MacArthur (1977)

Biopic of General Douglas MacArthur covering his war exploits during WW2 and the Korean War.

Director:

Joseph Sargent

Writers:

Hal Barwood, Matthew Robbins

Stars:

Gregory Peck, Dan O'Herlihy, Ed Flanders

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gregory Peck	...	Gen. Douglas MacArthur
Ivan Bonar	...	General Sutherland
Ward Costello	...	General Marshall
Nicolas Coster	...	Colonel Huff
Marj Dusay	...	Mrs. MacArthur
Ed Flanders	...	President Truman
Art Fleming	...	The Secretary
Russell Johnson	...	Admiral King (as Russell D. Johnson)
Sandy Kenyon	...	General Wainwright
Robert Mandan	...	Representative Martin
Allan Miller	...	Colonal Diller
Dan O'Herlihy	...	President Roosevelt
Dick O'Neill	...	Colonel Whitney
Addison Powell	...	Admiral Nimitz
Tom Rosqui	...	General Sampson

Storyline

The story of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and United Nations Commander for the Korean War. "MacArthur" begins in 1942, following the fall of Phillipines, and covers the remarkable career of this military legend up through and including the Korean War and into MacArthur's days of forced retirement after being dismissed from his post by President Truman.

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Plot Keywords:

korean war | general | douglas macarthur | japan | president | 

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Taglines:

When Japan attacked, he led us back to victory - When Korea exploded, we turned to him again. It was a time that requires heroes and General Douglas MacArthur was there...and then he was fired.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1977 (USA)

Also Known As:

MacArthur - Held des Pazifik

Filming Locations:

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum, Santa Fe Depot, San Diego, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$16,320,000, 31 December 1977

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

130 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

George C. Scott turned down the lead role.

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Goofs

When the general is going to the PT boat, the jeep he is riding in is a M38. This jeep was not used until 1949-1952.

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Quotes

President Harry S. Truman: [Truman arrives on Wake Island, and MacArthur isn't there to meet him] He can do this to Harry Truman, but he can not do this to his Commander-In-Chief!

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Alternate Versions

The UK DVD issue omits the sequence where MacArthur meets Emperor Hirohito, but instead, adds to the ending. The film now ends with MacArthur and his wife watch a TV transmission of the presidential inauguration of Eisenhower MacArthur's comment: "He will turn out fine. He was the best clerk that ever served under me"), followed by the end of MacArthur's farewell speech at West Point. The subsequent credits starts to roll slightly earlier than previously.

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Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson: Gregory Peck/Edgar Bergen/George Gobel/Jim Bouton (1977)

User Reviews

A solid, fair introduction to a complex figure

History buffs will find plenty to quibble with in "MacArthur." Like a lot of World War II movies, it has its share of minor errors. And American military enthusiasts are certain to have strong opinions on Douglas MacArthur already, which will affect their views of the film.

But all in all, I think this is a remarkably balanced look at an extremely controversial person. For those who know little about MacArthur, it's a good place to start. He was a larger-than-life figure, and in this film you can see both why he was revered and why he was despised.

Although MacArthur came of age in the 19th century and became a general in World War I, this movie focuses on his high and lows in World War II and the Korean War. During that time he was an iconic figure. "Iconic" is an overused word, but it applies to him. With his trademark hat and corncob pipe, plus his curiously old-fashioned way of speaking and his instinct for controversy, he was unmistakable and larger than life.

During the late 1970s, the post-Watergate era, traditional war pictures were no longer in vogue. "M*A*S*H," the mildly pacifist TV series set in the Korean War, treated MacArthur as a rather silly figure. But this movie, made in 1977, takes the man seriously, while showing his flaws clearly. It also is more frank than most classic films about how little consensus there is in warmaking. Leaders quarrel and connive while making policy, and the most loyal grunts are often dismayed at the decisions that put them in harm's way.

Gregory Peck is excellent in capturing the complexity of Douglas MacArthur. Peck was an outspoken political liberal, and one has to assume he was no admirer of the unabashedly right-wing MacArthur. But he takes on the man's persona admirably.

After heaping so much praise on "MacArthur," I must admit it is not great cinema. It's more interesting than moving. But if you're under 50 and know Douglas MacArthur only as a name in the history books, this will be an eye-opener. Like any good introduction to a subject, it should encourage you to seek other information and form your own opinions about the man and his times.