Story of GI Joe (United Artists) (1945)

beaten, @ouaok presents ERNIE PYLE’S "STORY OF G. I. JOE" starring BURGESS MEREDITH as ERNIE PYLE Directed by William A. Wellman Screenplay by Leopold Atlas, Guy Endore and Philip Stevenson RELEASED THRU UNITED ARTISTS ☆ CREDITS CAST ERNIE PYLE .BURGESS MEREDITH Lieutenant Walker .Robert Mitchum Sergeant Warnicki .Freddie Steele Private Dondaro .Wally Cassell Private Spencer .Jimmy Lloyd Private Murphy .Jack Reilly Private Mew .Bill Murphy and as themselves, combat veterans of the campaigns in Africa, Sicily and Italy Producer .Lester Cowan Director .William A. Wellman Screen Play .Leopold Atlas Guy Endore, Philip Stevenson Supervising Film Editor .Otho Lovering Associate Producer .David Hall Musical Score .Ann Ronell Louis Applebaum Director of Photography .Russell Metty, A.S.C. Sound Recording .Frank McWhorter Associate Art Director .James Sullivan Associate Musical Director .Louis Forbes Set'Director .Edward G. Boyle Make-up .Bud Westmore Film Editor .Albrecht Joseph Assistant Director .Robert Aldrich Research .Paige Cavanaugh Production Manager .Ray Heinz FOR THE COMBAT CORRESPONDENTS Don Whitehead .Associated Press George Lait .International News Service Chris Cunningham .United Press Hal Boyle .Associated Press Sgt. Jack Foisie .Stars & Stripes Bob Landry .Life Magazine Lucien Hubbard .Reader's Digest Clete Roberts .Blue Network Robert Reuben .Reuters SYNOPSIS (not for publication I The story opens in Africa where a convoy is bivouacked for the night. Lounging around in front of their tents are Murphy (Jack Reilly), Mew (Bill Murphy), Lopez (Tito Renaldo), Sgt. Warnicki (Freddie Steele), Don¬ daro (Wally Cassell), and "Gawky" Henderson (William Self). The conversation is typical of men idly passing the time away. As Ernie Pyle (Burgess Meredith) wanders into the scene, the voice of Axis Sally oozes over the loud speaker, and sings the sultry "Linda." The boys are distinctly in a mood from her song and Dondaro voices the thoughts of all, when gazing at Ernie trying to crawl into his bedroll, he inquires: "Pop, why wasn't you born a beautiful dame? Or even an ugly one?" At dawn, Lt. Walker (Robert Mitchum) hustles the men into the truck and tells Pyle to climb aboard if he wants to get to the front. As yet, Pyle has not been accepted by the gang. To them, correspondents are merely "Hollywood heroes" who go along for the ride. By nightfall, the truck arrives within sounding distance of the war ahead. A Stuka attacks and "Gawky" is killed. The men are more sober now, but at the same time they warm up to Ernie, for he has undergone the baptism of fire with them. The convoy plows on and finally reaches the front. In this, the battle of Kasserine Pass, a major defeat is inflicted on the Americans, who are obliged to retreat down the pass. As Ernie wrote, "It was one long, tired line of ant-like men. There was agony in your heart . . ." In Italy, the bombardment of San Vittorio begins and Ernie's in the thick of it. The streets are a mass of rubble. Bullets whiz and Dondaro bursts into a ruined cafe for shelter. He levels his gun at a crouching fig¬ ure but checks himself when he sees that it is Amelia (Yolanda Lacca). He falls into a momentary romantic interlude, but unfortunately, duty calls and he regretfully leaves. Meanwhile Warnicki and Walker are seeking German snipers hidden in the village and apparently clear them out. The devout Walker stops to worship at the altar and is shot at. Warnicki fires at the sniper in the belfry, who grabs the bell-rope as he falls. As he crashes to earth, the bell rings exultantly. With the Americans installed in the village, Dondaro settles down to some personal business with Amelia, and Murphy, too, takes an impor¬ tant step. He marries Red, a nurse (Dorothy Coonan), to whom he had been engaged in the United States. The young couple spend their honey- < moon in an ambulance. Once again the men are on the move until they are stymied by relent¬ less fire from a monastery. Orders are that the building is not to be bombed. The hours pass in despair, rain, mud and endless patrols—and Murphy is killed on one of these reconnaissances. Finally orders come from Eisenhower to bomb the monastery but the Germans dig deeper into the rubble—and Cassino is taken only after a bitter struggle. Warnicki has broken under the strain and is turned over to the medics. Casualties have been heavy. Ernie and the soldiers silently watch the approach of a line of mules bearing the bodies of the dead. Dondaro is leading the final mule. His tragic burden is Capt. Walker. One by one, the "G. I.'s" come closer—each has his own way of bidding farewell to his friend and leader. Ernie is overwhelmed. When we last see Ernie, he is trudging along on the road to Rome with his companions. He is one of them—and as battle-scarred. INDEX ADVANCE FEATURES ERNIE PYLE FILM POSED MANY PROBLEMS FOR PRODUCER COWAN 40,000,000 people had to be satisfied.19 A PICTURE OF VAST SCOPE Shooting schedule took 120 days.19 BATTLE SCENE RUINS 'REBUILT' Ruins of Cassino reproduced.19 $2,000,000 FOR "G.l." TRIBUTE Realism was the keynote.19 CURRENT FEATURES EPIC FILM OF PRESENT CONFLICT A review of the film.20 WAR CORRESPONDENTS PORTRAY THEMSELVES Three top war reporters seen on the screen.20 MANY VIE FOR PYLE ROLE Hundreds of aspirants competed for role.21 TEN COMMANDMENTS GUIDE FOR FILM Suggestions made by "G.l." followed.21 READING PYLE COLUMN DOES THE TRICK Director Wellman gets effect by quoting Pyle. .. .21 ACTUAL "G.I.'S" ASSURE REALISM Many soldiers were used in film.21 BIOGRAPHIES "G.l. JOE" LASTING TRIBUTE TO PYLE Ernie revealed as a simple, human person.22 MEREDITH GETS PYLE'S ENDORSEMENT "Buzz" was also a reporter at one time.22 STEELE CARVING FILM NICHE Former middleweight champ making good in pictures.22 ROBERT MITCHUM'S SUCCESS STORY Watch t(iis lad. He scores a smash hit in the film. .21 m ★ ★ ★ +