treeline1 The story opens in an Allied Forces hospital in Burma, 1945, on the last day of the war. Those patients who can travel are going home, but five remain (including one played by Ronald Reagan). The head nurse (Patricia Neal) tells the men that a Scottish soldier (Richard Todd) is going to be joining them and asks for their help. He has only a few weeks to live and is too ill to travel; since he has no family, she asks the men to befriend the solider in his last days - but not to tell him he's dying.This is a touching drama with many moments of humor. The soldiers are all believable and their camaraderie is heartening. Star Richard Todd does a great job with the Scottish accent. He plays a tough, bitter man who never knew how to make friends and when he finally does shed his defenses, he "shares a moment with kings." Patricia Neal is perfect as the compassionate nurse who helps the soldier find peace. Ronald Reagan is quite likable as the wise and easy-going "Yank." The story really made me think about what I would want were I in this soldier's predicament. To know or not to know? To try and go half-way around the globe to die in an empty house or stay among new friends? It's a wrenching dilemma whatever the decision, and the film doesn't sugar-coat it. Top-notch acting and thoughtful script. Recommended.

vacaville-shane It has been some time and dozens of films since I've been so moved. Although no fan of Reagan, I appreciated him here. And I've always been charmed by Neal. The supporting cast was also quite fine. But the performance by Richard Todd deserved every bit of critical praise he's received. Was Broderick Crawford's award win more deserved that year? Tough to say now, in light of this screening. Of course, it matters not. It is history. What I can say is that of all the nominated performances from 1949, I was no where near as moved, as touched. The emotional depth caught me by surprise. The bits of humor welcome and appropriate. Albeit somewhat melodramatic, I was reminded of the decency there is. Watch this one. It'll stay with you a while. You won't be disappointed.

ricktallman84 This film was a complete surprise as to how excellent it was. Not a surprise was Patricia Neal's usual outstanding performance. Ronald Reagan proved to be much more than a B movie actor though. This is far and away his most outstanding performance and shows that his acting ability was as good as anybody's from that time. I'm also very surprised that this film is not more well known. Reagan's role as "the Gipper" in Knute Rockne All-American is obviously memorable and outstanding particularly during his hospital scene. And for Reagan to be known as the Gipper instead of the Yank makes sense. But again, this performance as Yank is clearly superior to any other role he performed including the Gipper.

telegonus As a fan of neither soap operas nor Ronald Reagan I find myself utterly captivated by the movie of The Hasty Heart, a popular play of the postwar years, which was filmed in England by Warner Brothers. Richard Todd plays Lachy, a proud, somewhat obnoxious Scotsman who is assigned to a Burmese hospital, where he is presumably recovering from surgery but in fact dying, a fact kept from him by the medical staff. The other patients are told to go easy on the fellow, to make friends with him, which they do, with considerable opposition from Lachy himself, who did not up to this time have friends. There is some excellent dialogue along the way, as the various patients and staff members attempt to soften up this hard case, which in the end they do. The acting, of Richard Todd, as Lachy, and Patricia Neal, as the nurse he develops what I guess one would call a crush on, is quite good, but what makes the film somewhat of a revelation is the truly excellent performance of none other than Ronald Reagan, as Yank, the one American among the patients, and nobody's fool. Reagan does not play his part for charm. Yank is in his way as tough as Lachy, only he accepts life and Lachy doesn't. He too has a hard streak, but also compassion; and he is never soft. The interaction between the astringent Yank and everyone else is, thanks to Mr. Reagan, far and above the liveliest part of the film, which depending on one's mood can be either inspiring, in a gentle sort of way, or vaguely depressing, given its subject matter. This is a fine example of a well-made play of the sort its author, John Patrick, was an expert at. One doesn't see too many of them around these days, as they have gone out of fashion, as the art of the drama has, for good or ill, moved on. After seeing this movie one might have second thoughts about the notion that the theatre has, in the last half-century, moved on to better things.