Veteran’s Day Films That Honor Our Heros By Whitney Scott Bain
Veteran’s Day is a time to honor our heroes. A time to reflect, pause and salute our men and women who have who served our country as well as our active duty personnel with a selection of five films. Here’s to America’s colors, the colors that never run. “They Were Expendable”. 1945. Directed by John Ford and Robert Montgomery. Stars John Wayne, Robert Montgomery, Ward Bond, Marshall Thompson Donna Reed and Cameron Mitchell. Lieutenant’s John Brickley (Montgomery) and Rusty Ryan (Wayne) in change of Torpedo Squadron Three; a PT boat unit prepares for a Japanese invasion of the Philippines in 1941. The acting, story and action are all first rate. A great character study of heroes fighting against all odds and at all costs. Orson Welles was always impressed with Ford’s direction and British director Lindsay Anderson saw this film as a young man on the big screen and influenced him to want to direct movies. During the filming, Ford had broken his leg falling from a 20 foot scaffolding. Montgomery (father of Elizabeth Montgomery from Bewitched.) who actually served on a PT boat during the war was chosen to take over directing the picture. His character was based upon real-life PT boat hero, Lt. John Bulkeley. PT boats were fast and effective against enemy ships sinking many as they were made of plywood. Sadly, there are only two left in the world. “Action In The North Atlantic”. 1943. Directed by Lloyd Bacon and Byron (War of the Worlds) Haskin. Stars Humphrey Bogart, Raymond Massey, Alan Hale and Ruth Gordon. After their Liberty Ship carrying supplies to Murmansk is torpedoed by a German sub. The crew spends 11 days in a lifeboat before being rescued and the survivors are assigned to a new ship called the Sea Witch ready to make the run again this time with a vengeance. Every aspect of this film is perfect from the acting to the action scenes along with the cinematography and soundtrack. It’s mesmerizing to watch as the film was shot in
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Santa Barbara and on the Warner Brothers back lot. A classic story about the unsung heroes of the merchant marine. 3. “The Story Of G.I. Joe”. 1945. Directed by William A. Wellman. s Stars Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. The true story of war correspondent Ernie Pyle (Meredith) who served with the infantry unit of “C” Company suffering through, dirt, mud, cold and rain alongside his fellow Dogfaces. Pyle gets to know these men personally by name as he writes about them giving a humanistic view. Shot on $1 million dollars at Iverson Ranch and Chatsworth this is one of the most emotional and sentimental films about WWII ever made. “The Ballad Of Andy Crocker”. 1969. Directed by George McCowan. Written by Stuart Margolin. Stars Lee Majors, Jimmy Dean, Marvin Gaye, Joey Heatherton and Agnes Moorhead. Back in the late 60’s and early 70’s there were many outstanding, made-for-TV movies this is one of them. Returning home from his tour in Vietnam, Andy Crocker (Majors in an exceptional role.) the girl he loved is now married to someone else, the business he started before he left is ruined by his partner, guidance from his father is lacking and the friends he once had who have done well for themselves shun him. As he painfully tries to adjust to the world, he realizes that he doesn’t fit in anymore. A bittersweet, poignant film that was just as important then as it is today with our men and women coming home from their tour of duty.
NOVEMBER 8 – 21, 2019