A Guy Named Joe (1943)

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Chandler Sprague (story) and
David Boehm (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

March 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance | War | Fantasy

Tagline:

A GUY - A GAL - A PAL - It's Swell!

Plot:

Maj. Pete Sandidge is a very able pilot who seems to have a streak of luck as far as flying goes. World...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Marriage Proposal | American Abroad | Jealousy | Bar

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Pete Sandidge
Irene Dunne	...	Dorinda Durston
Van Johnson	...	Ted Randall
Ward Bond	...	Al Yackey
James Gleason	...	'Nails' Kilpatrick
Lionel Barrymore	...	The General
Barry Nelson	...	Dick Rumney
Esther Williams	...	Ellen Bright
Henry O'Neill	...	Col. Sykes
Don DeFore	...	James J. Rourke (as Don De Fore)
Charles Smith	...	Sanderson
Addison Richards	...	Maj. Corbett
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kirk Alyn	...	Officer in Heaven (uncredited)
Bill Arthur	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Martin Ashe	...	Sergeant in Chinese Restaurant (uncredited)
George Atkinson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Cpl. Henderson (uncredited)
Dora Baker	...	Charwoman (uncredited)
Steve Barclay	...	Flier (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Charles Bimbo	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
William Bishop	...	Ray - Transport Pilot (uncredited)
John Bogden	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Becky Bohanon	...	English Girl (uncredited)
Eddie Borden	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Fred Coby	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Eddie Coke	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Peter Cookson	...	Sgt. Hanson (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	American Major (uncredited)
Mark Daniels	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Edward Davies	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Vernon Downing	...	English Liaison Officer (uncredited)
Johnny Dunn	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Blake Edwards	...	Flyer (uncredited)
Mary Elliott	...	Dance Hall Girl (uncredited)
Frank Faylen	...	Major (uncredited)
Craig Flannagan	...	American Lieutenant (uncredited)
John Frederick	...	Lt. Ridley (uncredited)
Mary Ganley	...	Woman in Chinese Restaurant (uncredited)
Leatrice Joy Gilbert	...	Woman in Chinese Restaurant (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Richard Graham	...	Crew Member (uncredited)
Herbert Gunn	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Aileen Haley	...	Hostess (uncredited)
Edward Hardwicke	...	George - English Boy (uncredited)
Carey Harrison	...	American Major in Red Lion Inn (uncredited)
Louis Hart	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Gertrude Hoffman	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
Earl Kent	...	American Lieutenant (uncredited)
Charles King	...	Lt. Collins (uncredited)
George Kirby	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Harold Landon	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Nelson Leigh	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Robert Lowell	...	Flier (uncredited)
Peggy Maley	...	Woman (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
William Manning	...	Co-Pilot (uncredited)
James Martin	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Mary McLeod	...	Hostess (uncredited)
James Millican	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Neyle Morrow	...	Flier (uncredited)
Maurice Murphy	...	Capt. Robertson (uncredited)
Melvin Nix	...	American Lieutenant (uncredited)
Simon Olivier	...	Boy (uncredited)
Stanley Orr	...	English Captain (uncredited)
Michael Owen	...	American Lieutenant (uncredited)
Jean Prescott	...	Mother (uncredited)
Stafford Quartet	...	Background Singers: "I'll See You in My Dreams" (voice) (uncredited)
Marshall Reed	...	Flyer (uncredited)
Walter Sande	...	Sande - Mess Sergeant (uncredited)
Jack Saunders	...	American Captain (uncredited)
Earl Schenck	...	Col. Hendricks (uncredited)
Ken Scott	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Violet Seaton	...	Bartender's Wife (uncredited)
Bernard Sell	...	Co-Pilot (uncredited)
Christopher Severn	...	Peter - English Boy (uncredited)
Ernest Severn	...	Davey - English Boy (uncredited)
Raymond Severn	...	Cyril - English Boy (uncredited)
Yvonne Severn	...	Elizabeth - English Girl (uncredited)
Jessie Tai Sing	...	Headwaitress (uncredited)
Bill Sloan	...	Man (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Arthur Space	...	San Francisco Airport Captain (uncredited)
Wyndham Standing	...	English Colonel (uncredited)
Arthur Stenning	...	Fisherman (uncredited)
Clarence Straight	...	Flight Sergeant (uncredited)
Robert Sully	...	Cadet (uncredited)
Carlie Taylor	...	English Captain (uncredited)
Joan Thorsen	...	Woman in Chinese Restaurant (uncredited)
Elizabeth Valentine	...	Washerwoman's Child (uncredited)
Philip Van Zandt	...	Major (uncredited)
Leslie Vincent	...	Sentry (uncredited)
James Warren	...	Irish Guard (uncredited)
Jacqueline White	...	Helen (uncredited)
Eve Whitney	...	Girlfriend of Rourke (uncredited)
John Whitney	...	Officer in Heaven (uncredited)
Kay Williams	...	Girl at Bar (uncredited)
Matt Willis	...	Lt. Hunter (uncredited)
Alan Wilson	...	Sergeant in Jeep (uncredited)
Allen Wood	...	Tough Corporal (uncredited)
Richard Woodruff	...	Cadet (uncredited)

Directed by
Victor Fleming

Writing credits
Chandler Sprague		(story) and
David Boehm		(story)
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan		(adaptation)
Dalton Trumbo		(screenplay)

Produced by
Everett Riskin	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(as George Folsey)
Karl Freund

