For those of you who are lucky to have TCM on Cable TV. Tonight at 7 PM or whatever the time diffenance is where your at, tonight they will be showing the 1949 classic: "Battleground." Erich, you have some Fallschirmjager action in this movie.
Recorded it last night! What did you think of "The Story of G.I. Joe" that came on afterwards? I only watched bits and pieces of it and really didn't care for Verges Meridith's? portrayal of Ernie Pyle, I don't think Meridith is much example of a man's man...I read a little before on Pyle and he didn't seem as "feminine" as Meridith is...I wonder how "Battleground" is so much like "Band of Brothers?" Few questions bout "Battleground": Noticed one guy (was sick in foxhole a/Bastone) who sounded/looked like Lt, Dunbar? (the guy hiding in the watertower in "Stalag 17")...that guy who made the noise with his mouth-was that Moe from the Three Stooges or what? Tatoo's budy from Fantasy Island looked really young...really dumb question: which was Van Johnson?...the blond-haired guy with the eggs in his helment or the platoon leader (think it was him)? What other known actors in this one?
Van Johnson was the one with the eggs. Ricardo Montalban played Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island. Can't remember the rest
Hi W, I have seen The Story OF G.I.Joe" a few times, and thought it was a good rendition of Ernie Pyles 1st book--which the movie was made as. Now, this movie also incorporated many things from his book: "Brave Men." There were many many things taken deirectly out of both books--and I recognized several from Brave Men. Brave men is an excellent excellent book and I highly recommend reading it if you can find a copy somewhere. In the movie--at the very end I saw a few things he had described in his book--that they showed. One thing I remember from his book was when they showed the casualties coming down the mountain via Donkeys--with one of the casualties being the popular Captain (Robert Mitchum) who had been killed. Several of the next things to happen all came from Brave Men. The captain was alreadt stiff from rigor mortis, and they lowered him to his feet froim the Donkey and he stood as if he were still alive. Then some of what the soldiers that paid respects--were also taken directly from his book like when the Lt came by--looked at the Captain and said: "Sorry old man." Another was a G.I. who just shook his head sadly side to side. Another was a G.I. who just stared and walked away, and the most memorable one was the G.I. who sat next to him, stroking the Captains hand. All of this actually happened and was witnessed by Ernie Pyle. The movie was a wartime made movie and filmed on location. It was not a great movie but, I would (for Ernie Pyle) I would move it into my top 10 favorites. "Battleground." Van Johnson as Holley. James Whitmore as Sergeant Kenny. Richard Jaeckel as Bettis, the scared soldier who ran away. Carl Anderson as the soldier with the glasses. George Murphy as Pop Stazak. John Hodiak. Ricardo Montalban as Roderigues, the soldier who played baseball in the snow. Don Taylor. He was the sick guy in the foxhole and was the guy in Stalag 17 who played Lt Dunbar. And a very young James Arness (Peter Graves brother) and future Gunsmokes Marshal Matt Dillon, as the sure soldier. I forget the name of the guy who played Standiford. Sgt Walowitz, was the 2nd Squad Sergeant--the one who played football in college--was wounded severely and "Holley" was made the Squad Sgt. Then you had Marshall Thompson--the young replacement. Jerome Courtland was the other young replacement--the one who was killed in his foxhole by a direct mortar round hit. Then you had the guy who played Kipp Kippton. The guy with the wooden teeth. This is the guy who made noise with his teeth and definately was not Moe Howard of the Three Stooges fame. I can't think of this actors name off hand but, I would know it if I saw it in a list of names. I love this movie and can't wait for it to be on DVD. BTW, the pretty French Gal was Denise Darcel (SP?) [ 30. January 2004, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: C.Evans ]
C- Thanks for the rundown on actors! I've never read Pyle's "Brave Men," but have read (numerous times) David H. Hackworth's book of the same title (predecessor to "About Face") one of the best first hand accounts of war I've ever had the pleasure of reading...
Hi W, quite welcome. I admit I have not read any book by Hackworth but, I will endevor to do so in the future. To "Brave Men" of all the true books on ww2 I have ever read--this one ranks as one of the top 2 or three I ever read. SOLDAT by Knappe is another of the few of the best IMO.
I missed that documentary special on the History Channel about the Tiger tank (think it was titled "Tiger"). Anyone see it???
Just saw a little bit of "The Boy's from Company C" ... it really sucked in my opinion but it was interesting to see that dude who does the "Mail Call" series on the History Channel and Drill Instructor in "Full Metal Jacket," whatever his name is... one tough 'ole fart!
I saw the Doc on the Tiger Tanks. It was excellent and they even had interviewed Otto Carius as well as several others. The Mailcall guy's name is: R. Lee Ermey.
Think it was called "Panzers".Quite an ingenious radio"system" Germans had.Yeah,Boys in Company C was'nt very good. Firebase Gloria with Mr. Emery sucked too. Hey Carl, is Sergent Carter[of Gomer Pyle fame] still alive??
Ivan is correct, Frank Sutton passed away 29 years ago. Also, for those who watch AMC. Tonight a double-war-feature. Zulu and Von Ryan's Express.
