Review of Hail the Conquering Hero (1944) by Avery F — 05 Sep 2011

This Preston Sturges dramedy lacks the sharp wit and crackling dialogue of his best films and never stays consistently compelling, but it has some great moments and a strong central character is Eddie Bracken.

Bracken plays Woodrow Truesmith, a discharged Marine too ashamed to return to his hometown until a group of soldiers helps make him a hero constructed of lies. When he returns and faces his mother and his old flame, his conscience struggles to keep up the tall tale and he begins to crumble.

Frankly, this becomes the kind of story that isn't funny enough to be a great comedy and isn't emotional enough to be a great drama. Still, there are some treats aside from Bracken. One is Raymond Walburn, who plays the town's current mayor; he's sleazy and loud and hysterically self-centered, and most of the film's laughs come from the scenes he chews up.

Another wonderful side character is the poor man elected to organize our hero's reception; he is played by Franklin Pangborn, and we're given a hearty dose of laughs at his expense. This is very minor Sturges, but even his lesser efforts are entertaining and intelligent through and through.