“Yellow Jack”

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 3 (Supplement)

“Yellow Jack”

Modern motion picture magic has coloured the brighter pages of history in a new salute to heroic scientists. It is “Yellow Jack,” dedicated to those five soldiers who risked their lives ]to free humanity from the yoke of yellow fever. It impresses with starkly dramatic scenes, unusual romantic appeal and a new type of heroism.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer spared nothing in making the authentic story of Major Walter Reed, a thrilling tribute to the man responsible for lifting the yoke of yellow fever from Cuba in the distressing days following the Span-ish-American War. They placed Robert Montgomery in his first dramatic role since “Night Must Fall,” once more assigned the lovely Virginia Bruce in the feminihe lead opposite him and gave them a supporting cast of unusual merit. They px-esent a chapter from scientific history which earned its thrills from human sacrifice, its drama ; from heroism.

George Seitz, who started directing pictures two decades ago with “The Perils of Pauline,” handles his first big assignment under the M-G-M banner with noteworthy skill. The carefully chosen cast includes Lewis Stone, playing the historical character of Major Walter Reed, Andy Devine, Henry Hull, Charles Coburn, Buddy Ebsen, Henry O’Neill, Janet Beecher, William Henry, Alan Curtis and Sam Levene.

Robert Montgomery breathes life into the character of Sergeant O’Hara, leader of the little band of soldiers who offer themselves as human guinea pigs in a last-ditch stand to discover the cause of yellow fever. Virginia Bruce scores as Nurse Blake, while Lewis Stone is completely at home in the role of Major Reed. The story concerns a commission sent from Washington to wipe out the yellow fever which is devastating Cuba. The small group of scientists finally evolve the theory that a species of mosquito, the Stegomya, is responsible for the spread of the disease. To prove their theory they need human

guinea pigs. Montgomery persuades four of his companions to volunteer. Their sufferings, etched against. the factual background, provide sheer drama unparalleled in fiction’s pages.