The Story Of G. I. Joe (1945)

Director: William A. Wellman Starring: Burgess Meredith, Robert Mitchum Genres: US Classics, Drama Classics, War, Action-Adventure Origin: USA Certificate: PG Languages: English Running Time: 108 min

synopsis

Robert Mitchum and Burgess Meredith star in this gripping World War II drama based on the newspaper columns of Pulitzer Prize-winning war correspondent Ernie Pyle. Directed by legendary filmmaker William Wellman, The Story Of G.I. Joe depicts Ernie Pyle's (Meredith) experiences with the men of Company C of the 18th Infantry and their role in the invasion of Italy. The story begins as Pyle joins Captain Bill Walker (Mitchum) and his men in the desert of North Africa and follows these gallant soldiers as they fight their way from the beaches of Sicily to the hills of southern Italy. Few films have so honestly portrayed the brutal, harrowing existence of the infantry soldier in World War II. Director William Wellman (Public Enemy, A Star Is Born) creates an unsentimental, often brutal - but always human - story of the mud, blood and death that surround the infantryman in combat. Mitchum's performance made him a star and earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor while the film itself was nominated for a total of four Academy Awards. The critics and film historians agree; The Story Of G.I Joe is simply one of the best films ever made about World War II.

*MR