Home of the Brave (1949) Reviews

Arthur Laurents' play Home of the Brave concerned a paralyzed Jewish war veteran who begins to walk again only when he confronts his fear of forever being an "outsider." The film version of the Laurents play changes the protagonist into an African-American, played by James Edwards. The soldier's comrades include his lifelong white friend Lloyd Bridges, whose death leaves Edwards racked with guilt; redneck-bigot corporal Steve Brodie; and troubled sergeant Frank Lovejoy. In the film's crucial scene, the doctor Jeff Corey forces Edwards to overcome his paralysis by yelling a racial slur; from this point on, Edwards will never again kowtow to prejudice. As corny and condescending as it may sound, Home of the Brave is one of the few films produced during the late-1940s "tolerance" cycle that plays as well today as it did when first released. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi