Friday, January 13, 2012

Navy Nurses in Television and Film: A Short List

Hawaii Five-O
Episode: Murder Eyes Only (1975)
While Detective Steve McGarrett (Jack Lord) is on active duty with the naval reserve, he is ordered to help investigate the murder of a naval intelligence officer by letter bomb. This episode features a Navy nurse played by Carolyn Gayler.

Hellcats of the Navy (1957)
CDR Casey Abbott (Ronald Reagan), World War II commander of a submarine, is in an “off again-on again” relationship with Navy nurse LT Helen Blair (Nancy Davis). While on a mission, CDR Abbott is forced to leave a frogman behind to save the rest of his crew. But Abbott's second-in-command is convinced that this sacrifice was due to the fact that the dead man had been amorously pursuing LT Blair.

Hennesey (1959-1962)
CBS television series about LT Charles “Chick” Hennesey (Jackie Cooper), a Navy physician stationed at a naval base in San Diego, CA. Actress Abby Dalton played “Martha Hale,” a Navy nurse.

In Harm’s Way (1965)
Otto Preminger directed this film about two naval officers—CAPT Rockwell Torrey (John Wayne) and CDR Paul Eddington, Jr. (Kirk Douglas)— who try to recuperate from, and retaliate for, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Patricia Neal plays Navy nurse “LT Maggie Haynes.”

JAG
Episode: Each of Us Angels (2003)
A wounded Marine lieutenant named Ron Graham (David James Elliott) and his Navy nurse (Catherine Bell) fall in love on board a hospital ship as World War II rages off the coast of Iwo Jima. Their love affair is shattered when a kamikaze hits the hospital ship, killing the nurse.

Mister Roberts (1955)
In the waning days of World War II, LT Doug Roberts (Henry Fonda) worries that the war is passing him by. He yearns for duty more significant than that of supervising the daily operations of a cargo transport ship in the South Pacific. LT Roberts doesn't realize how much he means to his crew. Cast includes Navy nurse LT Girard (Betsey Palmer).

McHale’s Navy (1962-1966)
Television series featured a Navy nurse named “Molly Turner” (Jane Dulo) who was the love interest of LCDR Quinton McHale (Ernest Borgnine).

Navy NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Episode: SWAK (2005)
A letter "sealed with a kiss" contaminates the NCIS office and personnel with a biological weapon. The character of Navy nurse “LT Emma Ingham” is played by Kelsey Oldershaw.

Navy Versus the Night Monsters (1966)
Navy nurse (Mamie Van Doren) fights acid-spewing plant monsters at duty station in the South Pacific.

Nobody’s Perfect (1968)
Film about misadventures of hospital corpsman Doc Willoughby (Doug McClure). Willoughby tries to woo Navy nurse LT Momoyama (Nancy Kwan).

Pearl Harbor (2001)
Michael Bay directed the film about two Navy pilots, and childhood friends, Rafe (Ben Affleck) and Danny (Josh Hartnett) who fall in love with the same woman, a Navy nurse named LT Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale).

Purple Hearts (1984)
Navy surgeon Don Jardian (Ken Wahl) and nurse Deborah Solomon (Cheryl Ladd) fall in love while serving in the Vietnam War. Their affection for one another provides a striking contrast to the violence of warfare.

South Pacific (2001)
Rodgers’ and Hammerstein musical featuring Navy nurse ENS Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor)

Tell it to the Marines (1926)
Classic Lon Chaney movie has his character SGT O’Hara in love with Navy nurse Nora Dale (Eleanor Boardman)

Torpedo Alley (1953)
LT Bingham (Mark Stevens) renews an acquaintance with two former Navy colleagues and falls in love with the Navy nurse, LT Susan Peabody (Dorothy Malone), who is dating one of them.

If you have any other titles that have featured Navy Nurse or other Navy medical personnel characters send us an e-mail at: andre.sobocinski@med.navy.mil.

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