THE STORY OF G.I. JOE

'''The Story of G.I. Joe''' is a war film released in 1945. It was directed by William Wellman and starred Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Mitchum's only nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Contents

Plot

Cast

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

Trivia

Inaccuracies

External links

Plot

The movie retells famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle's (played by Meredith) experiences as he follows Company C of the 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division as they fight up through North Africa and up the length of Italy during World War II, especially when they are bogged down at the Battle of Monte Cassino. The title refers to the harsh conditions that infantrymen endure during the war.

Cast

Burgess Meredith ''as'' Ernie Pyle/Narrator

Robert Mitchum ''as'' Lt./Capt. Bill Walker

Freddie Steele ''as'' Sgt. Steve Warnicki

Wally Cassell ''as'' Pvt. Dondaro

Jimmy Lloyd ''as'' Pvt. Spencer

John R. Reilly ''as'' Pvt. Robert 'Wingless' Murphy

William Murphy ''as'' Pv. Mew

Awards and nominations

Academy Awards

★ Best Supporting Actor (nomination) - Robert Mitchum

★ Best Original Song (nomination) - Ann Ronell for "Linda"

★ Best Score (nomination) - Louis Applebaum and Ann Ronell

★ Best Screenplay (nomination) - Leopold Atlas, Guy Endore, and Philip Stevenson

Trivia

The movie studio wanted to place a leading-man type for the main role, but Wellman wanted a physically smaller man to better portray middle-aged Pyle. As a compromise, Mitchum was chosen to play Lieutenant (later Captain) Walker. The film was one of the first starring roles for Mitchum.
Coincidentally enough, Burgess Meredith would go on to co-star as the villain Golobulus in 1987's animated .

Inaccuracies

The 1st Infantry Division did not fight in the Italian campaign. After the Sicilian campaign, the division went to England to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. The events in Italy portrayed in the film are based on Pyle's experiences accompanying the 143rd Infantry Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. Mitchum's Capt. Walker character was based at least in part on Captain Henry T. Waskow, the commanding officer of Company B, 143rd Infantry, whose death on Monte Sammucro, Italy was the subject of Pyle's January 1944 story ''The Death of Captain Waskow''.

External links

★

★ ''"The Death of Captain Waskow"'' reprinted at the Indiana University School of Journalism