'Yellow Jack' is a nickname given to Yellow Fever--a mosquito-borne illness that strikes people in the tropical regions of Central and South America as well as Africa. The inspiration of the film was the US taking temporary possession of Cuba following the Spanish-American War--and the US Army found itself dealing with huge outbreaks of the disease. In response, the US Army Medical Corps began working on a cure--and such work continued when the US began working on the Panama Canal (such as trying to find ways to eradicate the mosquitoes in swampy places). This film is specifically about the work done by the Medical Corps in Cuba starting in 1898 to determine how the disease was spread--by individuals, water, food or some other vector. However, according to IMDb, the film misrepresents the actual research as only volunteers used were one doctor and one nurse--not the four soldiers portrayed in the movie.
The film has an interesting cast. In addition to starring Robert Montgomery, Lewis Stone, Virginia Bruce, Andy Devine, Charles Coburn and Henry Hull. The film is engaging and mildly interesting--but not one I would rush to recommend. Part of it is because they slightly misrepresented the research but mostly because it's just not super-exciting stuff! Well made, however.
By the way, the Panama Canal comment at the 75 minute mark was odd. The film was supposedly set around 1898 (more or less) but the canal wasn't begun by the US until about 1904 (and not completed until about a decade later). This is a small error--just a few years off.
The film has an interesting cast. In addition to starring Robert Montgomery, Lewis Stone, Virginia Bruce, Andy Devine, Charles Coburn and Henry Hull. The film is engaging and mildly interesting--but not one I would rush to recommend. Part of it is because they slightly misrepresented the research but mostly because it's just not super-exciting stuff! Well made, however.
By the way, the Panama Canal comment at the 75 minute mark was odd. The film was supposedly set around 1898 (more or less) but the canal wasn't begun by the US until about 1904 (and not completed until about a decade later). This is a small error--just a few years off.