Story of G.I. Joe

Plot synopsis:
The untested infantrymen of C Company, 18th Infantry, U.S. Army, board trucks to travel to the front for the first time. Lt. Bill Walker (Robert Mitchum) allows war correspondent Ernie Pyle (Burgess Meredith), himself a rookie to combat, to hitch a ride with the company. Ernie surprises Walker and the rest of the men by deciding to go with them all the way to the front lines. Just getting to the front through the rain and mud is an arduous task, but the diminutive, forty-two-year-old Ernie manages to keep up.
Ernie gets to know the men whose paths he will cross and write about again and again in the next year:
Private Robert "Wingless" Murphy, a good-natured man who was rejected by the Air Corps for being too tall;
Private Dondaro, an Italian-American from Brooklyn whose mind is always on women and conniving to be with one;
Sergeant Warnicki, who misses the young son ("Junior") he has never seen;
Private Mew, from Brownsville, Texas, who has no family back home but finds one in the outfit, exemplified by his naming beneficiaries for his G.I. life insurance among them.
Their "baptism of fire" is at the Battle of Kasserine Pass, a bloody chaotic defeat. Ernie is present at battalion headquarters when Lieutenant Walker arrives as a runner for his company commander; Walker has already become an always tired, seemingly emotionless, and grimy soldier. Ernie and the company go their separate ways, but months later he seeks them out, confessing that, as the first outfit he ever covered, they are in his mind the best outfit in the army. He finds them on a road in Italy, about to attack a German-held town, just as the soldiers are elated or disappointed at "mail call": letters for Murphy and Dondaro, a package with a phonograph record of his son's voice for Warnicki, but nothing for now Captain Walker. Ernie finds that Company C has become very proficient at killing without remorse. In house-to-house combat, they capture the town. Fatigue, however, is an always present but never conquerable enemy. When arrangements are made for Wingless Murphy to marry "Red", his Army nurse fiancee, in the town they have just captured, Ernie is recruited to give the bride away, but can barely keep awake.
The company advances to a position in front of Monte Cassino, but, unable to advance, they are soon reduced to a life of living in caves dug in the ground, enduring persistent rain and mud, conducting endless patrols and subjected to savage artillery barrages. When his men are forced to eat cold rations for Christmas dinner, Walker obtains turkey and cranberry sauce for them from a rear echelon supply lieutenant at gunpoint. Casualties are heavy: young replacements are quickly killed before they can learn the tricks of survival in combat (which Walker confesses to Ernie makes him feel like a murderer), Walker is always short of lieutenants, and the veterans lose men, including Wingless Murphy. After a night patrol to capture a prisoner, Warnicki suffers a nervous breakdown when, finally hearing his son's voice on the record, his pent up frustrations at the war are released. Walker sadly directs the others to subdue the hysterical sergeant and sends him to the infirmary. Ernie returns to the correspondents' quarters to write a piece on Murphy's death and is told by his fellow reporters that he has won the Pulitzer Prize for his combat reporting. Ernie again catches up with the outfit on the side of the road to Rome after Cassino has finally been taken. He greets Mew and a few of the old hands, but the pleasant reunion is interrupted when a string of mules is led into their midst, each carrying the dead body of a G.I. to be gently placed on the ground. A final mule, led by Dondaro, bears the body of Captain Walker. One by one, the old hands reluctantly come forth to express their grief in the presence of Walker's corpse.
"Then the first man squatted down, and he reached down and took the dead hand, and he sat there for a full five minutes, holding the dead hand in his own and looking intently into the dead face, and he never uttered a sound all the time he sat there. And finally he put the hand down, and then reached up and gently straightened the points of the captain’s shirt collar, and then he sort of rearranged the tattered edges of his uniform around the wound. And then he got up and walked away down the road, all alone."
Ernie joins the company as it goes down the road, narrating its conclusion: "For those beneath the wooden crosses, there is nothing we can do, except perhaps to pause and murmur, 'Thanks pal, thanks.'"

Tags: violence, historical

Review:
They left copies of the stories Pyle wrote from the front in Africa and Italy and Wellman read them in a night's sitting and agreed to do the film.The Story of GI Joe is based on the various stories and characters that World War II's most famous correspondent encountered.
In fact aside from Robert Mitchum and a couple of other actors, the men in this film are real GIs who were in transit from the European to the Pacific Theater and a lot were killed after they arrived in the Pacific as did the real Ernie Pyle who never got to see the finished product.Burgess Meredith does a fine job recreating the modest chronicler that was Ernie Pyle.
Very much like the late television commentator Charles Kuralt did on CBS morning news on Sundays.When war broke out Pyle did not cover the war of the generals, he spent his time with the troops and told their story.
