Freddie Steele

Frankie Madison (Burt Lancaster), just out of prison, expects to pick up his bootlegging racket right where he left off. Unfortunately, his former partner, Noll Turner (Kirk Douglas), now a successful nightclub owner, has other ideas. Frankie turns to Noll's girlfriend, torch singer Kay (Lizabeth Scott), and hatches a scheme to bring down Big Business for good. Can Frankie's Prohibition-era strong-arm tactics get the job done?

Academy Award®-winning writer and director Preston Sturges (Sullivan's Travels) delivers a hilarious satire on the American penchant for hero worship in Hail the Conquering Hero. Born on the day his father died a hero in WWI, Woodrow Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) enlists proudly when WWII begins. Although anxious to serve his country, Woodrow is quickly discharged because of his chronic hay fever. Ashamed to return, the "conquering hero" manages to dupe his girlfriend, friends and entire hometown by having his buddies forward his letters from the "Pacific." Nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award®, this quick-witted comedy classic showcases the talents of Preston Sturges at his best.

Too embarrassed to admit to his family and friends that he was discharged from World War II because of allergies, a young man is befriended by a group of sympathetic soldiers who soon have everyone in his small town convinced he is a real war hero.

Academy Award-winning writer and director Preston Sturges (Sullivan's Travels) delivers a hilarious satire on the American penchant for hero worship in Hail the Conquering Hero. Born on the day his father died a hero in WWI, Woodrow Truesmith (Eddie Bracken) enlists proudly when WWII begins. Although anxious to serve his country, Woodrow is quickly discharged because of his chronic hay fever. Ashamed to return, the 'conquering hero' manages to dupe his girlfriend, friends and entire hometown by having his buddies forward his letters from the 'Pacific.' Nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award, this quick-witted comedy classic showcases the talents of Preston Sturges at his best.