Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Director:

Dalton Trumbo

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

14 August 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The most shattering experience you'll ever live.

Plot:

Joe, a young American soldier, is hit by a mortar shell on the last day of World War I. He lies in a hospital bed in a fate worse than death...

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | Hospital | Memory | Dream | Eyes

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Timothy Bottoms	...	Joe Bonham
Kathy Fields	...	Kareen
Marsha Hunt	...	Joe's Mother
Jason Robards	...	Joe's Father
Donald Sutherland	...	Christ
Charles McGraw	...	Mike Burkeman
Sandy Brown Wyeth	...	Lucky
Don 'Red' Barry	...	Jody Simmons (as Donald Barry)
Peter Brocco	...	Ancient Prelate
Kendell Clarke	...	Hospital Offical
Eric Christmas	...	Corporal Timlon
Eduard Franz	...	Col. / Gen. Tillery
Craig Bovia	...	Little Guy
Judy Howard Chaikin	...	Bakery Girl
Dalton Trumbo	...	Orator (as Robert Cole)
Maurice Dallimore	...	British Colonel
Robert Easton	...	Third Doctor
Larry Fleischman	...	Russ
Anthony Geary	...	Redhead (as Tony Geary)
Ed Gilbert	...	Priest (as Edmund Gilbert)
Ben Hammer	...	Second Doctor
Milton Barnes	...	First Reader
Wayne Heffley	...	Captain
Lynn Hanratty	...	Elisabeth Age 6
Ernestine Johnston	...	Farm Woman
Joseph Kaufmann	...	Rudy (as Joseph Kaufman)
Mike Lee	...	Bill Harper
Kerry MacLane	...	Joe Age 10
William Mims	...	Gentleman
Byron Morrow	...	Brigadier General
Alice Nunn	...	Third Nurse
Marge Redmond	...	First Nurse
Jodean Lawrence	...	Second Nurse (as Jodean Russo)
Diane Varsi	...	Fourth Nurse
David Soul	...	Swede
Peter Virgo Jr.	...	Attendant
Gigi Vorgan	...	Catherine Age 13
Jeffrey Walker	...	Fifth Guy (as Jeff Walker)
Bruce Watson	...	Technician
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Winston Churchill	...	Himself - Opening Credits (archive footage) (uncredited)
Xus Estruch	...	(uncredited)
Ken Globus	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Margaret Pellegrini	...	(uncredited)
Philippe Pétain	...	Himself - Opening Credits (archive footage) (uncredited)
Pepe Serna	...	Jose (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey	...	Churchgoer (uncredited)
Tom Tryon	...	(uncredited)
Tsar Nicholas II	...	Himself - Opening Credits (archive footage) (uncredited)
Tsarina Alexandra	...	Himself - Opening Credits (archive footage) (uncredited)
Woodrow Wilson	...	Himself - Opening Credits (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Dalton Trumbo

Writing credits
Dalton Trumbo		(novel)
Dalton Trumbo		(screenplay)
Luis Buñuel		uncredited

Produced by
Bruce Campbell	....	producer
Tony Monaco	....	associate producer
Christopher Trumbo	....	associate producer
Tom Tryon	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jerry Fielding

Cinematography by
Jules Brenner

Film Editing by
Millie Moore

Casting by
Tony Monaco

Production Design by
Harold Michelson

Art Direction by
Jeremy Kay
Harold Michelson

Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson
Bob Signorelli		(as Robert Signorelli)

Costume Design by
Theadora Van Runkle

Makeup Department
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup artist (as Phillip Rhodes)
Lorraine Roberson	....	hair stylist

Production Management
James F. Sommers	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Christopher Trumbo	....	assistant director

Art Department
James Martin Bachman	....	assistant art director (as James Bachman)
Stephen R. Ferry	....	property master (as Stephen Ferry)

Sound Department
Samuel M. Annis	....	looping editor
Harold M. Etherington	....	sound mixer (as Hal Etherington)
Bob Minkler	....	sound effects mixer (as Robert Minkler)
James Nelson	....	sound effects editor (as Jim Nelson)
Howard S. Wollman	....	dialogue mixer (as Howard Wollman)

Special Effects by
Dick Williams	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Melissa Campbell	....	still photographer
Dick Colean	....	first assistant camera
George Rumanes	....	lighting director
Bud Schindler	....	key grip (as Bud Shindler)
Robert Touyarot	....	camera operator

Casting Department
Marsha Kleinman	....	assistant to casting director

Costume and Wardrobe Department
James Kessler	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Elizabeth H. Buxton	....	assistant editor (as Elizabeth Buxton)
William Paul Dornisch	....	supervising editor (as William P. Dornisch)
June Gilham	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Jerry Fielding	....	conductor
Erma E. Levin	....	music editor (as Erma Levin)
Don Minkler	....	music mixer (as Donald Minkler)

Transportation Department
Elmore Adams	....	transportation director

Other crew
Deanna Beeler	....	secretary to the director
Milton Birnbaum	....	medical advisor (as Dr. Milton Birnbaum)
John Bright	....	production associate
Dorothea Campbell	....	production associate
Madeline Colie	....	production secretary (as Madeline Oolie)
Aubrey Finn	....	attorney
Eugene Frenke	....	production associate (as Gene Frenke)
Robert Haggiag	....	production associate
Simon Lazarus	....	production associate
Clarke Lindsley	....	assistant to producer
John Lott	....	production coordinator
Bob Milford	....	production consultant
Carolyn Newman	....	production secretary
Roy Silver	....	production associate
Dale Strange	....	set operator
Pamela H. Vanneck	....	assistant to producer
Marvin Weldon	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• World Entertainment

Distributors

• Cinemation Industries (1971) (USA) (theatrical)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1983) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• KinoVista (2007) (Russia) (TV)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (1980s) (USA) (VHS)
• New Cinema Enterprises (Canada)
• Orovídeo (Brazil) (video)
• Rosebud (Greece)
• Shout! Factory (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Normand Houle's Design Arts  set construction
• Glen Glenn Sound Company  sound recording
• Producers' Sound Service  sound recording (as Producers' Sound Service, Inc.)
• Kaleidoscope Productions Inc.  post-production coordinating
• Pacific Title  main titles
• International Producers Services  production managment
• International Producers Services  consultation

Also Known As:

"Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | New Zealand:R16 | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | USA:R (original rating) | Norway:18

Company:

World Entertainment

Trivia:

The "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" at the end of the film means: "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country."

Quotes:

Joe:There's a game out there, and the stakes are high. And the guy who runs it figures the averages all day long and all night long. Once in a while he lets you steal a pot. But if you stay in the game long enough, you've got to lose. And once you've lost there's no way back, no way at all.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Siskel & Ebert 500th Anniversary Special (1989) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Keep the Home Fires Burning

when the script takes the movie up there.

I saw this movie on public Greek TV (original version with subtitles), and was glued to the screen until the very end. I would say that it develops in three modes. One is the horrible black and white present, one is the colorful past (memory) and one is the surreal world of Johnny's dreams where he is conscious of his injury! I haven't understood how the scenes with his father in the past add up to the movie very well. The acting isn't superb and some lines could have been different. The black and white cinematography is very convincing and the scenes with the last nurse are tremendous! Aside from the downsides of war which are evident, the movie also deals with how the system is willing to suppress its own fabricated heroes when they fall short of its ideology. One of the best Hollywood movies ever made, chiefly due to its powerful script. 8/10