WACs in Hollywood Movies?

Nine Movies?  Plus Four.  
(updated 5/13/2019; 11/10/2022; 2/17/2023; 7/4/2023; 1/17/2025; 9/28/2025; 11/04/2025)

Memorial Day is in May in the U.S., and that makes this month a good time to catch up on military movies. 

​Since my novel, Women’s Company – The Minerva Girls, is about three young women in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I’ll focus on thirteen movies that feature women in the WAC.  

​Many of the selected films not only cast well-known actors of the period, but also stars such as Tony Curtis, Cary Grant, June Haver, William Holden, Janet Leigh, Elvis Presley, Rosalind Russell, Ann Sheridan, Lana Turner, and Richard Widmark. 

Most of the stories share an underlying theme:  how Army service changes a person.

The War Film Library.
​Feature-film ideas for the studios were sometimes borrowed from the shorts contained in the War Film Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
 
During World War II, the studios requested access to British and Canadian war documentaries, newsreels and combat film.  The War Film Library resulted.  Ultimately, all of the allied countries contributed to the collection for a grand total of approximately 500 titles documenting the period 1938-1950.  More than 230 film prints survive.

“It’s Your War, Too,” is one of the many propaganda shorts and documentaries produced by movie studios on behalf of the U.S. government during World War II.  This nine-minute short, produced by the U.S. Army Signal Corps in 1944 about the Women’s Army Corps, gives an overview of WACs in the United States and abroad.

WACs in Hollywood Movies.
 
I grew up watching war films in theaters and on television.  The first movie that I recall seeing about women in the Army was Private Benjamin starring Goldie Hawn—a comedy released in 1980, two years after the WAC was disestablished in October 1978.
 
To date, my search for Hollywood movies set in the time period of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corp (May 15, 1942 – September 30, 1943) and the Women’s Army Corps (July 1, 1943 - October 20, 1978) and featuring WACs has netted thirteen films.  Since the Women’s Army Corps and the Army Nurse Corps are two different things, none of the films are about Army nurses.
 
The movies released before 1994 are listed in the American Film Institute’s Catalog of Feature Films, “The First 100 Years:  1893-1993.”  The Six Triple Eight, released in December 2024, is eligible to be listed in the AFI Catalog.  None of the films have been inducted into the National Film Registry of the National Film Preservation Board, Library of Congress.
 
Most are comedies; all but The Six Triple Eight were released prior to 1965.  Of the thirteen movies, the 1945 drama, Keep Your Powder Dry, and the 2024 drama, The Six Triple Eight, portray the most accurate picture of the WAC.  Unfortunately, of the thirteen films only The Six Triple Eight features African-American women.

After World War II, the Army usually assigned WACs to either clerical and administrative work in office jobs, or medical-technical work in hospitals and clinics. 

That situation brings to mind a quote from the Israeli director Talya Lavie whose dark comedy, Zero Motivation, broke box-office records in Israel when it was released in 2014.  The female coming-of-age story takes place in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) of 2003-2004.  

Ms. Lavie, who is also an IDF veteran, said in a 2015 interview that “…the film is set in the army, it’s not about the army.  I referred to the little office as a glimpse into Israeli society.”  She also explained:

• “Israeli women may, of course, serve in more glamorous roles, like [as] pilots or tank-crew instructors, but I wanted to focus on us office girls, the unseen and mostly ignored majority whose contribution is lacking any social or symbolic value. Whatever or whoever is ignored in cinema, is usually ignored in real life."

A Short List.

The thirteen films I found are listed in order by their release date, followed by the

• movie title,
• major actors, and
• brief notes on the story line. ​

Check your favorite on-line retailer, brick-and-mortar store, public library, or YouTube for availability.  Pop some popcorn and enjoy the show!

1944.  A WAVE, a WAC and a Marine.  1944.  Ann Gillis, Elyse Knox, Henny Youngman.  Comedy.  World War II. 

Ann Gillis and Elyse Knox play understudies in a New York theater production titled, A WAVE, a WAC and a Marine.  When a Hollywood talent agent, played by Henny Youngman, arrives in New York to recruit the female stars of the play for the movie version of the story, he mistakenly signs up the two understudies. ​

The resulting confusion during the train ride across country and in Hollywood creates ample opportunities for the rapid-fire jokes of Henny Youngman (a lifelong comedian nicknamed the “king of one-liners”).  Slapstick comedy and a few specialty song numbers by well-known singers of the day are also featured in this patriotic, morale-boosting movie.  

