Parachute Nurse

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Parachute Nurse is a 1942 American film from Columbia Pictures directed by Charles Barton. It tells the story of two nurses who join the Aerial Nurse Corps, an elite unit that parachutes into hard‑to‑reach areas to help injured soldiers. The movie combines war-time action with romance and suspense.

Plot (simple version)
Nurses Glenda White and Dottie Morrison decide to enlist in the Paranurses after a visit from their old friend, Lt. Mullins, an officer in the Aerial Nurse Corps. At the training center, they join Captain Jane Morgan’s squad. Glenda and Dottie befriend Gretchen Ernst, a cadet who is ostracized because her brother is in the German army.

Lt. Jim Woods teaches the recruits how to jump. After a day of practice, Glenda and Dottie head into town with Woods and Sergeant Jeff Peters, and both women start relationships—Glenda with Woods and Dottie with Jeff. Tensions rise when another cadet, Helen Ames, accuses Glenda of trying to steal Woods.

A dangerous training incident follows: Helen ties a knot in Glenda’s parachute, causing a failed jump and forcing Glenda to spend days packing parachutes. Gretchen helps Glenda with parachute packing, and the two attend a dance where Gretchen is snubbed again. Gretchen’s first jump ends tragically when she fails to pull the cord and dies. Glenda is shaken and hospitalised, and she eventually returns to the squad for their first real jump, only to freeze at the moment of truth.

Glenda transfers to the ambulance corps after a second chance to jump is refused. She overhears that Woods’ plane has crashed and that a nurse must parachute in to help him. Determined to save him, Glenda asks to join the mission. She overcomes her fear, parachutes into the remote area, and finds Woods alive—the crash was part of a plan to test Glenda’s courage and help her conquer her anxiety.

Aerial Nurse Corps (background)
The Aerial Nurse Corps of America was created in 1936 by Lauretta Schimmoler. Although never officially recognized, the unit is seen as a predecessor to the United States Air Force Nurse Corps. Schimmoler served as a technical advisor for the film and appears in it as a Captain.

Cast (selected)
- Marguerite Chapman as Glenda White
- William Wright as Lt. Woods
- Kay Harris as Dottie Morrison
- Lauretta Schimmoler as Jane Morgan
- Louise Allbritton as Helen Ames
- Forrest Tucker as Lt. Tucker
- Frank Sully as Sgt. Peters
- Evelyn Wahl as Gretchen Ernst
- Shirley Patterson as Katherine Webb
- Eileen O’Hearn as Mary Mack
- Douglas Wood as Maj. Devon
- Marie Windsor as Company 'C' Girl

Details
- Release date: August 6, 1942
- Running time: 63 minutes
- Country: United States
- Language: English

Parachute Nurse blends wartime action with themes of courage, friendship, and personal growth as Glenda overcomes fear to save a fellow officer.