Product Details

• Actors: Henry Fonda, Maureen O'Hara, Thomas Mitchell, Allyn Joslyn, Reginald Gardiner
• Directors: John M. Stahl
• Writers: Lamar Trotti, John Brophy
• Producers: Lamar Trotti
• Format: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: May 23, 2006
• Run Time: 91 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000EHSVVO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,824 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Immortal Sergeant" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

IMMORTAL SERGEANT - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Immortal Sergeant, July 5, 2002

By 

Dennis C. Clements "Clemo" (Clovis, California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Immortal Sergeant [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is one of the early World War II movies(1943). It is very well done and extremely entertaining. The story of the mild mannered soldier that is forced to take command in a very difficult situation is presented in such away that the viewer is enthralled with the character. Henry Fonda was perfect for the role and he brought the transformation from a weak timid man to a heroic soldier off with great finese. I loved this movie. If I had been in the audience in 1943, I would have rushed out and bought the war bonds that were advertised at the end of the film.

39 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An engaging wartime movie about a decent man, played by Henry Fonda, who learns to fight for a good cause, July 13, 2006

By 

C. O. DeRiemer (San Antonio, Texas, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Immortal Sergeant (DVD)

"You know, if anything happens to me you're in command," says Sergeant Kelly (Thomas Mitchell) to Corporal Colin Spence (Henry Fonda). They're lost in the Libyan desert with only three gallons of petrol left for their remaining armored car, almost no water and a busted compass. Sergeant Kelly started out with Corporal Spence and twelve other men on a routine patrol. Three German fighters changed things. Now there's only Sergeant Kelly, Spence and four others.

"Nothing's going to happen to you, sergeant," Spence says. "I mean, it can't."

"It won't, lad, if I can help it. Still, if I stop a packet it's up to you to get this patrol back...and that's not an easy job."

"But I'm no leader," Spence says. "I haven't had the experience to take up a command like this with other men's lives depending on me. I can carry out orders but I can't give them. I'm just a civilian with a couple of chevrons on my sleeve."

The Immortal Sergeant tells us the story of Colin Spence, a small-town reporter from Canada in England, who is shy and not really able to accomplish the things he wants. Please note that while elements of the plot are discussed, the key elements are all described on the DVD case. It's obvious Valentine (Maureen O'Hara) loves him but he just can't seem to recognize the signals. Just before he enlists, she and Colin meet an old friend of Colin's at a party. Benedict (Reginald Gardner) is now a famous war correspondent. "Good old Colin. I tell you this lad has a head on his shoulders," says Benedict to Valentine. "I'm afraid he's a little bit too self-effacing for the times, though. You know, like the good old democracies. Nice, but a little bit too civilized for his own good, eh Colin?" Benedict smoothly moves in on Valentine and Colin can only look on.

Spence keeps remembering Valentine while he and the rest of the patrol struggle through the desert. Now on foot, the sergeant leads the men in an attack on an isolated German armored car. They hope to find water and perhaps even capture the car and drive back to their own lines. The sergeant is clear about what they must do. "This war, like every other war, is going to be won by men on their feet with guns in their hands. And don't you forget it," he tells them. But the car is destroyed in the attack, the cans of German water with it, and two more men in the patrol die. The sergeant is one of them. Colin Spence has no choice but to take command now. And slowly, as he faces the reality of the situation, he becomes more forceful and more resourceful. The three other men, one a little reluctantly, accept his leadership. He knows he doesn't have the answers. He relies on his memory of Sergeant Kelly and his memory of Valentine to keep him moving forward. At the climax, he leads a desperate attack on an oasis guarded by three times the number of Germans. It is an attack which is bravely led and fought.

Back in a Cairo hospital, Colin Spence sums it up. "I had to come all the way out here to meet a tough sergeant named Kelly who was born in a slum and educated in an army camp before I was fit for a woman like Valentine. He's dead now but he taught me one thing...if I ever want Valentine or anything else worthwhile in life I've got to fight for it. That's not a bad thing for a man to find out...or for a nation, either, for that matter...to fight."

This is an appealing war-time movie with little of the bravado and obvious emotional string-pulling of most war movies. Thomas Mitchell gives a fine performance and Maureen O'Hara would be any man's dream of the woman waiting back home. What takes this movie out-of-the-ordinary is Henry Fonda. Did any major Hollywood star, before or after, combine so effectively almost naive honesty, decency and acting skill. We sympathize with Colin Spence's shyness; we sympathize with Spence's nervousness at the idea of being in charge if his sergeant is killed; we see and approve of Spence's taking on the responsibility of leading the remaining men of the patrol; and we come to admire his dedication to do the right thing, to fight against the odds for a good cause. The Immortal Sergeant is a film that with time sort of slipped between the cracks. DVD has brought it back and it's worth seeing.

The DVD transfer is just fine. There are no significant extras.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Poignant and reverential wartime drama, December 2, 2007

By 

Cory D. Slipman (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Immortal Sergeant (DVD)

Henry Fonda stars as timid Canadian writer Colin Spence who enlists in the British Army during World War II. Living in London, becomes inspired to join the war effort leaving behind his girlfriend Valentine played by Maureen O'Hara to the amorous advances of love rival and journalist Joe Benedict played by a dapper Reginald Gardiner. Interestingly Fonda completed the filming of the movie just prior to the commencement his own wartime service,

Fonda who has risen to the rank of corporal is fighting the Italians in the Libyan desert. His mild mannered nature finds him eschewing command all the while learning at the elbow of respected veteran platoon leader Sgt. Kelly played by Irish American character actor Thomas Mitchell. When a desert fire fight leaves his platoon decimated, Fonda and Mitchell must lead the lost survivors through the sweltering desert sands. When another battle claims the respected Mitchell, Fonda is forced to assume command to save himself and his 3 remaining men.

Fonda exhibiting leadership and heroism is spurred on reminded of the words of the beloved Sgt. Kelly. He leads a well conceived suicide mission during a raging sandstorm, against a large contingent of Germans guarding an oasis which harbors the sole source of life sustaining water. His experience matures him into a man worthy of command and the hand of the girl he left behind.

This film completed in the midst of the darker days of WWII evoked a strong sense of realism and patriotism without overly cranking up the propaganda, typical of films of this time.