The Fighting Sullivans (1944)
"The Sullivans" (original title)

The lives of a close-knit group of brothers growing up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression and of World War II and their eventual deaths in action in the Pacific theater are ... See full summary »

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Edward Doherty (story), Mary C. McCall Jr.,

Stars:

Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Anne Baxter	...	Katherine Mary Sullivan
Thomas Mitchell	...	Mr. Thomas F. Sullivan
Selena Royle	...	Mrs. Alleta Sullivan
Edward Ryan	...	Albert Leo 'Al' Sullivan
Trudy Marshall	...	Genevieve 'Gen' Sullivan
John Campbell	...	Francis Henry 'Frank' Sullivan
James Cardwell	...	George Thomas Sullivan
John Alvin	...	Madison Abel 'Matt' Sullivan
George Offerman Jr.	...	Joesph Eugene 'Joe' Sullivan
Roy Roberts	...	Father Francis
Ward Bond	...	Lt. Cmdr. Robinson

Storyline

The lives of a close-knit group of brothers growing up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression and of World War II and their eventual deaths in action in the Pacific theater are chronicled in this film based on a true story.

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Plot Keywords:

iowa | sibling rivalry | ends in heaven | father son relationship | mother son relationship | 

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Taglines:

The Guts and Glory of the Fighting Navy!!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1944 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Fighting Sullivans

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie features the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal. Guadalcanal is situated in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, north-east of Australia. Its local name is Isatabu and contains the country's capital, Honiara. The island is humid and mostly made up of jungle with a surface area of 2,510 square miles or 6,500-km². Guadacanal was named after Pedro de Ortega's home town Guadacanal in Andalusia, Spain. de Ortega worked under Álvaro de Mendaña who charted the island in 1568.

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Goofs

At the induction center, the Petty Officer the Sullivan brothers bull past has his Crow (Navy Chevrons) sewn on the mid-line of his sleeve with a crease running through the center of the chevrons. Navy uniforms have the stripes sewn forward of the crease, not on the crease.

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Quotes

Naval Officer at Boat Launching: Today, as we launch the destroyer, U.S.S. The Sullivans, the parents of the five Sullivan boys are here to share in the tribute to their sons, even as they shared their fighting spirit. As this ship slides down the ways, it carries with it a special armor all its own: The flaming and undaunted spirit that is the heritage of its name. The five Sullivan boys are gone; the U.S.S. The Sullivans carries on. May God bless and protect this ship. May her destiny be as glorious as the name she bears.

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Connections

Edited into All This and World War II (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy's Chowder?"
(uncredited)
Written by George L. Giefer
Sung by the Sullivan boys in the boat

User Reviews

wrenching true story

A lot of people know the story of the USS Indianapolis that sank at the end of World War II. It was the ship where only 316 of the 1,196 crew survived because there was a delay in looking for them. This film tells the story of the USS Juneau, it is not as well known but its story is terrible as well. Only 10 out of 700 crew survived. This ship is best remembered as the one where the Sullivans died. There has been a change in policy since where brothers are prohibited from being on the same ship. This film does a wonderful job of bringing the Sullivan saga to life. I can imagine the patriotic impact it had when it was shown at the time. I caught it on an old movie channel and I remember the scene that got me was the one at the end where it made out like they were all ascending to heaven.