The Fighting 69th (Warner Bros.) (1940)

ADVANCE PUBLICITY — ‘THE FIGHTING 69th’ Strand Arranges Early Date For ‘Fighting 69th’ By special agreement with the producers, the management of the Strand Theatre has been able to arrange an early engagement of the new Warner Bros. film, “The Fighting 69th,” costarring James Cagney, Pat O’Brien and George Brent, which has excited so much favorable comment from critics who previewed it at the West Coast. It will open at the Strand on _ Friday. Of the 28 men on Warner Bros. list of contract players, 18 have featured roles in “The Fighting 69th,” a complete cast list issued from the Strand Theatre revealed today. Figure sets a new Hollywood high for number of stars and important featured players under contract to one studio set for the same picture. Heading the list is Cagney as a rebellious buck private, Brent as Col. “Wild Bill” Donovan, O’Brien as Father Francis Patrick Duffy, senior chaplain of the Rainbow Division, with various other well-remembered officers and men of the heroic New York regiment played by Herbert Anderson, Dick Foran, Alan Hale, Tom Kennedy, William Lundigan, Jeffrey Lynn, Dennis Morgan, Frank McHugh, Henry O’Neill, Ronald Reagan, George Reeves, John Ridgely, James Stephenson, Frankie Thomas and Frank Wilcox. Norman Reilly Raine, Fred Niblo, Jr. and Dean Franklin wrote the original story which the film is based and William Keighly directed the actionpacked drama. ‘Fighting 69th’ Continues Strand’s 1940 Hit Parade Following up the sensationally successful New Year’s hit “Brother Rat and a Baby”, the Strand Theatre’s next attraction will be “The Fighting 69th,” action-packed story of the fighting, brawling, Shamrock Regiment, with James Cagney, Pat O’Brien and George Brent topping the cast. The film will open on Friday. Tough guy Cagney plays a cocky young buck private in “The Fighting 69th,” and George Brent is cast as “Wild Bill” Donovan, heroic colonel of the regiment, a real-life character. O’Brien impersonates Father Duffy, beloved chaplain of the 69th. Jeffrey Lynn plays the role of the war-time poet, Joyce Kilmer, and various other men of the famed New York regiment are portrayed by Alan Hale, Dick Foran, Tom _ Kennedy, Guinn “Big Boy” Williams, Henry O’Neill and dozens of others. Much of the rousing comedy of the story is provided by the standing feud between Private Cagney and Top Sergeant Alan Hale, which culminates finally ir a knock ’em down and drag ’em out battle in which small but wiry Cagney knocks out big but windy Hale. A candid picture of life in a military training camp, it is full of human interest situations, and critics who have previewed the film in Hollywood report that it is the most rousing, excitement-crammed entertainment of the year. To quote the Film Daily it is: “Truly a brilliant example of screencraft, this “The Fighting 69th”. Motion Picture Daily calls it “A striking piece of dramatic entertainment.”’ Showmen’s Trade Review classifies it as “real redblooded entertainment for all Americans’’, erry Plunket rere JAMES CAGNEY Father Duby ssc curmemsnpes aES PAT O'BRIEN Wild: Bill": Donovat 203s ds aan GEORGE BRENT doyes Kilmitt ce a es Jeffrey Lynn agt.: BigoMikes Wynn..2 506s de Alan Hale "Crepe Hanger" Burke........... SS ee Frank McHugh Lreufonant-Anies «2.05.0. ste ee Dennis Morgan Li Long John" Wnt... 25 oso... eae Dick Foran Timary Wythe A es William Lundigan Pacey DOIG oo cobras et Giunn "'Big Boy" Williams Gaptait MOngen | 55 ao ke es John Litel The Clone) os a Henry O'Neill Mike. MUlpWy 3a eae Sammy Cohen Major Anderson ..0..:.-.0ccccccsecteesections: Harvey Stephens Chaplain Holmes... Charles Trowbridge PEGS: POUNOE ai is cee DeWolf Hopper Private McManus 2002.22. cccecccccee cee eeeeeeeee Tom Dugan Epeutenant NOFRIAN 62 neiefin co soess cenacntiaces Frank Wilcox x wk ke * PRODUCTION BOOT OY odie ikon iio cs sstse coats espe vante WILLIAM KEIGHLEY Original Screen Play by.....0.0......000000. Norman Reilly Raine Fred Niblo, Jr. Dean Franklin Director of Photography. ..........0.000..0...... Tony Gaudio, A.S.C. PEE DPOGNI osu ss acta Cold eh enlaggsns pe Ted Smith SON By. nee ens. Leek Ay See Charles Lang Filer Edilor ti.....0ce500.....cgnme...0 RSE EE LE Owen Marks IVIUSCAT EXPO CTO... 5c. .cctneti ety