Immortal Sergeant

1943

Immortal Sergeant

Critics Consensus

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TOMATOMETER

Total Count: N/A

54%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 190

Immortal Sergeant Photos

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Movie Info

Though Henry Fonda is top-billed in The Immortal Sergeant, the title character is played by Thomas Mitchell. Set in the Libyan Desert during WW2, the story finds tough but compassionate British Eighth Army sergeant Kelly (Thomas Mitchell) in charge of a 14-man patrol. Kelly's corporal is Colin Spence (Henry Fonda), a shy and retiring Canadian. When the squad becomes lost in the desert, it is the guidance and example of Kelly that brings the timid Spence out of his shell. Kelly ultimately dies, leaving Spence in charge of the surviving soldiers. Applying the lessons learned from the Immortal Sergeant, Spence is able to lead his comrades back to allied lines, becoming a hero in the process. Second-billed Maureen O'Hara plays Spence's sweetheart in a series of gratuitous but effective flashbacks. Immortal Sergeant was based on the novel by John Brophy.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
Directed By:

John M. Stahl
Written By:

Lamar Trotti
In Theaters:

Jan 11, 1943 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

May 23, 2006
Runtime:

91 minutes
Studio:

20th Century Fox Film Corporation

Cast

Henry Fonda
as Cpl. Colin Spence

Maureen O'Hara
as Valentine Lee

Thomas Mitchell
as Sgt. Kelly

Allyn Joslyn
as Cassidy

Reginald Gardiner
as Benedict

Melville Cooper
as Pilcher

Bramwell Fletcher
as Symes

Morton Lowry
as Cottrell

Bob Mascagno
as Specialty Dancer

David Thursby
as Bren Carrier Driver

Guy Kingsford
as Lorry Driver

Italia Denubila
as Specialty Dancer

Bud Geary
as Driver

Peter Lawford
as Soldier

Gordon Clark
as Soldier

John Whitney
as Soldier

John Meredith
as Soldier

Donald Stuart
as Post Corporal

Frederick Giermann
as German Soldier

Eric Wilton
as Headwaiter

Henry Guttman
as Soldier

Anthony Marsh
as Assistant Post Corporal

Charles Irwin
as Noncommissioned Man

James Craven
as Noncommissioned Man

Sam Waagenaar
as German

John Banner
as German Officer

Wilson Benge
as Waiter

Leslie Vincent
as Runner

Hans Von Morhart
as Soldier

Gordon B. Clark
as Soldier

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Critic Reviews for Immortal Sergeant

There are no critic reviews yet for Immortal Sergeant. Keep checking Rotten Tomatoes for updates!

Audience Reviews for Immortal Sergeant

Sep 12, 2014

Henry Fonda plays a quiet, unassertive bloke who is gliding through life sort of, when WWll strikes in England. He joins the fight because ... and in the process of war leaves "quiet, unassertive" behind. On the front he remembers fondly the girl he left behind, seen in flashbacks (Maureen O'Hara, as sexy a woman as ever lived) but his reality is the present: enemies trying to kill him, slackers backbiting next to him, and his only friend a tough veteran who gives him the downlow on what's what in life (embodied by Thomas Mitchell in the title role in one of his best roles ever). The timelessness of this tale cannot be overstated, and the director, John M. Stahl, makes the most of the limited budget he had. Worthy.

Kevin M. W Super Reviewer
Sep 23, 2007

Immortal Sergeant could have been an enormous 40's style war classic were it not for the somewhat disconcerting pace of the film. As released, the action-packed battle sequences are interspersed with prewar flashbacks laden with the angst of a precarious romance. Watching this film is like watching a high performance racecar having to repeatedly creep through 20mph school zones. It distracts from Henry Fonda's outstanding and noteworthy performance. He is, as usual, brilliant in this early role as the introverted and mild mannered Colin Spence who is transformed by his experience as a soldier in World War II. Fonda fans certainly won't be disappointed with this good film that, if edited differently, would have been even better.

Kevin S Super Reviewer