About the only mention of WACs occurs in

• the title of the movie and the New York play,
• the scene depicting Elyse Knox in uniform as an understudy in the role of a WAC in the New York play, and, 
• the surprise scene in the last few minutes of the film revealing the characters played by Ann Gillis and Elyse Knox have enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps.  

1945.   Keep Your Powder Dry.  Lana Turner, Laraine Day, and Susan Peters.  Drama.  World War II.

Three women from diverse backgrounds enlist in the WAC.  Lana Turner plays the frivolous socialite, Laraine Day is the know-it-all Army brat, and Susan Peters is the sweet, young wife whose husband is deployed overseas.   

The conflict in the story arises from the antagonism between the frivolous socialite and the Army brat.  The young wife becomes a friend to the warring parties and serves as referee. 

​Of the eleven films on the list, Keep Your Powder Dry is one of two that provide the most accurate description of the Women's Army Corps.  Creators of Keep Your Powder Dry 

• filmed the movie in and around Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, home to the Third WAC (WAAC) Training Center from January 1943 - July 1945,
• featured actual footage of the Army post, as well as WACs stationed at Fort Oglethorpe, and, 
• consulted a military advisor from the WAC.​​

1949.  I Was a Male War Bride.  Cary Grant, Ann Sheridan.   Comedy, romance.  Allied occupation of Germany after World War II. ​

A French army captain (Cary Grant) and an American WAC lieutenant (Ann Sheridan) work together in Germany during the Allied Occupation: he is a French economic liaison officer, and she is an English/German interpreter.  Assigned to joint missions, they drive each other nuts—with comic results—until they finally realize they are in love. 

Getting married takes more than one wedding and obtaining approval for an alien to join his new wife in the USA present more problems with laugh-out-loud results. 

1951.  Force of Arms.  William Holden, Nancy Olson.  Drama, romance.  World War II. ​

The movie opens with realistic battle scenes on the Italian front.   William Holden, in the role of an Army sergeant, rises to the occasion in spite of the exhaustion that he and his men suffer.  When an overdue rest in a small Italian town materializes, Holden encounters a WAC lieutenant, played by Nancy Olson, who is stationed with a postal directory unit.   

A battle-weary Holden spoils their first meeting.  In time, romance blossoms, but the trials of war persist.  The couple’s challenge is to surmount the difficulties—sometimes together and usually alone—thrown in their path.

1951.  Love Nest.  Alternate names:   "A WAC in His Life," and "The Reluctant Landlord." June Haver, William Lundigan, Charley Patterson, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Paar.  Romantic Comedy. Post World War II. New York.

June Haver plays Connie Scott opposite William Lundigan as her husband, Jim Scott.  While Jim completes his Army duty overseas, his wife Connie, without consulting Jim, pours all of their savings into the purchase of an old brownstone in New York City.  

Why?  

​Connie dreams that the building--once renovated and chock-full of tenants--will give Jim the free time to establish himself as an author.  The reality is much different:  the money-pit is not full of tenants, and Jim spends most of his days laboring over the eccentricities of an aging brownstone.

When Jim's old Army friend Bobby Stevens contacts Jim about renting an apartment, both Jim and Connie are delighted.  Connie's eagerness pales when Bobby arrives.  Played by Marilyn Monroe, Bobby is Roberta, a former WAC who served with Jim in Paris, France.

Paris?  For how long?  Doing what?

I haven't had a chance to see the movie yet.  However, the online film clips show a pleasant romantic comedy crafted by the screenwriter I.A.L. Diamond and based upon the 1950 novel, The Reluctant Landlord, by Scott Corbett. 

Bobbie Stevens, former WAC (left) and Connie Scott (right). "Love Nest," 20th Century-Fox-Film Corporation, 1951.

1952.  The WAC from Walla Walla.  Judy Canova, Stephen Dunne, Irene Ryan, June Vincent. Comedy.  Stateside during the Korean War. ​

Judy Canova plays an unsophisticated young woman who enlists accidentally in the Army.  Her comic misadventures in the Army eventually lead her to save the day.

1953.  Never Wave at a WAC.  Rosalind Russell, Paul Douglas, Marie Wilson.  Comedy.  Stateside during the Korean War. ​

Rosalind Russell plays a shallow, divorced socialite who is also the daughter of a U.S. senator.  When she decides that the best way to join her new flame in Paris is to enlist in the WAC, she counts on her dad and his connections to get her out of the rigors of Army life.  

Basic training at Fort Lee, Virginia, turns out to be the real thing for the pampered socialite--and her dad approves.  Her astonishment changes to comic outrage when her former husband, played by Paul Douglas, uses his current job as an Army contractor to test the limits of her patience.  The comedy increases with Marie Wilson in the role of a pin-up girl who enlists to get away from bothersome men. 

