Five heroes

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Movie
German title Five heroes
Original title The Sullivans /
The Fighting Sullivans
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1944
length 111-112 minutes
Rod
Director Lloyd Bacon
script Mary C. McCall Jr. ,
Edward Doherty ,
Jules Schermer
production Sam Jaffe
for 20th Century Fox
music Cyril J. Mockridge
camera Lucien Andriot
cut Louis R. Loeffler
occupation

Five heroes (original title The Sullivans or The Fighting Sullivans ) is an American biographical war drama by Lloyd Bacon from 1944. The leading roles are starred with Anne Baxter , Thomas Mitchell and Selena Royle .

The film is based on the lives of the Sullivan brothers George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert, who were killed on board the cruiser USS Juneau during the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942 .

Edward Doherty and Jules Schermer were nominated for an Oscar for the original story.

action

The Irish-American couple Thomas and Alleta Sullivan live in the small town of Waterloo , Iowa , where all of their children were baptized in the Catholic Church, including sons George Thomas (1914), Francis "Frank" Henry (1916), and Joseph Eugene (1918), Madison "Matt" (1919) and Albert Leo (1922). The five boys, who still have a sister, are lovingly raised by their mother and their father, who works for the railroad, also leads them with rigor but also with a lot of love.

On the day of As Communion, an incident occurs during an argument with children in the neighborhood, in which Al ruins his new suit. Although Alleta is upset about her son's behavior, Father Francis allows the boy to take communion. Later that day, however, another incident occurs when the Sullivan boys, who do almost everything together, try to mend a broken boat by plugging the holes with mud. The boat stays afloat for the time being, but begins to sink when it is in the middle of the lake. Al gets into trouble, but is rescued by his brothers with the help of Chiefie, the family dog. In retrospect, Alleta Sullivan is deeply shocked by the incident and makes her sons promise not to enter a boat until they are adults. Of course there are other occurrences in the lives of boys that their parents do not like and that lead to educational measures. However, family cohesion is the top priority for everyone.

Years have passed, in 1939 everyone except Al, who is still in high school, has outgrown school. When the young man makes the acquaintance of Katherine Mary, he immediately falls in love with her. Katherine Mary, an only child who lives with his father, feels the same way. Al already confides in his sister Gen that he wants to surprise Katherine Mary with an engagement ring. When Katherine Mary is invited to dinner with the Sullivans, Als brothers tease the young girl and tell her that Al has many girlfriends. Katherine Mary takes it at face value and then bursts into tears and Al looks desperate. After realizing the damage they have done, the brothers apologize to Katherine Mary in the presence of their parents. Before long, Katherine Mary and Al are married and are expecting their first child ten months later.

A few months later, when little Jimmy was born, the family was sitting in front of the radio on December 7, 1941, when the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor was broadcast . The Sullivan brothers, who lost a friend in the attack, now decide to join the Navy for their friend's sake . Al is concerned about his young family, however, but is encouraged by Katherine Mary, who has noticed how torn he is, to accompany his brothers to the recruiting office. The brothers let Commander Robinson know that it is important to them to serve on the same ship, which is what, which is not taken for granted, actually happens. The letters from the brothers aboard the cruiser USS Juneau , which operates in the Pacific , are always awaited with great impatience by their parents and Katherine Mary. But then the fighting in the Pacific intensifies as a battle rages off the Solomon Islands and one day the Juneau is hit. Four of the brothers find themselves in the mess on their ship and rush to the infirmary where their brother George is. George insists on leaving him behind, however, which is not an option for the brothers. When they want to lift their brother out of bed, a tremendous shock goes through the ship and everything goes black.

Commander Robinson brings dire news to the Sullivans and Katherine Mary that all five brothers have been killed in the course of their service.

production

Production notes, filming

The film was produced by The USS The Sullivans Inc. in collaboration with 20th Century Fox , who also distributed the film. The filming spanned the period from early September to mid-November 1943 and took place in Santa Rosa , California and in the 20th Century Fox Studios. René Hubert was responsible for the costumes .

According to The Hollywood Reporter , it was announced at the time that the writer Jules Schermer was also being discussed as a producer. The magazine also announced that the film was made in collaboration with the Navy and the Sullivan family and that the Sullivans should share in the film's profits. It can be seen from later reports and press releases that the Sullivans, their daughter Genevieve and daughter-in-law Katherine Mary, As a widow, were present during filming and acted as technical advisors. The Hollywood Reporter also reported that producer Jaffe used the services of chaplain William Munster to assist with the filming of Al and Katherine Mary's wedding scene. A studio press release indicated that Lt. Charles N. Wang, George's chief officer, and Guadalcanal veteran Dr. JA Wickstrom of the Marine Corps had acted as technical advisor.

occupation

With a shortage of available actors during the war, finding Jaffe and Robert T. Kane was difficult. Requested actors such as Dane Clark, Richard Crane, Hank Patterson and Jimmie Martin were not available. