Sergeant York (1941)

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Abem Finkel (screenplay) &
Harry Chandlee (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

27 September 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

America's Greatest Modern Hero! Timelier today than ever . . thrilling and inspiring story of the kind of men that America is made of!

Plot:

True story of a hillbilly sharpshooter drafted in WW1 despite his claim to be a pacifist, who ends up becoming a war hero.

Plot Keywords:

WWI | Turkey Shoot | Subway | Sunday School Teacher | Farm

Awards:

Won 2 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Gary Cooper	...	Alvin C. York
Walter Brennan	...	Pastor Rosier Pile
Joan Leslie	...	Gracie Williams
George Tobias	...	'Pusher' Ross
Stanley Ridges	...	Major Buxton
Margaret Wycherly	...	Mother York
Ward Bond	...	Ike Botkin
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Buck Lipscomb
June Lockhart	...	Rosie York
Dickie Moore	...	George York
Clem Bevans	...	Zeke
Howard Da Silva	...	Lem (as Howard da Silva)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Cordell Hull
Harvey Stephens	...	Captain Danforth
David Bruce	...	Bert Thomas

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7090)

Filming Locations:

Burro Flats, Simi Hills, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The actual firearm used by York to dispose of a line of seven Germans was not a Luger as depicted in the film, but rather a 1911 .45 ACP automatic. The Luger was preferred for the filmmaking, however, purely on the basis that they couldn't get the .45 to fire blanks.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: At 6.10am York and company leave the trenches to attack the German positions. Their shadows however indicate the sun is directly overhead.

Quotes:

Drummer: [remarking on the area's isolation] What I'd like to know is, how do you fellows get into this valley?
Zeke: We was born here!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: (#7.45)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

The Sidewalks of New York

A classic and moving war film, even for propaganda

This is one of my all-time favorite films. I've seen it dozens of times and probably many more. The moving and deep drama of the Ozark hillbilly working himself to death to obtain some 'bottom land' is heavy and compelling drama in itself, so much so that one tends to wonder when the war will become an issue. But it does and again, it fills the heart and mind with pathos and suspense. Sergeant York was released during WWII, as an obvious war-bond pusher and patriotism builder, and it is no wonder that is was wildly successful. The war scenes and Cooper's acting are set into a realistic and colorful environment of battle and personal conflict. When York's "You done gimme command" line erupts from the speakers, the viewer is on the edge of his seat, already entranced by the personal heroism of this quiet man. What York did in the war, capturing 132 Germans was real, and the film's portrayal is right on the money, even to the extent, I believe, of filming it on the actual site, but I'm not willing to swear to it. It's the kind of film that makes one proud to be an American and that was its goal. Cooper is entirely believable, although the real Alvin York was hardly as good-looking. It's easy to fall in love with the ever-pretty Joan Leslie, a gem of a woman, as well as the simple and practical Margaret Wycherly as Ma York. Don't you get the idea that she and Pastor Pile have a thing going? Just an irreverent thought.