Creators filmed part of the movie on location at the WAC Training Center, Fort Lee, Virginia.  (Note:  In April 2023, Fort Lee was re-named Fort Gregg-Adams.  On June 10, 2025, the post's name was re-designated from Fort Gregg-Adams to Fort Lee.)

1954.  Francis Joins the WACs.  Julia Adams, Lynn Bari, Donald O’Connor, ZaSu Pitts.  Comedy, fantasy.  Set stateside, apparently during the Cold War. ​

An Army mix-up recalls a former lieutenant, played by Donald O'Connor, to active duty and assigned him to a WAC unit commanded by a WAC major played by Lynn Bari.  The major is willing to help the lieutenant sort out the mix-up, but not until Donald O'Connor earns the trust of the women in the unit, all of whom seem convinced he is out to discredit them.  The antics escalate with the addition of Donald O'Connor's old friend, Francis the Talking Mule.

1957.  Time Limit. 
(I updated the blog post on 5/13/2019 to add the tenth film:  Time Limit.)  Richard Widmark, Richard Basehart, Dolores Michaels, Martin Balsam.  Drama. Stateside in May 1954 during the Cold War era with flashbacks to a prisoner of war camp in North Korea during the Korean War.  ​

Treason or Not Treason?  The ready admission of treason by former prisoner-of-war Major Harry Cargill (Richard Basehart) confounds the Army attorney, Colonel William Edwards (Richard Widmark) assigned to discover whether the case should go to court martial.  ​

​Similar testimony from Major Cargill and his fellow soldiers who shared the same miserable hovel in a North Korean POW camp collides with Colonel Edwards’ intuition that all is not as it seems.  Edwards’ search for the truth is jeopardized by his commanding officer’s insistence to accept the accused Major’s admission of guilt. ​

Allies?  Two strong allies assist Colonel Edwards:  Sergeant Baker (Martin Balsam) who believes the accused is guilty; and Corporal Jean Evans (Dolores Michaels), who keeps an open mind.  ​

Master Sergeant Baker and Corporal Evans, "Time Limit," United Artists, 1957.

• Notice the insignia on Sergeant Baker's sleeve: he is a Master Sergeant (three chevrons above three concave arcs).  
  • In 1954, the Army had seven enlisted pay grades as opposed to the nine grades effective later in the 1950s, and Master Sergeant Baker was a senior non-commissioned officer in the highest enlisted pay grade.  
• Corporal Evans is a Corporal (two chevrons), which is a junior non-commissioned officer ranked at the time in the middle of the seven enlisted pay grades. ​​

Sergeant Baker proudly describes Colonel Edwards:  “He wasn’t always in the chairborne infantry.  Him and me were in the Bulge together.  College man.”  Sergeant Baker also describes Corporal Jean Evans:  “She’s got looks, brains, personality, everything.  Just got one blind spot.  Can’t go for sergeants.”   ​

​Corporal Jean Evans later tells Colonel Edwards--after he asks her where she learned the phrase causative factor--“My father was a lawyer.”  Throughout the film, Corporal Evans is portrayed as a woman who knows her job and whose boss, Colonel Edwards, learns to depend on her to see aspects of the case that others might not.  
​

• When Sergeant Baker addresses Corporal Evans as “Miss Phi Beta Kappa,” I wasn’t sure if she had been awarded the academic honor in college or if Sergeant Baker was emphasizing that even someone with “brains” can’t know everything.

Filming Details?

• The movie is an adaptation of the stage play by Henry Denker and Ralph Berkey.  
• The exterior films of Headquarters First Army were shot on location at Governors Island, New York Harbor, New York City, New York.  
• The choice to film in black and white adds intensity to the storytelling, as do the close-up shots available in movies but not stage plays. 

​
​It's a good film and well-worth your time.  You’ll continue asking yourself ethical questions long after the movie ends.

1958.  The Perfect Furlough.  Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh, Linda Crystal.  Comedy, romance.  Cold War era.

When the U.S. Army stations 104 men, all bachelors, at a remote Arctic post, the critical nature of the mission prevents furloughs.  Months into the mission, moral plummets so drastically that the Pentagon brass decide something must be done. 

Janet Leigh, in the role of a beautiful Army lieutenant and psychologist, proposes a lottery for one soldier to win a “perfect furlough” designed by the soldiers. Tony Curtis plays an Army corporal and scheming ladies’ man who manipulates the lottery:  first, by encouraging the men to suggest that his favorite movie star, played by Linda Crystal, should accompany the winner on furlough in Paris, France; and second, rigging the lottery so that he wins. 

