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Battle Hymn

1957, Movie, NR, 108 mins

Battle Hymn: Review

This film tells the true story of Dean Hess, a WW II pilot who became a minister, then went to Korea during that conflict and established a home for orphan children. Rock Hudson does a fine job as the selfless Hess in this factual saga that is so incredible it often seems like the stuff that fictional scripts are made of. But Hess functioned as tech advisor and we are assured it's all true. Hyer does well as Mrs. Hess and Duryea shows that he can play light as well as heavy in an unaccustomed role as comic relief. Although it would appear at the start that Hess is suffering from a guilt complex due to a bombing raid he made during WW II, one comes away with the feeling that Hess is a good man, that he would have done what he did anyhow. The music by Oscar-winning composer Frank Skinner is in keeping with his soap-opera expertise. leave a comment