This would be a good companion piece to The Thin Red Line. Both films deal with the invasion of Guadalcanal in 1942 in the Solomon Islands.
Made in 1943 this was a propaganda piece. You can tell by the various insults on the Japanese.
It is about raw marines on their way to battle at an unknown destination. They broadly consist of stereotypes Corporal Potts (William Bendix) from Flatbush. Alvarez (Anthony Quinn) the Hispanic one. Chicken (Richard Jaeckel) the young soldier. After Guadalcanal they all become men.
As their ship lands at the Solomon Islands. They have to attack the Japanese position but they need to be aware that their enemy is ruthless and cunning when it comes to jungle warfare. Pretending to be dead, hiding in trees and leaving booby traps behind.
There is a docudrama slant to the movie but its too much of a patriotic propaganda piece to stir the allies. Everything is done with a broad brush.
Perversely this might be a movie that would be of interest to fans of Queer cinema as it might have different subtext.
In an early overt scene in the ship. Two men dance the Jitterbug with each other and in front of the other men. When an officer announces that it's time for lights out. One of them carries the other to bed.
How did that get past the censor!
Made in 1943 this was a propaganda piece. You can tell by the various insults on the Japanese.
It is about raw marines on their way to battle at an unknown destination. They broadly consist of stereotypes Corporal Potts (William Bendix) from Flatbush. Alvarez (Anthony Quinn) the Hispanic one. Chicken (Richard Jaeckel) the young soldier. After Guadalcanal they all become men.
As their ship lands at the Solomon Islands. They have to attack the Japanese position but they need to be aware that their enemy is ruthless and cunning when it comes to jungle warfare. Pretending to be dead, hiding in trees and leaving booby traps behind.
There is a docudrama slant to the movie but its too much of a patriotic propaganda piece to stir the allies. Everything is done with a broad brush.
Perversely this might be a movie that would be of interest to fans of Queer cinema as it might have different subtext.
In an early overt scene in the ship. Two men dance the Jitterbug with each other and in front of the other men. When an officer announces that it's time for lights out. One of them carries the other to bed.
How did that get past the censor!