A GUY NAMED JOE

'''A Guy Named Joe''' is a 1943 film made by MGM, directed by Victor Fleming, produced by Everett Riskin, from a screenplay by Dalton Trumbo, adapted by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan from a story by Chandler Sprague and David Boehm. It starred Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne and Van Johnson.
''A Guy Named Joe'' was remade in 1989 as Steven Spielberg's ''Always'' with Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter and Audrey Hepburn.

Contents

Synopsis

Cast

Production

Aircraft used in the film

Reception

References

External links

Synopsis

Pete Sandidge (Spencer Tracy) is the reckless pilot of a B-25 Mitchell bomber flying out of England during World War II. He is in love with Dorinda Durston (Irene Dunne), a civilian pilot ferrying planes across the Atlantic. "Nails" Kilpatrick (James Gleason), Pete's commanding officer, offers him a transfer back to America to be a flying instructor. Dorinda has a feeling that Pete's "number is up" and begs him to accept. Pete agrees, but goes out on one last mission with his best friend Al Yackey (Ward Bond) to check out a German aircraft carrier. Wounded by an enemy fighter, he has his crew bail out before crashing his plane into the ship.
Pete then finds himself in the afterlife, where "The General" (Lionel Barrymore) gives him his assignment. He is to be sent back to Earth, where a year has elapsed, to pass on his experience and knowledge to an inexperienced P-38 Lightning fighter pilot in the South Pacific, Ted Randall (Van Johnson). The situation becomes complicated when Ted meets the still-grieving Dorinda. Al encourages Dorinda to give the young pilot a chance. The pair gradually fall in love; Ted proposes to her and she accepts, much to Pete's jealous dismay.
Ted is given an extremely dangerous assignment. When Dorinda finds out the news from Al, she steals Ted's plane. Pete guides her in completing the mission and returning to the base to Ted's embrace. Pete accepts what must be and walks away, his job done.

Cast

★ Spencer Tracy as Pete Sandidge

★ Irene Dunne as Dorinda Durston

★ Van Johnson as Ted Randall

★ Ward Bond as Al Yackey

★ James Gleason as "Nails" Kilpatrick

★ Lionel Barrymore as The General

★ Barry Nelson as Dick Rumney

★ Esther Williams as Ellen Bright, a USO hostess

Production

The movie introduced Van Johnson in his first major role. When the filming was partially completed in 1943, Johnson was in a serious automobile accident. The crash lacerated his forehead and damaged his skull so severely doctors inserted a plate in his head. Tracy and Dunne convinced MGM to suspend filming until Johnson could return to work, which he did after four months of recovery. He then went on to become a major star. Because the movie was filmed before and after the accident, Johnson can be seen without and then with the forehead scars he has carried ever since.
Although the film was shot in wartime, budget restrictions precluded location shooting and all the flying scenes were staged at the MGM Studios. For an air of authenticity, footage shot at various United States Army Air Force (USAAF) bases throughout the United States was incorporated via an exterior backdrop process.^[1] Authentic aircraft were used, although they remained firmly on the ground. The pivotal scene with Irene Dunne flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning was recreated at Drew Field, Florida, utilizing a surplus P-38E which had been acquired from the USAAF, where it had been used as an instructional aircraft. Electric motors drove the propellers and allowed for an authentic run-up sequence.^[2] The miniature work was the product of the same MGM special effects team of A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahrus and Warren Newcombe that would later be responsible for ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' (1944).^[3]

Aircraft used in the film

★ Lockheed P-38E Lighning fighter ("static", props turned by electric motors)

★ North American B-25 Mitchell bomber (special effects scale model)

★ Vultee BT-13 Valiant trainer (static but flyable aircraft on loan from Luke Field Arizona)^[1]

Reception

The film premiered at the Astor Theater in New York on 23 December 1943 to generally positive reviews.^[2] ''Life Magazine'' summed up the critical reaction: "MGM's ''A Guy Named Joe'' manages to remain strong and exciting despite such weaknesses as verbiosity and a climax that is pure 'Perils of Pauline'."^[2] The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated the team of David Boehm and Chandler Sprague for Best Original Story in 1943, but Emeric Pressburger won for ''The Invaders'' at the 15th Academy Awards.^[2]

References

1. Orriss 1984, p. 79.
2. Orriss 1984, p. 80.
3. Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, p. 50.
4. Orriss 1984, p. 79.
5. Orriss 1984, p. 80.
6. Orriss 1984, p. 80.
7. Orriss 1984, p. 80.


★ Dolan Edward F. Jr. ''Hollywood Goes to War''. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-229-7.

★ Hardwick, Jack and Schnepf, Ed. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies." ''The Making of the Great Aviation Films''. General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.

★ Orriss, Bruce. ''When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II''. Hawthorn, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-9613088-0-X.

External links