Film Editing by
Frank Sullivan

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Production Management
Gilbert Kurland	....	unit manager (uncredited)
Jay Marchant	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Burch	....	assistant director: Luke Field (uncredited)
Ralph Ceder	....	second unit director: Luke Field (uncredited)
Horace Hough	....	assistant director (uncredited)
William Kaplan	....	second unit director: Drew Field (uncredited)
Joe Popkin	....	assistant director: Luke Field (uncredited)
Dolph Zimmer	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ralph S. Hurst	....	associate set decorator (as Ralph Hurst)
Lyle R. Wheeler	....	associate art director (as Lyle Wheeler)
Walter Decker	....	location greensman (uncredited)
Hal Dumas	....	location props (uncredited)
Carl Feist	....	location props (uncredited)
George Green	....	location props (uncredited)
Richard Hendrickson	....	location props (uncredited)
Winfield Hubbard	....	location props (uncredited)
Jerry Kelley	....	location props (uncredited)
Herman Kirchner	....	location greensman (uncredited)
Lynn Leishman	....	location plasterer (uncredited)
Joe McKinnon	....	location props (uncredited)
Johnny Menta	....	location greensman (uncredited)
Jack Myron	....	location painter (uncredited)
Richard Neblett	....	location props (uncredited)
Luther Newman	....	location props (uncredited)
Don Pringle	....	location greensman (uncredited)
Jasper Queen	....	location painter (uncredited)
Thomas Rockwell	....	location greensman (uncredited)
Abe Siegel	....	location greensman (uncredited)
George Vertafeville	....	location props (uncredited)
James Vesey	....	location painter (uncredited)
Roy Whitcomb	....	location props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects (as Arnold Gillespie)
Donald Jahraus	....	special effects
Warren Newcombe	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Frank Bjerring	....	location still photographer (uncredited)
Sam Browning	....	location still photographer (uncredited)
Bert Eason	....	location assistant camera (uncredited)
William Greenwalt	....	location grip (uncredited)
Matt Klosnick	....	location assistant camera (uncredited)
Karl Reed	....	location grip (uncredited)
Harry Reid	....	location grip (uncredited)
Jack Smith	....	location camera (uncredited)
Walter Strenge	....	location camera operator (uncredited)
George Webber	....	location camera (uncredited)
Charles Wecker	....	location assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Richard Chaney	....	location wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Alberto Colombo	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Fletcher Henderson	....	music arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Edward G. Hillary	....	technical advisor (as Major Edward G. Hillary USAAC)
William Doran	....	location script clerk (uncredited)
Lewis Jarrard	....	location script clerk (uncredited)
Glen Stephens	....	double: Barry Nelson (uncredited)
Harry Warren	....	double: Spencer Tracy (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Loew's (as Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1943) (USA) (theatrical) (For Loew's Inc.)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1946) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS) (Included with "Movie Pests")
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Turner Entertainment  VHS package design

Also Known As:

Runtime:

120 min | USA:122 min (copyright length)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #9727) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-G

Filming Locations:

Columbia Army Air Base, Columbia, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Actors Richard Carlson, Phillip Terry and Richard Whorf were originally cast in the movie but were not seen in the released version. Actors announced by news items to be cast in the movie, but who were not seen in the print include David Thursby, Rex Evans, Will Stanton, Harry Cording and George Magrill.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Pete convinces Randall to showoff, Ted radios Rourke to take over command of their squadron. But as Ted flies just over the treetops, Rourke (Don Dafore) is shown on the ground watching as he makes his pass.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Trumbo (2007)

Soundtrack:

The Army Air Corps Song

A Girl Named Irene, A Guy Named Spence, and Another Guy Named Van

This is a wonderful romantic picture set in World War II and I have to say Spencer Tracy has almost as much chemistry with Irene Dunne as he does with Katharine Hepburn.

During his career Spencer Tracy was basically two types of character, the cryptic tough guy adventurer and later on a wise father figure. In A Guy Named Joe his Pete Sandidge gets to be both. But he has to get killed before he morphs into his second character.

Spencer Tracy is an ace pilot who's over in the European Theatre and his girlfriend, Irene Dunne is also a pilot, a la Amelia Earhart. She's forever worried about the risks he takes and then her wishes turn into reality as he gets himself killed.

Of course he's not quite ready to enter the pearly gates. It seems as though Heaven has an Air Corps advisory program for ghosts to advise living pilots and Spence's first assignment is Van Johnson. Wouldn't you know it, Van's the guy that's getting Irene on the rebound. Tracy's not enough of a ghost yet that the old green-eyed monster isn't grabbing hold of him. So.............................

With Tracy being dead, the possibilities of endings are limited. But it's at this point that Tracy grows into the father figure character we know him better from in his later work.

Van Johnson's career got a big boost from this film. He's previously been in mostly B films, a lot of them as successor to Lew Ayres in the later in the Dr. Gillespie series. He was injured in a motorcycle accident during the shooting and Spencer Tracy threatened to walk off the picture if Van was replaced. Van healed and the film started him into the upward path of his career.

Irene Dunne who did almost as many musicals as straight drama in the 1930s got to sing in this film. That's always a plus. Here she sings a great rendition of I'll Get By which was enjoying a revival of popularity in the World War II years.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Lionel Barrymore, Ward Bond, James Gleason, Barry Nelson, and Don DeFore all performing to their usual standards of excellence.

A really great romantic film like they don't make any more.