After the Army brass read the corporal’s personnel file, a raft of chaperones, including the psychologist, accompany him and the glamorous movie star on the trip.  Romantic comedy ensues.

1961.  The Sergeant Was a Lady.  Venetia Stevenson, Martin West, Bill Williams.  Comedy. ​

The American Film Institute’s Catalog of Feature Films indicates that Bernard Glasser is the director and producer of this comedy about “computers, working women, and guided missiles.” 

​I haven’t watched the film, but I've seen posters advertising it.  One reads, “It’s panic in the Pacific—and the Pentagon!” and another suggests,  “Man the launching pads!  Here comes the laugh-rocket of the year!" 

The online description from both TCM (Turner Classic Movies) and from MovieFone agree that the military women in the film are WAC's.  But...

​The still photos I saw from the movie depict the wrong hat for WACs and a skirted military uniform with cuffed short sleeves unlike any in WAC history.   The women's outfit looks more like a uniform for Women in the Air Force (WAF)...

Corporal Gale Willard and Sergeant Judy Fraser, "The Sergeant Was a Lady," Universal International, 1961.

1964.  Kissin’ Cousins.  
(I updated the blog post on 1/17/2025 to add the eleventh film:  Kissin' Cousins.)  Elvis Presley, Arthur O’Connell, Glenda Farrell, Jack Albertson, Pam Austin, Cynthia Pepper, Yvonne Craig.  
Musical Romantic Comedy.  Cold War era, stateside.  

Cousins, doubles, and mountain feuds abound in this film directed by Gene Nelson and produced by Sam Katzman.  
 
Neither MTV (Music Television) nor the internet existed when Kissin’ Cousins hit movie theaters.  The opportunity for the fans of Elvis Presley—most of whom were teenage girls and young women—to see the King of Rock on film and hear him croon at least half a dozen songs guaranteed success at the box office.  I suspect that fans especially appreciated seeing Elvis play not one, but two roles:  Josh Morgan and Jodie Tatum.
 
The lightweight plot revolves around the U.S. Army’s intent to build an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Base (ICBM) on an ideal spot:  the remote land owned and inhabited by “Pappy” Tatum and his family in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Tennessee.  
 
When “Pappy” (played by Arthur O’Connell) refuses to permit government outsiders on his beloved mountain, the Army concocts a plan to change his mind.  The first step is to search the entire U.S. armed forces for an envoy savvy about local  customs.

Enter Elvis Presley as Lieutenant Josh Morgan of Hidden Rock, North Carolina. 

​Lieutenant Morgan is not only an ace U.S. Air Force pilot, but also a man reared in the mountains he loves.  The fact that he is a handsome young bachelor is not lost on the local girls. 
 
No one knew that the good lieutenant has a distant cousin who looks just like him:  Jodie Tatum, the nephew of “Pappy” Tatum.  We quickly learn that Jodie is a great shot and the best wrestler on the mountain.    
 
(You guessed it.  Elvis had to wear a dark-blonde wig in the role of Jodie.) 

Elvis Presley as Josh Tatum. Cynthia Pepper as PFC Midge Reilly. "Kissin' Cousins," 1964.

​Lt. Josh Morgan's inconvenient inability to type necessitates the immediate dispatch of an Army typist to the mountain.
 
Enter Cynthia Pepper as PFC (Private First Class) Midge Reilly, clerk-typist.  

• In the photo, you can see the chevron of a PFC on the sleeve of PFC Reilly’s uniform.  Some online reports have confused that chevron with Private E-2, which the solitary chevron did become in May 1968.

• Kissin’ Cousins is set in 1963 when one chevron meant PFC.  In the photo, Reilly is wearing it on her Army green cord uniform (1959-1980) constructed of green and white striped polyester and cotton cord material.  Dark green cord trim accented the collar and cuffs of the two-piece summer uniform as well as the garrison cap. 

• PFC Reilly’s cap looks cute tilted slightly to the side of her forehead, but regulations would have her center it.

 
Lt. Josh Morgan is under orders to change Tatum’s mind in a few days if not hours—a tough task even for a Kissin’ Cousin.  Not surprisingly, that tight schedule turns out to be enough time for the Tatum family to modify their worldview and romance to blossom.  Why not?  It’s a Hollywood movie.

​

2024.  The Six Triple Eight.  
Blog post updates:  1/17/2025; 11/04/2025.  

Historical Drama.  World War II.  ​Kerry Washington, Ebony Obsidian, Milauna Jackson, Kylie Jefferson, Shanice Shantay, Sarah Jeffery, Pepi Sonuga, Moriah Brown, Jeanté Godlock, Jay Reeves.

