Corregidor
Cast & Crew
William Nigh
Otto Kruger
Elissa Landi
Donald Woods
Frank Jenks
Rick Vallin
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
On 6 Dec 1941, surgeon Royce Lee and her maid, Hyacinth, arrive at a thatched hut on Manoi Island in the Philippines, which is the home of Royce's fiancé, Dr. Jan Stockman. The next day Royce and Jan are married by a local priest, but a Japanese squadron flies overhead as the ceremony ends and bombs the island. Hyacinth is killed, but Jan and Royce are unharmed, and they join up with a small unit of American soldiers. While continually avoiding Japanese ground forces, the troop heads toward Manila, which is 600 miles away. After Jan is shot in a scuffle with Japanese soldiers, Royce is able to treat the wound, but when their lieutenant falls ill with malaria, he commits suicide so that he will not detain the unit and thereby place them in danger of capture. Several days later, the group reaches the rocky island of Corregidor, where American forces have stationed themselves in an underground cavern. One of the soldiers, Pinky, reunites with his girl friend, whom he affectionately calls "Hey Dutch." Royce and Dan are immediately put to work in the army hospital, and Royce finds that her former lover, Michael, who had previously left her without explanation, is also there. Although Jan believes that Royce still loves Michael, Michael insists that he left her because she tried to buy his affection when he was a struggling intern. Japanese planes mercilessly bomb the island, and the men and women stationed there have little respite from the barrage. The news of the Japanese invasion of Burma soon reaches Corregidor, and after taking stock of their diminishing supplies, the commanding officers nevertheless choose to continue to defend the outpost. Dutch is injured while working as a stretcher bearer during an attack, and she and Pinky are married as she lies in her hospital bed. Dutch dies soon after, and Royce once again reassures Jan of her love, but he is resigned to the fact that she still loves Michael. When ammunition runs out, Pinky and the soldiers engage in hand-to-hand combat with the Japanese. Jan continues to work outdoors in triage even after he is shot during an attack, but he is soon killed when a bomb drops on the makeshift hospital. Below ground, Royce delivers a Filipino baby and then receives news from Michael of her husband's death. Royce and the nurses are ordered to evacuate immediately, and she reluctantly boards the plane, vowing to reunite with Michael after the war. Pinky is the tailgunner in the plane, and dies valiantly defending the lives of the nurses. At Corregidor, the lack of supplies forces Michael to operate on the wounded without painkillers or gloves, and the radio operator files his last report, fifty-five minutes before the outpost surrenders. At home in the United States, Royce sheds tears for her lost friends.
Director
William Nigh
Cast
Otto Kruger
Elissa Landi
Donald Woods
Frank Jenks
Rick Vallin
Wanda Mckay
Ian Keith
Ted Hecht
Charles Jordan
Frank Jacquet
I. Stanford Jolley
John Grant
Ruby Dandridge
Eddie Hall
Frank Hagney
Jack Rutherford
Jimmy Vilan
Gordon Hayes
Forrest Taylor
Chavo De Leon
Dick Joy
Crew
Bartlett Carré
David Chudnow
W. B. Eason
Leo Erdody
Edward Finney
Leon Fromkess
M. E. M. Gibsone
Dixon R. Harwin
Charles Henkel Jr.
Corson Jowett
Doris Malloy
Ira H. Morgan
Alfred Noyes
F. Paul Sylos
Glenn P. Thompson
Edgar Ulmer
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Although a print of this film was viewed, some credits were taken from a dialogue continuity deposited with copyright records. In those credits set dresser Glenn P. Thompson's name was misspelled as "Glen F." The film opens with the following written dedication: "Dedicated to the heroes of the United States and Philippine Armed Forces, and the American Red Cross." The film closes with a poem about Corregidor written and narrated by English poet Alfred Noyes. According to Hollywood Reporter news items, the filmmakers hoped to have Broadway star Alfred Lunt recite Norman Rosten's poem "Corregidor" in the film.
In a modern interview, Edgar G. Ulmer, who co-wrote the screenplay, stated that he was initially scheduled to direct the film, but was reassigned before production began. Hollywood Reporter news items add the following information about the production: Peter R. Van Duinen's new company Atlantis Pictures Corp. was supposed to produce Corregidor as part of a four-picture deal with Producers Releasing Corporation. Neither Van Duinen nor Atlantis are credited onscreen or in the dialogue continuity, however, and no additional information has been found to clarify Van Duinen's association with the film. Later news items reported that Atlantis split from PRC's distribution company in 1943. Paul Kelly was considered for a lead role in the picture. Some scenes were shot on location at Sherwood Lake, CA. The film's release was postponed for almost a month to allow additional work on the picture.