sacs sche reaneale Leo F. Forbstein SSG Ss SE eee ea Byron Haskin, A.S.C. Rex Wimpy, A.S.C. Technical Advisors ........0.0...00.00ccees Capt. John T. Prout Mark White Makeup, Artish:.i:csd.iassaig.....dasd.aaaie de Perc Westmore STORY It is hardly possible to do justice in a synopsis to the action, excitement and thrills of "The Fighting 69th."' A bare outline is not enough to relate the spirit, glory and tradition of the 69th regiment of the Rainbow Division, whose record for heroism is part of our national tradition. For the purposes of story outline, however, the film opens in August 1917 at Camp Mills where Colonel "Wild Bill" Donovan (George Brent) is swearing in a batch of raw recruits. Of them, only Jerry Plunkett (James Cagney), hard, tough and self-confident, fails to fall into line with company discipline after the first few weeks of training, despite the efforts of Donovan and Father Duffy (Pat O'Brien), the regimental chaplain. It is not until they get to the front, however, that Jerry's rebelliousness brings tragedy. He deliberately fires a rocket, bringing down a terrific enemy barrage. His next misdeed is fighting with crusty top sergeant Mike Wynn (Alan Hale), twice his size. Donovan wants to have Jerry transferred to another regiment but Duffy promises to take full responsibility for him. In September, 1918, the 69th is ordered into suicidal action. As they make their way to the front, Jerry breaks and tries to run away. His screams open up murderous enemy fire and several men are killed. Courtmartialed for cowardice and sentenced to be executed, Jerry is a prisoner in a little town behind the lines which becomes the target for an enemy attack one night. Father Duffy releases the screaming, frightened Jerry, tells him he can join his regiment at the front. Jerry starts to run away instead, but at that moment another shell hits and Father Duffy is pinned under fallen timber. Jerry frantically struggles to release the injured priest, then he rushes away to join his comrades of the 69th, fighting with the new-born heroism Father Duffy has givenhim. Running time . . . 90 minutes [13] | Loeal Fans’ Favorite Star Team! | *Still FS 16; Mat 203—30c FIGHTING IRISH—James Cagney and Pat O’Brien, the most popular Star team ever to play the Strand Theatre, will be back there on Friday in their newest film, “The Fighting 69th.”’ Cagney, O’Brien, Favorite Strand TheatreStar Team They Increase Film Attendance 30% States Manager Jones in Interview In an interview with Manager Richard Jones of the Strand Theatre, he stated that one of the most popular star teams ever to play his theatre is the team of James Cagney and Pat O’Brien. Checking back through his books he brought to light the fact that there was a thirty per cent increase over normal attendance at his theatre, when he played “Angels With Dirty Faces,” in which they were co-starred. With this in mind, he is arranging for an extra daily showing of “The Fighting 69th,” their new co-starring film, which will have its local debut at the Strand on Friday. In order to facilitate seating for all patrons, the theatre will open at 9:30 A.M. each day. “The Fighting 69th” presents Cagney as a cocky young buck private, the “problem” child of the military training camp, and O’Brien as Father Francis Duffy, famous chaplain of the Irish regiment after which the picture is named, through whose kindly efforts the private’s regeneration is finally brought about. O’Brien had some training for this role in “Angels With Dirty Faces,” in which he played the parish priest in a tough East Side New York district. But the Father Duffy role presented a much greater problem, for the army chaplain is not a fictional, but a real character. Although the situation in the picture is fictional, it is a wellknown fact that Father Duffy worked wonders with any number of rebellious privates during the war. Advance reports from those who have previewed the film at the West Coast indicate that this latest co-starring effort is their greatest hit to date. | Cagney’s In The Army Now | *Still FS 11; Mat 204—30c YOU TAKE WHAT YOU GET AND YOU LIKE IT—And that’s the beginning of the army’s fightin’est feud between Private James Cagney (right) and Sergeant Alan Hale, in ‘The Fighting 69th”.