Sands of Iwo Jima
Directed by Allan Dwan
Written by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant, story by Brown
1949/USA
Republic Pictures
First viewing/Netflix rental
[box] Sergeant Stryker: SADDLE UP.[/box]
This contains all the WWII war movie cliches rolled into one. John Wayne fans won’t want to miss it though.
Sgt. John M. Stryker (Wayne) has a tough job on his hands. His duty is to train a group of raw recruits and then lead them into battle. His no-nonsense approach to this task has given him a reputation as a hard taskmaster.
Two of the men in his squad pose particular problems. PFC Mike Thomas (Forrest Tucker) has a grudge against Stryker who had him reduced in rank previously. PFC Peter Conway (John Agar) is the son of a commander, now dead, whom Stryker greatly admired. Conway, an intellectual, believes he was major disappointment to his father and that Stryker will automatically share his father’s opinion. He has a gigantic chip on his shoulder.
Stryker is struggling with his own demons. His divorce from his wife and separation from his beloved son leads him to get rip-roaring drunk whenever the occasion presents itself. But really he’s a good guy, whose sometimes harsh methods are designed merely to keep his men alive when they are tested in battle.
The Marines are see combat first on Tarawa and finally at Iwo Jima. With Martin Milner and Richard Jaeckel as members of the platoon.
This film is filled with the same bantering and valor in battle as we have seen in countless other pictures from the period. There are few surprises. Wayne is very good though and probably that will be enough for his fans. By now I consider myself one, while still having no use for his politics.
Sands of Iwo Jima was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Actor (Wayne); Best Writing, Motion Picture Story; Best Sound, Recording, and Best Film Editing.
Trailer
OFF TOPIC
Apologies for posting this way but it’s the only way I could think of doing it, quite OK to delete the post.
I was introducing my daughter to famous old musicals (“Buzby who?”), which of course she knows nothing about, being part of the “if it isn’t colour why bother” generation. One of the scenes I was trying to find was a musical (thirties/forties) where one of the big production numbers involves a conical spiral stairway with a large number of singers, the whole scene revolving as the camera climbs and climbs ending with a single female in a cascading dress singing at the top. It’s a sequence that always delights me but I’m danged if I can find what film it was in. Can you assist me?
Again apologies for posting in this manner but after 90 minutes of searching I’m getting frazzled with something I thought would be so easy to locate.
I believe you are looking for The Great Zigfield and the “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” number. Congrats on introducing your daughter to The great old musicals!
As soon as I saw the title I thought “YES”, thanks so much for that, just watching it now, such a pleasure….how did I forget “Ziegfield” as a search parameter, shame shame!
errr I mean “Ziegfeld”!! more shame.
I’m the one that should be ashamed. I had Zigfield!
No matter, we both stumbled but still stumbled on it LOL. Just wanted to say my daughter was impressed, kept saying “wow” and that was only a couple of minutes in, she loved it so it was well worth your efforts I reckon.
Now really blow her mind and show her Ginger Rogers singing we’re in the money in Pig Latin! (Golddiggers of 1933)
That’s a good’un too, Ginger looks to be really working at keeping her vocal cords from getting in a twist!. Shall do.