The Story: Two brothers (Clark Gable and Robert Sterling) are reporters who come back from Europe just before World War II and cannot convince their editor that war is imminent in Europe. Robert Sterling is in love with a young reporter at the paper, portrayed by Lana Turner, but the sparks fly when Turner meets Gable, who's the worldly, playboy-type brother. Gable knows Turner would be good for his brother and that he himself wouldn't be good for Turner's character, but also can't keep his eyes off her. Turner gets sent to Asia to see what's happening there. When she disappears, the newspaper sends Gable and Sterling to find her. Immediately thereafter, Japan bombs Pearl Harbor and all three reporters are stuck on the wrong side of the Pacific, safety-wise, but the right side, story-wise.

My Take: This black-and-white movie does some things very well, like portraying the unwanted but undeniable chemistry between Gable and Turner (they look at each other at you can see the sparks), depicting the ugliness of war realistically (it's dirty, it's bloody, it's loud, and you want to duck), and creating the nationalistic atmosphere that existed early in the War (my father backs that view up, and he volunteered in 1942). However, the characters, especially Gable and Sterling, seem caricaturish: Gable is the playboy who's unsettled and dangerous, Sterling is the good boy who's stable but might be boring in the long run. They each show flashes of depth, but not enough. Turner gives a more three-dimensional portrayal of a woman torn between two extremes: the exciting man who won't be good for her and the boring man who will give her a stable future and fidelity. Some of the dialogue in the film comes off like it was a propaganda film, but many filmmakers at the time saw it as their patriotic duty to support the war effort.

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older