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

ADVANCE PUBLICITY — “THE FIGHTING 69th” Jim Cagney vs. Alan Hale In ‘Fighting 69th’ Scene In Which A Good Little Man Proves Bigger They Are, Harder They Fall One of the oldest axioms of the boxing ring, that a good little man can whip a good big man, or the taller they are the farther they have to fall and the more noise they make, was proved in “The Fighting 69th,” the picture which is scheduled to open on Friday at the Strand Theatre. James Cagney, 140 pounds, knocked 240-pound Alan Hale sprawling by a slight miscalculation of distance in a rousing rough and tumble fight scene for the picture at the Warner Bros. studio during production. It was 10 minutes before Hale recovered breath and dignity enough for the scene to be continued. And he still has to be convinced that Jimmy didn’t plan it. The fight climaxed a long verbal build up between Cagney, a cocky private, and Hale, a burly top sergeant, that had been running all through the first part of the picture. Going into the scene, director William Keighley naturally wanted to make it look real. “There’s so much difference between you two in size and weight that the audience won’t believe it unless you look rather awkward, Alan,” he instructed. “So you swing wild at first and you, Jimmy, pretend to be pounding him in the solar plexus. Just swing in close and it will look ‘Mavourneen’ Sung In ‘Fighting 69th’ By--Sammy Cohen! “The Fighting 69th’’ marches to the strains of “Garry Owen,” old Irish folk song known to the army as far back as the Civil War. Pat O’Brien, James Cagney, George Brent, Frank McHugh and that Irishman by adoption, Sam Cohen, tramped over the Warner Bros. “training camp” and “quarters” to this Irish tune whose strains are heard again in wartime setting in this story of the famed regiment. “The Fighting 69th,” opens on Friday at the Strand Theatre. Soldiers sing as well as fight, and the “69ers” raise their voices in a few choruses of “The Old Gray Mare” as they get together for a bit of fun after the day’s duties. More on the raucous side is “The Infantry,’’ known to every soldier. It is a slightly expurgated version, however, that the screen doughboys render; probably one of the only sacrifices of realism in the pciture. Sam Cohen has a bit of a solo in one of the scenes when he sings—you guessed it— “Kathleen Mavourneen.” For the Christmas eve midnight mass the assembled soldiers “Come All Ye Faithful” (Adeste Fidelis) in Latin under the guidance of Father Duffy (Pat O’Brien). Every actor in the company who appears in the scene had to memorize the beautiful hymn in Latin, although a verse is also sung in English. All these songs are used as theme music for the underscoring of “The Fighting 69th,” according to musical director Leo Forbstein. The rest is an original score, with a few snatches from some of the popular war songs of 1914-18. okay for the camera. But don’t get hurt, either of you.” Half way through the fight (and it was looking better every second) Jimmy cut loose with a short sharp right upper cut. He happened to time it just as Hale was reaching out with a looping left past Jimmy’s right ear. Jimmy’s punch, with his shoulder behind it, caught Hale right in the middle. With a “woof” that made the microphone dance, Hale sat down, but suddenly. It was 10 minutes before he got back his breath on the set, but in the finished film it’s merely a matter of a split second. Gives Wrong Salute Intentionally In ‘Fighting 69th’ Pat O’Brien’s flagrantly unmilitary salute may bring frowns to the brow of sticklers for army rules and regulations who see him in “The Fighting 69th” at the Strand Theatre but their criticism will be taken as a compliment by the offender. That loose-jointed gesture of the arm and hand was one of the most characteristic things about the man who originated O’Brien’s character in the picture, the Rev. Father Francis Patrick Duffy, senior chaplain of the Rainbow Division and spiritual leader of the famous New York regiment. Addressing an Armistice night reunion of the small number of veterans of the regiment now living in Southern California, the Warner Bros. star presented his case: “Generally an actor, when given a part to play, accepts it only as a job of work to be done as well as circumstances will permit. But when I was chosen to play Father Duffy in ‘The Fighting 69th’ I took it as a trust. “I’ve given the part everything I have. If, when you see the picture, you men who knew Father Duffy intimately and faced death with his hand upon your shoulders can give me a word of praise, that will be the highest compliment I have ever received.” Many Technical Advisors Used for ‘Fighting 69th’ Strangest of contrasts in technical directors was offered on the set of Warner Bros. ‘The Fighting 69th,” the film starring James Cagney, Pat O’Brien and George Brent, which will be the next attraction at the Strand Theatre starting Friday. Present were: Paul W. “Doc” MeWilliams, head of the studio first aid department. He was on hand to make certain that army “first aid’’ was properly administered. Captain John T. Prout, officer with the actual 69th N.Y.N.G. before and all during the war. Father John Devlin, of St. Vincent’s Catholic church, North Hollywood, to help Pat O’Brien as Father Francis Duffy. Dr. Herman Lissauer, head of Warner Bros. Research department and a former Rabbi, to instruct the same Pat O’Brien in the reading of a Hebrew prayer for the Jewish soldiers. ‘Call Me Again at Ten, Sarge’’ *Still FS 4; Mat 201—30c James Cagney, playing Uncle Sam’s one-man army in “The Fighting 69th”’, tells top-kick Alan Hale he’s not quite ready for breakfast, perhaps a little later. Scene is from the film coming to the Strand. Old 69th Dates from Revolutionary Days History of Famed Regiment Subject Of Thrilling New Film at Strand The history of the old Irish Brigade, the 69th regiment of New York volunteers which became the 165th infantry of the Rainbow Division during World War I, begins in September, 1861. This is the regiment which provides the title and story background for the picture opening Friday at the Strand, Warner Bros.’ “The Fighting 69th” in which James Cagney as a private, George Brent as Col. ‘Wild Bill”? Donovan and at O’Brien as Father Francis Patrick Duffy, regimental chaplain, are the protagonists. The Old 69th, with 59 silver battle rings on the staffs of its regimental flags, has a fighting record in number of separate engagements exceeded by only one other regiment in the world, the Scottish Black Watch, according to military historians. Fortyeight of the rings, each bearing the name of a separate battle and the dates it was fought, mark the record of the 69th during the Civil War, the remainder are for World War victories. Nucleus of the famous regiment was a militia unit in existence in New York State from Revolutionary War times. After Fort Sumter this unit started active recruiting and by November, 1861 was up to full strength under command of Col. Robert Nugent of the regular army. After serving out two enlistments (still being a volunteer group) it was mustered out June 30, 1865. At Antietam the regiment fought in Richardson’s division and at the famous Bloody Lane eight color bearers were shot down, but the brigade carried the position. At Fredericksburg the color sergeant of the regiment was found dead near the awful stone wall with the flag wound around his body, a bullet having pierced heart and flag. A fragment of that same flag was brought to the set one day during filming of “The Fighting 69th” by 93-year-old Sergeant Henry Mingoy, oldest survivor of the regiment, now resident in Tujunga, California. Out of 18 officers and 210 men engaged in the Fredericksburg battle, 16 officers and 112 men of the regment were either killed or wounded. At Gettysburg the regiment was entirely wiped out, but again was recruited up to war strength and served until the end of the war, which terminated for the 69th at Appomatox Court House, April 9, 1865. Its World War record began July 15, 1917 when the 69th was federalized as the 165th infantry and then was mobilized August 24 at Camp Mills, Long Island. The Atlantic crossing was made in November, 1917, after a period of training at Camp Mills and the regiment landed at Brest, France, Nov. 21, the first American soldiers to land at that Brittany port. From Brest the regiment went into the LangresBaissey sector for further training and during the first week in February, 1918, started for the front. On March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, the regiment that was predominantly Irish went into the trenches in the Luneville sector. STILL SERVICE . . .. Stills available on most of the scene cuts on the publicity pages in this Campaign Plan. Price 15c¢ each. Order by still number indicated under each cut, from Campaign Plan Editor. If still number is not given, photo is not available because the cut was made from a special retouch or a composite. (“Asterisk denotes still is included in regular set which is available at your local Vitagraph Exchanges.] [14] Pat O’Brien Plays Famed Father Duffy In Strand Film The Strand Theatre’s next feature attraction, “The Fighting 69th”, an action-packed story of one of the world’s most famous regiment of fighters, has one of its three stars portraying a character whose fights were all spiritual. The star is Pat O’Brien, and the character is that of the famous priest who was chaplain of the 69th. The other two stars, James Cagney . and George Brent have real — soldier roles. It was precisely because the priest was so famous. that O’Brien feared his role. Why? Because the priest he’s impersonating is the late Father Francis P. Duffy, chaplain of the Irish regiment after which the picture is named. The same Father Duffy for whom Duffy Square—at the northern end of Times Square, in the heart of New York—is called, and whose bronze portrait-statue stands there. Scores of thousands of New York’s seven millions knew and loved Father Duffy and if O’Brien had made a mis-step in the role it would have been just too bad for Pat. But he wasn’t likely to. For one reason, because he knew Duffy in life. Once in a while when Pat was acting on the Broadway stage he and the padre went together to see the fights at Madison Square Garden — and it wasn’t beyond Father Duffy to have a small wager on the boy he liked. Another reason for O’Brien’s accuracy in the role is that he was coached for it by another priest, Father John J. Devlin of St. Victor’s church in North Hollywood. Father Devlin guided him in “Angels With Dirty Faces”’ last year with Jim Cagney, when Pat played Father Jerry Connolly. O’Brien has the same complex — probably erroneous — about “The Fighting Sixty-ninth” that he had about “Angels.”’ He said then and he still says, “I’m up against a terrific handicap playing a priest. I mean, my best pal, Spencer Tracy, does priests so much better. Remember him in ‘San Francisco’ and again in ‘Boy’s Town’?” That wasn’t false modesty on Pat’s part. He really meant it. But he did a swell job in “Angels” and an even better one as Father Duffy, according to advance reports. ‘4: Wives’ Soon ‘Widows’ Jeffrey Lynn, Frank McHugh and Dick Foran, husbands of three of the four wives of Warner Bros.’ “Four Wives,” went directly from that film into the cast of “The Fighting 69th,” the picture opening at the Strand Friday. They play doughboys of the famous New York regiment. “And that,” cracked Priscilla Lane, one of the wives, “is a quick way of making widows out of us.” Believe It or Not There seems to be an item here for Ripley. At any rate— Jeffrey Lynn plays Joyce Kilmer, the poet, in Warner Bros. “The Fighting 69th,” now showing at the Strand Theatre. Joyce Kilmer is the chap who wrote “Trees.” A little dog strayed on “The Fighting 69th” set at the studio ranch one morning during production and so attached himself to Lynn that the actor adopted him, took him home as a pet.