Guadalcanal Diary

Twentieth Century-Fox lost no time in bringing the US Marines' successful Solomon Islands campaign to the screen (it was the first important victory of the Pacific war). Respected at the time for its authenticity, Seiler's film no longer seems particularly remarkable, featuring the usual cross-section of acceptable American types (with a heroic chaplain at their head) as they go about their business. The cast is better than most, and it is impressively staged, given that location filming actually took place in Camp Pendleton, California. (From the book by Richard Tregaskis.) TCh.