The Story of Dr. Wassell
The Story of Dr. Wassell is a 1944 American World War II film set in the Dutch East Indies, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, and starring Gary Cooper, Laraine Day, Signe Hasso and Dennis O'Keefe. The film was based on a book of the same name by novelist and screenwriter James Hilton.
Plot
Dr. Wassell is a missionary doctor from Arkansas, who had in the past worked in China (which is shown in the first half of the film as a series of flashback (narrative)s) and after the Japanese invasion of Batavia finds himself (now as a doctor in the US Navy) caring for twelve American soldiers badly wounded during Japanese strafing of some cruisers. Ignoring advice to abandon his patients, Wassell manages to care for them while leading them through the jungle until they can be evacuated by boat to Australia.
Cast
- Ann Doran
- Barbara Britton
- Carl Esmond
- Carol Thurston
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Dennis O'Keefe
- Edward Fielding
- Elliott Reid
- Gary Cooper
- Gavin Muir
- James Millican
- John Mylong
- Lane Chandler
- Laraine Day
- Lester Matthews
- Louis Jean Heydt
- Ludwig Donath
- Mildred Harris
- Miles Mander
- Morton Lowry
- Paul Kelly
- Philip Ahn
- Philip Van Zandt
- Richard Aherne
- Richard Loo
- Signe Hasso
- Stanley Ridges
- Yvonne De Carlo
More details
| author | Alan Le May Charles Bennett |
|---|---|
| director | Cecil B. DeMille |
| editor | Anne Bauchens |
| events | World War II |
| genre | drama |
| keywords | american soldiers china dutch east indies campaign flashback japanese invasion republic of china wound |
| musicBy | Victor Young |
| nomination | Academy Award for Best Special Effects |
| producer | Cecil B. DeMille |
| productionCompany | Paramount Pictures |
| publisher | Paramount Pictures |
| theme | biographical drama war |