You, John Jones! (1943)

John Jones' daughter is rehearsing the Gettysburg Address in preparation for a school elocution when he is called away by an air raid alarm. He sits alone in the evening and contemplates ... See full summary »

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writer:

Carey Wilson

Stars:

James Cagney, Ann Sothern, Margaret O'Brien

Cast

Cast overview:
James Cagney	...	John Jones
Ann Sothern	...	Mary Jones
Margaret O'Brien	...	Daughter

Storyline

John Jones' daughter is rehearsing the Gettysburg Address in preparation for a school elocution when he is called away by an air raid alarm. He sits alone in the evening and contemplates how lucky he is in America, where no bombing occurs. He imagines "his baby" (Margaret O'Brien) suffering in the war-torn nations of England, Greece, China, Yugoslavia, France, and Russia, and thanks god that no harm has come to her. When he returns home, his daughter resumes her recitation of the Gettysburg Address with her parents as audience.

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Plot Keywords:

gettysburg address | air raid | france | yugoslavia | china | 

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Genres:

Short | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 1943 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

11 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included in Warner Home Video's 2-disc DVD release of Yankee Doodle Dandy.

User Reviews

The Gettysburg address

A mechanical engineer working on planes that soon will be taking part in WWII is seen at the assembly plant. As he arrives home after a day's work, his wife points to their daughter who is seen on a raised platform performing the Gettysburg address for a school presentation. The man, who is on security watch that night in his area, leaves to his tour that night.

As he sits on a park bench, his thoughts go to several areas where the conflict has affected different parts of the world. In each of those images, he sees his young daughter being the victim of the war around her. When he gets home at the end of his shift, he is welcomed by his lovely wife and his daughter that have been secured in the bosom of their safe home. He is a lucky man indeed!

Mervyn LeRoy directed this short propaganda film of 1943. WWII found an important ally in Hollywood, as the industry realized what was at stake and cooperated by turning films in which patriotism and doing the right thing for one's country took center stage. In this short, but effective picture, we are given a bird's eye view about the suffering experienced by other people throughout the world, where the conflict touched their lives.

James Cagney, who was borrowed from Warner Bros. to make this film, was at his best conveying what he felt for the innocent victims. Margaret O'Brien, appears as the daughter who is rehearsing the Gettysburg address for school in her usual enchanting manner. Ann Sothern plays the wife.