In this film Pyle is introduced to the men of one company which transports him to that first American battle and defeat at Kasserine Pass in north Africa.
He never received another nomination, but he certainly became a legend although he'd have been the first to debunk that title.Lots of newsreel footage from the Mediterranean theater make The Story of GI Joe one of the most realistic war films ever done.
One of the most fascinating tributes to the foot soldier is this 1945 war film that follows Ernie Pyle, beloved war correspondent, as he treks along through mud and ambushes with a platoon of weary G.I. Joes.Robert Mitchum earned an Oscar nomination as Lt. Bill Walker and many of the other males in the cast were real combat soldiers who actually participated in the making of the film.
Burgess Meredith makes Ernie Pyle a likeable human being who wins the trust and affection of the platoon as he trudges with them across marshlands and all of the "up front" activity involved.Human touches abound without the emphasis on cliches that often abound in war films.
The inclusion of a sub-plot involving a soldier anxious to hear the sound of his son's voice on a recording; and a pooch that becomes the mascot for the troops, are touches that give the film added humanity.There is some editing that seems a bit jumpy in the latter part of the film, as though some cuts were made--but all in all this is a very watchable war film with a close-up look at the men and their courage under fire.
The three who stand out are Burgess Meredith, who plays Ernie Pyle, the writer whose works the film is based on, Robert Mitchum, wonderfully sensitive as the troop leader (he was probably never better; he received his one and only Oscar nomination for the role), and Freddie Steele.
The Story of G.I. Joe chronicles the experiences of an infantry unit in Italy as told by war correspondent Ernie Pyle, who is played by Burgess Meredith.
It is certainly better than "Saving Pvt. Ryan", which is too long, pretentious, and relies on gory special effects to entice the younger audience.The acting in "The Story of G.I. Joe" is realistic (not to be confused with the "method style") and understated.Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum give two of their best performances and I really felt as though this was a portrayal of the every day conditions of the infantryman and not an exercise in false heroics.I would rate this film a 9 out of 10.
Ernie Pyle was and still is considered to be one of the greatest war correspondents ever, and NOT for writing about the campaigns or generals - but about the everyday life and drudgery of the grunts, sailors and airmen.
A ship, plane, and numerous schools have been named after him, his works still studied by today's aspiring journalists, and Ernie's most famous article, "The Death of Capt Waskow", is even portrayed by Mitchum in this movie (http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/news/erniepyle/waskow.html)When Hollywood wanted to capitalize on Ernie's fame and make a movie of his book "Here is Your War" and daily articles, he made a distinct point in ensuring the movie wasn't about him, but rather about what the GIs go through (he is sometimes even credited with coining the moniker "GI Joe" - but I can't verify this).That is also why this is not your traditional shoot-em-up-blow-em-up action packed movie.
And that is what this movie portrays for the first time - and the dirt - the boredom - the dark humor - and the tragic unpredictable randomness of combat death.Ernie was involved in the making of the movie but never saw its completion before being killed by a sniper on Ie Shima in 1945 on 18 April (now celebrated as National Columnists Day even - http://www.columnists.com/pyle.html) and Meredith fairly closely portrays the diminutive stature of Ernie.In fact, this movie is specifically credited from Hasbro's own web site with naming the most popular boy's action figure - GI Joe (http://www.hsbro.com/gijoe/rah/default.cfm?page=history).
After seeing that the everyday grunt that was bearing the burden and horror of war and getting paid no different for risking their lives than the REMFs back at Washington for pushing paper - he took exception and wrote - and wrote - and wrote, which in turn was taken to heart by the American public and their elected representatives.Lastly, when Ernie was killed on Ie Shima, the soldiers so respected him that while all the military KIAs were being buried in their ponchos or blankets by the hundreds a day, they took the time to make a coffin for this non-combatant civilian journalist - and buried along side the grunts he loved so well.
4- The last scene & last line of dialog says it all for Memorial Day. The outfit is moving for more action and Ernie Pyle (Burgess Meredith) looks back at the line of fallen men and utters these final words......."THANKS PAL THANKS"...
Even on the tube, it shows some really fine B&W photography, and the story (or rather, the lack of one, which makes it all the more realistic) and acting are absolutely fine.And noticed that several of the comedy scenes (and, yes, there's always comedy in wartime, so that, too, is part of the film's reality) came directly from Bill Mauldin's Willie and Joe cartoon panels.
The script [as best I remember] is crisp, devoid of the excessive psychological dialogue of say Walk In The Sun.....The Sgt's breakdown memorable, bringing Walker's body down on pack mule, was the way it was....I constantly wonder why this movie in light of the new regard for the ww2 combat veteran has not been released.
