Sometimes it's hard to keep track of all the pro-America war movies Hollywood cranked out during the height of WWII. A lot of them had similar names, too! Pride of the Marines, Salute to the Marines, Marine Raiders, Call Out the Marines, We Are the Marines, and maybe more, were all made between 1942 and 1945. The one in the middle of the list stars Pat O'Brien as a commander who oversees training leading up to battle in Guadalcanal. He and his captain, Robert Ryan, aren't thrilled about taking all the new boys under their wing. They want to get to the fighting - but as we all know, there will be plenty of time for that.
Although the main focus of the movie is the Marines, honestly, the romance is more memorable. I never thought I'd see the movie where Robert Ryan leads a gusto-filled waltz. But in Marine Raiders, he dances with Ruth Hussey until the restaurant owner kicks them out in the wee hours of the morning. Robert grins, "We've got a lot more swirling to do!" and keeps dancing. How is it possible that such an adorable, sweet fellow would get typecast as a bad guy the rest of his career? Maybe after he joined the Marines (right after this movie!) and became a drill sergeant, the men he trained were just used to his toughness and shouting. Or maybe it was just Crossfire. Crossfire was his first villainous role, and I don't think he ever bounced back from it.
Ruth is dutifully doing her part for the war effort, and they go through the pros and cons of getting married before the war and risking Ruth becoming a widow, or waiting until Robert returns - if he does. Ruth is a very patriotic lady, and her final scene probably had the women in the audience (during 1944) reaching for their handkerchiefs. This movie has a clear message, one that rings as true now as it did then: Bless them all!
