Sergeant York (1941)

A marksman is drafted in World War I and ends up becoming one of the most celebrated war heroes.

Director:

Howard Hawks

Writers:

Abem Finkel (original screen play), Harry Chandlee (original screen play)

Stars:

Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie

Won 2 Oscars. Another 3 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gary Cooper	...	Alvin C. York
Walter Brennan	...	Pastor Rosier Pile
Joan Leslie	...	Gracie Williams
George Tobias	...	'Pusher' Ross
Stanley Ridges	...	Maj. Buxton
Margaret Wycherly	...	Mother York
Ward Bond	...	Ike Botkin
Noah Beery Jr.	...	Buck Lipscomb
June Lockhart	...	Rosie York
Dickie Moore	...	George York
Clem Bevans	...	Zeke
Howard Da Silva	...	Lem (as Howard da Silva)
Charles Trowbridge	...	Cordell Hull
Harvey Stephens	...	Capt. Danforth
David Bruce	...	Bert Thomas

Storyline

Somewhat fictionalized account of the life and war service of Alvin York, who went from humble beginnings to being one of the most celebrated American servicemen to fight in World War I. As depicted in the film, Alvin turned to religion when he was struck by lightning during one of his drunken outings. Alvin took his newfound religion seriously claiming to be a conscientious objector when receiving his draft notice. When that was refused, he joined the infantry where he served with valor, capturing a large number of Germans and saving the lives of many of his men who were under heavy fire.

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Plot Keywords:

u.s. soldier | world war one soldier | western front | hillbilly | infantry | 

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Taglines:

America's Greatest Modern Hero! Timelier today than ever... thrilling and inspiring story of the kind of men that America is made of!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to the star himself, this was the first movie Clint Eastwood saw.

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Goofs

When Alvin is teaching Sunday school, he is talking about the story of Cain and Abel, which is in Genesis at the beginning of the Bible and referred to in Hebrews and 1 John, near the end of the Bible, but he has his Bible opened in the middle.

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Quotes

Alvin: I ain't a-goin' to war. War's killin', and the book's agin' killin! So war is agin' the book!

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Crazy Credits

"We are proud to present this picture, and are grateful to the heroic figures, still living, who have generously consented to be portrayed in its story.

To their faith and ours, that a day will come when man will live in peace on earth, this picture is humbly dedicated.

High in the heart of the Cumberland Mountains in Tennessee, lies the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf, and here in the spring of the year 1916..."

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Connections

Featured in The 40th Annual Academy Awards (1968)

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Soundtracks

Froggy Went a-Courtin
(uncredited)
Traditional
Sung by Luke as he rides his mule into town.

User Reviews

Absolutely Brilliant

"Sergeant York" is my favorite classic movie. Gary Cooper stars as Sergeant Alvin York one of the most revered hero's in World War I. The movie takes you through his life from the days when he was a lot less responsible. When he drank a lot and had a short fuse, but ends when he become a hero of the war. The black and white picture enhances the beautiful cinematography in the film. Keep in mind most of the film revolves around his life before the war and so you get to see a lot of the fantastic scenery.

Gary Cooper won himself a well deserved Oscar for the film, but there were some other fine performances in the film. Walter Brennan, the star of almost 200 other films, plays York's small town Pastor, Rosier Pile. Young Joan Leslie plays the part of Gracie Williams who later marries York. Then there is Ward Bond in one of his many films (Over 250 of them I believe). Now a little for the trivia books. Cooper was 41 when he made this film and Leslie was only 16, but this is fairly consistent with the true ages of York and Gracie when they were beginning their relationship. So the film tries to be very accurate and honest. You won't find that in a modern film.

If you have not seen "Sergeant York" then you have yet to see one of the most touching films of all time. It is as much an attention holder today as it was back in 1941 and makes an excellent Memorial Day film which is in fact the best time to try and catch it if you happen to have cable and some of those classic film channels.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

27 September 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Amazing Life of Sergeant York

Filming Locations:

Burro Flats, Simi Hills, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,400,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$16,361,885

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$16,364,924

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1