William Wellman directs the story of G.I.Joe and noted war correspondent Ernie Pyle(Burgess Meredith).
Fighting soldiers tell their stories to Pyle as he follows the infantry through North Africa and Italy.
War movies isn't usually my favourite movie genre, but I am a fan of golden-age Hollywood film-making as well as almost anything with Robert Mitchum in it.
Whatever my reasons for choosing to watch "Story Of GI Joe", I'm glad I did, as it's an uncharacteristically realistic, even naturalistic take on the heretofore unheralded work of the ordinary infantrymen, the "dog-face" foot-soldiers volunteered or called up from Anytown, USA to march for miles, bivouac in dug-out holes and trenches, engage in bitter on-the-ground combat and generally have their physical and mental capacities stretched to the absolute limit.There's no real narrative thread here, in the opening reels we're introduced to a band of brothers trekking through Italy trying to push back the defending German forces when war- correspondent Eddie Pyle, played by Burgess Meredith joins their Company and starts to report from the front in a straightforward down-home manner which eventually sees him win a Pulitzer Prize for his work.
And apart from the battalion's pet dog mascot, there really are no other outside characters involved in the film as the viewer is made to feel like part of the group in director Wellman's vivid, fly-on-the-wall documentary-type approach.Mitchum and Meredith apart, I really didn't recognise any of the other actors, which actually added to the sense of everyday realism.
There are some character threads running through the film to help bind together the events depicted, like the lady-killing Romeo who gets busted for breaking camp to have a tryst with a local girl and the sergeant obsessed with finding a phonograph to play a shellac recording by his wife and child sent from home, only for it to send him over the edge into madness when he finally does get to hear it.
There's no one big heroic battle to act as a climax to the film either, just a bunch of GI's trying to take a hill-top location where a monastery is now strategically occupied by unseen German soldiers, which they strive to do (once the Army red-tape preventing them attacking a "holy place" has finally been cut) which they do at no little human cost in absolutely filthy weather and environmental conditions.For the most part, the dialogue rings true, with no great jaw-jutting heroic speeches by anyone.
The actors to a man look physically uncomfortable, exhausted and even dispirited but continue on under the tough stewardship of Mitchum's Captain Walker.Mitchum and Meredith are both very good in different ways but of course it's the ensemble acting which carries the movie.
"The Story of GI Joe" is a biography – and almost feels like a documentary – of the famous US World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle (played by Burgess Meredith) as he covers the gritty exploits of Company C of the US 18th Infantry.
The story is based on Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ernie Pyle's coverage of the war.
Meredith and Mitchum are tremendous and a scene about 3/4 of the way into the film is the height of this gritty war story.
More particularly, this is the story of Ernie Pyle, famed war correspondent.
Ernie Pyle lived that life marching the same mud filled roads as the Joes and watching the smiling youthful faces full of hope turn old and full of bitterness and regret.
He suffered as they suffered and told their story as honestly as he could and in the end this made Pyle the most beloved War correspondent of his time .
This film captures the feel and the essence of what it was like to be a G.I .Joe. Robert Mitchum was made a superstar in his star making role here.
Released in July of 1945 shortly before the war ended this movie follows real life war correspondent Ernie Pyle played by Burgess Meredith.
Many of them were killed in the fighting on Okinawa - the same battle in which Ernie Pyle was killed by a Japanese sniper - never having seen the movie in which they appeared.
Even though The Story of G.I. Joe isn't nearly the best war movie that came out of the 1940s, it's a pretty famous classic, and for a bit of a sad reason.
So, while Burgess Meredith acted out his experiences, everyone in the audience was constantly reminded that the real Ernie Pyle wasn't alive to see it.Along the lines of The Dawn Patrol and All Quiet on the Western Front, this is realistic, sad look at what soldiers went through on the front lines.
The film follows war-time correspondent Ernie Pyle (Burgess Meredith) as he follows a U.S. infantry company from their bloody initiation at the Kasserine Pass debacle in North Africa to the liberation of Rome.
Although Meredith and Robert Mitchum (Lt. Walker) are the film's nominal stars, they film is really about the soldiers, reflecting Pyle's journalistic focus on the men, not the war.
It's an odd film in many ways compared to other war movies of the time.
I imagine that also is very much the way war is for the average soldier.If you need main characters in your movies, I suppose those played by Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum will do, but this film isn't really about those two men any more than it is about any one of the other men.
