La storia del dottor Wassell

Gary Cooper has the title role in "The Story of Dr. Wassell," a fact-based 1944 film directed by Cecil B. DeMille and also starring Laraine Day, Dennis O'Keefe, Signe Hasso, and Elliott Reid. During World War II, a naval doctor tries to evacuate soldiers from the East Indies as the Japanese are approaching. He insists upon taking the wounded on a transport ship, the Pecos, even though it is against orders. In the end, he is not able to do it. Wassell stays with his soldiers, all of whom assume they will die on Java. But the doctor won't give up. Along the way, we learn of his life in China and the woman (Day) that he loved.

"The Story of Dr. Wassell" is a little long and gets off to a slow start, but holds up thanks to Gary Cooper and the audience's involvement with some of the well-drawn supporting characters. By the time the movie is over, you feel like you've been in the war with them. I'm not sure if that's due to the length of the film or what the soldiers went through.

Cooper was about 43 years old when this film was made, yet he still retained that boyish smile of his. I've never figured out if he was a great actor or not; he was so outrageously handsome, I just can't stop staring at him. He didn't have James Stewart's range, Bogart's timing or Wayne's biting voice, but there was something very solid about him, as well as virile, likable, and magnetic. He also has a no-nonsense way of portraying a character, kind of cutting to the chase, and his performance really carries this film. Laraine Day doesn't have a very big role - in fact, she's wasted. The movie does provide a showy role for Dennis O'Keefe (who replaced Alan Ladd) and Signe Hasso, a very good actress often relegated to B films. O'Keefe plays a wounded soldier named Hoppy - and if you see this film, don't turn it off when you see "The End" because Mr. DeMille actually has an update about him.

The script could have been tighter, but "The Story of Dr. Wassell" is good entertainment, maybe a little dated, but nevertheless the story of a real-life hero who deservedly won the Purple Heart.

With a title of The Story of Dr. Wassell, and a leading man of Gary Cooper, it's no wonder I blew this movie off as a silly comedy not worth watching. But, as it was Gary Cooper's time as Star of the Week, I decided to give it a chance. After five minutes, I knew it was good quality. This is a fantastic war movie about a real Navy doctor, not some random Hollywood creation with a funny name. Had the leading man been James Stewart or Spencer Tracy, it would have been a real A-tier picture. Gary just doesn't have the acting chops, but he tries his best. He's given great lines to deliver, and I can imagine either of the other two Hollywood greats doing more with them. As he prepares his wounded men for an air raid, he tells them there's nothing to worry about. Then, in an aside to one of his nurses, he asks, "Are you as scared as I am?"

Back to the story: Stuck in Java with a charge of a dozen severely wounded sailors, he finds out there's a boat sailing that can take them to safety in Allied territory. He's anxious to get his men out of danger of a Japanese invasion, but the orders say only men who can walk can come aboard. Gary doesn't have the heart to tell the dozen men on stretchers that they can't go, so he decides to disobey the orders and smuggle them aboard. Will it work? Or will the self-sacrificing doctor give even more to his patients?

In the supporting cast are Laraine Day as Gary's former love interest and Philip Ahn, his assistant during his research days before the war. The dozen soldiers and handful of nurses are also given unique characters and reasons to keep them going. One nurse (Carol Thurston) gives a sailor (Dennis O'Keefe) a blood transfusion, and she believes that they are connected forever because of their bond. One man (Elliott Reid) falls in love with his nurse (Signe Hasso), only to find out she's already in love with a Dutch soldier (Carl Esmond). The screenplay is full of great lines, interesting characters, and compelling plot points. I humbly apologize to this movie for thinking it wouldn't be any good. It's very good!

If I hadn't paid attention to the opening credits, I never would have guessed that this was directed by Cecil B. DeMille. For years, I have disliked his films (particularly those made in the sound era)--mostly because his epics all seem to have cool special effects but also lag way behind the average film when it comes to characterizations. In other words, the films look good but often the dialog is silly and the characters very under-developed. However, unlike films such as THE TEN COMMANDMENTS or REAP THE WILD WIND, this one had a lot of heart and was an excellent picture in all respects. Sure, the special effects and cinematography were great (really great), but it didn't surprise me that the sets looked like Java--after all, it's DeMille. But for once, the supporting characters were rather three-dimensional and the only complaint I have about any of them is Loraine Day. Her character and how it was integrated into the plot didn't seem to work very well--but this is a very, very minor quibble.

Gary Cooper plays the title character. He also starred in two other DeMille films, THE UNCONQUERED and NORTHWEST MOUNTED POLICE, though I think he was best in this film because his part was a little more subdued--creating a quiet strength instead of the usual macho hero (probably because Dr. Wassell was a real person). This doctor was one of the last to try to vacate Java when the Japanese invaded in 1942 and the film was intended as a propaganda piece to encourage Americans at home and abroad due to the heroism in the story. Along with Cooper is a fine ensemble cast of supporting characters. And, thankfully, these supporting characters generally were not just cardboard stereotypes--a definite plus over some other similar films from the period.

All in all, it's an interesting film that's worth your time and an excellent example of the type of films DeMille could do had he chosen to focus more on people than special effects and spectacle.

GARY COOPER is a dedicated Naval doctor during World War II tending to the wounded in Java where a shipload of men are wounded and expecting an attack by the Japanese. LARAINE DAY is the lovely woman he loves and who stands by him when the going gets rough.

The Technicolor photography is a big asset in making the war scenes more realistic and the men really look like damaged goods in their bandages and splints--two of whom are played by PAUL KELLY and DENNIS O'KEEFE. O'Keefe shares a wobbly, artificial sub-plot romance with a nurse (CAROL THURSTON) who looks after him. Ditto for SIGNE HASSO and ELLIOT REID. However, all of the scenes in the infirmary have an authentic look, thanks to DeMille's eye for detail.

The wounded men are full of high spirits and hi-jinks but Cooper is told that 60,000 Japs have landed in Java nearby and none of the wounded would have a chance to escape. It's up to him to devise a plan where he can help some of the wounded escape.

The action scenes are fine but there's too many lulls in between with clumsy use of flashbacks involving Wassell's romance with Laraine Day and some tediously repetitious scenes of wounded men suffering further wounds when the men try to make an escape with the aid of British troops.

Certainly not a typical Cecil B. DeMille vehicle, but Cooper gives a decent performance.

The running time is too long because the flabby screenplay is sidetracked by poorly handled flashback segments. The sub-plot with Dennis O'Keefe's character just doesn't work and the whole story takes too long to tell.

As WWII becomes part of 20th Century History, we now look back upon the Hollywood films depicting WWII as over-sentimental and patriotic. But this film is different, it was not about a great Allied victory but an Allied defeat and how one man, an American doctor single-handedly risked his life to save American sailors too injured to be moved during the pending invasion of Java by the advancing Japanese fleet. It is these real-life stories that are absent of any propaganda that will make this film survive. Although a bit glamourized for WWII moviegoing audiences, this film holds up well and it covers a part of WWII with respect to the Dutch involvement rarely discussed. Finally, Cecille B. DeMille, Gary Cooper and Technicolor still make this film an engaging experience.