World War II.  Birmingham, United Kingdom; Rouen, France; Paris, France. 

In February 1945, more than 800 recruits from the Six Triple Eight crossed a wintry Atlantic Ocean en route to Glasgow, Scotland.  All of the soldiers were in the segregated Women's Army Corps.  Most were in their late teens and twenties.  Almost all of them were African-American.  

Their mission?

Clear up an overwhelming two-year backlog of mail sent to American soldiers.  In the process, the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion broke all existing records for mail delivery.  Their success in Birmingham led to assignments in Rouen, and then Paris.

The Six Triple Eight finished its European mission in early 1946.   Not too much was heard about the women's accomplishments until decades later.

For example, dedication of a monument in honor of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion occurred at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in November 2018. 

​In 2019, James William Theres directed the 2019 documentary titled,  The SixTripleEight:  No Mail, Low Morale. 

And of course, Tyler Perry's 2024 film, "The Six Triple Eight," is based on the true story of the memorable women who volunteered to serve. 

It's good to know that the women will not be forgotten.

Are there other Hollywood movies featuring WACS?  
If you know of any other movies, please email [email protected] and share what you've learned.

__________
Sources:
​“WACs in Hollywood Movies?” compiled by Lynne Schall from the following sources.

1. Academy War Film Library files, Special collections, Margaret Herrick Library, Online Archive of California​ (accessed May 10, 2018).  
2. AFI Catalog of Feature Films, “The First 100 Years 1893-1993,” American Film Institute, https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/Showcase (accessed May 11, 2018). Susan King, “Classic Hollywood:  The motion picture academy during wartime,” May 9, 2011, Los Angeles Times,  http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/09/entertainement/la-et-classic-hollywood-20110509  (accessed May 10, 2018).  
3. National Film Registry, National Film Preservation Board, Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/ (accessed May 11, 2018).  “Established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, the National Film Preservation Board works to ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America's film heritage…. The National Film Registry selects 25 films each year showcasing the range and diversity of American film heritage to increase awareness for its preservation. 
4. National Film Registry. The public can nominate films for selection each year.  That means you, too! https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/ (accessed 1-16-2025).
5. National Film Registry.  “These films are not selected as the 'best' American films of all time, but rather as works of enduring importance to American culture. They reflect who we are as a people and as a nation.” https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/frequently-asked-questions/ (accessed 1-16-2025).  
6. U.S. Army Signal Corps, “It’s Your War, Too,” 1944.  Short film, nine minutes.  ​
7. "Army Post at Fort Oglethorpe," www.fortotourism.org/army_post0.aspx (accessed May 28, 2018; review on July 1, 2023 stated, "deactivated account.")
8. Staff report, "1944 Film Shot Here on Screen Here Saturday," Times Free Press, April 16, 2010 (accessed May 29, 2018).
9. Kat Stoeffel, “The Army’s Movie About G.I. Jane’s Bored Secretaries,” The Cut, January 13, 2015.  https://www.thecut.com/2015/01/talya-lavie-zero-motivation-interview.html  (accessed May 10, 2018). ​
10. "Love Nest," https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/82025/love-nest#articles-reviews?articleId=1338607 (accessed September 28, 2025).
11. "The Sergeant Was a Lady,"  www.imdb.com/title/tt0055434/ (accessed November 10, 2022).
12. Movie Poster Shop.  http://www.moviepostershop.com/the-sergeant-was-a-lady-movie-poster-1961/EH8449 (accessed May 22, 2018).  
13. Movie Poster Shop. https://www.moviepostershop.com/kissin-cousins--movie-poster-1964 (accessed January 17, 2025).
14. Hidden Rock, North Carolina.  Perhaps Hidden Rock is fictitious.  I haven’t found it on my highway maps or the internet.  Is it a ghost town today?
15. "The Six Triple Eight" movie poster. https://www.ebay.com/itm/296903269698? (accessed January 29, 2025).
16. "6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion:  A Guide to First-Person Narratives in the Veterans History Project," Research Guides, Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/6888th-central-post-directory-battalion (accessed January 16, 2025.)
17. Jennie Rothenberg Gritz; photographs by Michael A. McCoy. "How a Black, All-Female WWII Unit Saved Morale on the Battlefield," Smithsonian Magazine, Updated: December 6, 2024. Originally Published: February 13, 2023. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-black-all-female-wwii-unit-saved-morale-on-the-battlefield-180981540/ (accessed November 4, 2025)
18. Monument at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.   "Women of the 6888th  Central Postal Directory Battalion, Motto:  No Mail, Low Morale."  https://www.womenofthe6888th.org/the-6888th-monument (accessed November 4, 2025).