Makes it easier to say goodbye to them when they die.The always reliable William Wellman directed "The Story of G.I. Joe," and he gives it a realistic, newsreel look that's also very different from the usual studio sets of the era."G.I. Joe" was nominated for four Oscars in 1945: Best Supporting Actor (Mitchum), Best Screenplay, Best Dramatic or Comedy Score, and Best Original Song, for the short tune "Linda" that hauntingly is used in the film as part of a German radio broadcast designed to demoralize American troops.Grade: A.
Forget all those heroes in war movies that telling untruthful facts and things to the audience,this one is about a real guys with fears,dreams and hope to go back alive to their homes.they talk about your parents.brothers and girlfriends,but in war they meet death and hopeless,an old newspaperman as war correspondent played magnificent by Meredith follow them and wrote all those terrible happenings,Mitchum plays an ordinary Lieutenant which everybody trust,the infantry has a best good mascot a white little dog...touching picture!!Resume:First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.25.
Yes, it is far more realistic than other war films of the period for depicting the mud, boredom and frustration of the grunt, but unfortunately one comes away from it thinking that's ALL there is to this movie.
It's not that a good war film needs to have a battle scene every five minute.
G.I. Joe. Praised as a veritable film description of World War II and distinguished as audiovisual heritage by U.S. Congress, I finally saw "Ernie Pyle's Story of G.I. Joe", a William A.
It also looks like "G.I. Joe", with little known actors (only Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum would achieve world fame), a pet "a la Walt Disney", a score filled with American marches, harmonica notes, and speeches disguised as patriotic narration, as in the end, when the voice of Pyle (played by Meredith) tell us of "our war", as if soldiers (men who have to follow orders without questioning) were in wars for personal or national reasons, or for some vague, altruist abstraction, beyond the economic, strategic and expansionist reasons that their leaders use as justifications to send them to make wars that are not theirs.
An exception is THE STORY OF G.I. JOE, easily the best film about World War II made during the war, and one of the best American war movies of any era.
It's not about famed correspondent Ernie Pyle so much as seen through his eyes; his compassionate observations create a portrait of an infantry company in North Africa and Italy, and a tribute to its commanding officer Captain Bill Walker (Robert Mitchum.) The film culminates in a set-piece based on Pyle's essay, "The Death of Captain Waskow." Unlike most WWII movies, with their stentorian narration, maps and speeches and clear-cut missions, THE STORY OF G.I. JOE is reticent and nearly formless.
Like ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, it's a war movie in which nearly every major character dies, and it conveys equally well the reality of the soldier's life: as the hero in ALL QUIET says, "Our bodies are earth and our thoughts are clay, we eat and sleep with death." There is a touch of stylized lyricism in the film, and also a good deal of wry humor.
Its most celebrated scene is of two men in a tent, one a war correspondent, named Ernie Pyle, the other an army captain, called Walker.
Bill Walker, respectively)to ever share screen space and time together in the same motion picture.In his famous review of it, James Agee compared the packed emotionalism of GI JOE's final lyrical outburst with the elegiac verses of Whitman's Civil War poetry and while the great author of "Let Us Now Praise Famous Men" and "A Death In The Family" was wont to gush about certain pet favs of his (John Huston, the 'Silent Age' of Charles Chaplin, and a documentary approach to the cinema, in general, spring most immediately to mind) on this occasion, when composing the longest essay he ever devoted to a single picture, I believe Agee got it exactly right for of all the war films dealing directly with the miserable business of fighting and dying and soldiering on regardless, only THE DEER HUNTER comes remotely close to equalling its weary blend of stoical honor and boundless remorse in the face of such heartbreaking images of battle.The anecdotal design of THE STORY OF G.I. JOE (the underrated, deceptively original script is by Leopald Atlas and Guy Endure) frustrates as standard narrative mechanism but coheres poetically as a whole, as an ode to the nobility of the human spirit.
The soldiers of Company C, 18th Infantry as well as Scripps-Howard war correspondent Ernie Pyle (Burgess Meredith) meet each other in the Tunisian desert and contend with mud, blood, and more.
General Dwight Eisenthower reportedly called "The Story of G.I. Joe" one of the best movies of World War II..
I hate to look at 'em, the new kids." was based on something told to Ernie Pyle by Sergeant Buck Eversole of the 34th Infantry Division, as reported in a biography of Ernie Pyle in the book "Ernie's War: The Best of Ernie Pyle's World War II Dispatches." BTW: the story of "Captain Walker" as show in the movie was essentially true, even about how his men felt about his death, but the real captain was named Henry Waskow..
This movie was and is a testimonial to the American fighting men of World War II.
"The Story of G.I. Joe" came from the columns of war correspondent Ernie Pyle.
So, this film is as much a story about Ernie Pyle.
Burgess Meredith, who for my money always looked old no matter what year he was acting in, does a good job as the war correspondent.