workload, but instead of professional nurses, she is assigned a group of civilians from various backgrounds. They lack experience and require training and find it difficult to settle in. Pat Conlin (Ann Sothern) rebels against Lt. Smith's strict nature, but the group begin to reveal stories from their past and become better acquainted. They also meet a male officer, Lt. Holt (Allan Byron). Pat becomes infatuated with him, leading to jealousy between her and Lt. Smith who refuses to explain why she is offended by Pat's attention to him. During an air-raid one of the volunteers, Sue West (Dorothy Morris), is separated from the group, and some of the women, including her sister Andra (Heather Angel) search for her. After three days, she is found alive, having spent the time trapped in a hut with the corpses of several soldiers who were killed during the attack.
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