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| The Hasty Heart - 1949 |
Continuing with our President's Day theme, how about a film starring an American president? 1949's "The Hasty Heart" is about a man sick at the end of the Pacific War. In Burma, he learns the true meaning of friendship.
The film's cast includes Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal, Richard Todd, Anthony Nicholls, Howard Marion-Crawford, Ralph Michael, John Sherman, Alfie Bass, and Orlando Martins.
At the end of the Pacific War in Burma, a bunch of guys are recuperating from various illnesses or injuries they received during the military campaign. They include an American, a New Zealander, an Australian, a British man, and a man from Africa.
The group of guys look to the American, called Yank, as their leader. He's got quite a personality.
And all the guys are very ably looked after by Sister Margaret Parker, who is kind but doesn't put up with any shenanigans on her watch.
The guys get some news from the man in charge of their camp. They will be getting a new arrival, a Scot, who has just recovered from an operation in which he had to have one of his kidneys removed. The operation was successful, however, his remaining kidney is defective and will cause him to die very shortly. Though he feels fine now, he will soon get very sick. The man hasn't been told the particulars of his condition, just that he is to wait until a spot opens up for him to go home. The men are instructed to be friendly towards him and make him happy. They accept their assignment readily.
Enter Corporal Lachlan McLauchlan. He is very prickly and resists all of Sister Parker's charms.
Lachie's gruff and abrasive ways don't win him any points with the rest of the guys. They quickly become frustrated with him, and eventually give up on trying to befriend him.
He particularly gets under Yank's skin. Lachie also plays the bagpipes when and where he wants to. That includes bedtime.
When Lachie's birthday comes around, Sister Parker decides that the men should chip in and get him a kilt as a present. They all decide which parts will be theirs to give.
Once the presents have been given, Lachie doesn't say a word, which greatly annoys Yank. He starts to loudly recite the books of the Bible to calm himself down. Sister Parker has to put her hand firmly over his mouth so that Lachie won't be able to hear him.
Lachie's silence isn't because he's ungrateful or spiteful. He's actually very moved. He makes a speech expressing his thanks, and Sister Parker produces a bunch of cupcakes to celebrate the day.
While the cupcakes are being enjoyed, the guys have one burning question for Lachie. What exactly does a Scot wear under a kilt? Naturally, Lachie won't answer that. However, they are determined to discover the answer.
Later, Lachie tells Sister Parker about his life. He's had a rough go of it, and he's become the hardened person he is because of great cruelty early in his life.
Soon, all the guys can't help but like Lachie. And he is enjoying true friendship for the first time in his life.
One day, Lachie is offered the chance to go home by special airplane. Wondering why he's been singled out, the commanding officer has no choice but to tell him why. Lachie is stunned to learn that he is dying.
And he is very angry when he begins to think that the guys entered into friendship out of pity for him. They protest that that is not the case. Sure, it may have started out that way, but they are genuinely fond of him now.
The man from Africa, Blossom, steps forward and tries to present Lachie with a set of necklaces he's made. Still smarting from the shock of his health and from what he perceives as forced friendship by the guys, Lachie rejects the gift.
Yank gives Lachie a lesson in friendship he'll never forget. He tells Lachie that Blossom doesn't speak English, and so couldn't have known that he was dying. The gift of the necklaces was an act of unselfish friendship.
Lachie collapses and weeps into his elbow. Sister Parker quickly attends to him and comforts him. Lachie is truly sorry for his behavior and realizes that the guys are really and truly his friends.
Lachie dons his new kilt and all the guys pose for a picture. Sister Parker mans the camera.
At the last second, one of the guys slips down and finally discovers what Lachie is wearing under the kilt. When he tells the rest of the guys, they dissolve into helpless laughter as Lachie smiles and "complains" to Sister Parker.
Cast rundown:
Ronald Reagan......................................Yank
Patricia Neal.........................................Sister Margaret Parker
Richard Todd.........................................Cpl. Lachie MacLachlan
Anthony Nicholls...................................Lt. Col. Dunn
Howard Marion-Crawford........................Tommy
Ralph Michael.......................................Kiwi
John Sherman.......................................Digger
Alfie Bass.............................................Orderly
Orlando Martins.....................................Blossom
And that's it for The Hasty Heart. Richard Todd was nominated for an Academy Award and won the Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer for his role as Lachie. Of her role as Sister Margaret Parker, Patricia Neal later said, "I wasn't at all right for the nurse, but it was my first sympathetic part, at least." I think she's swell!
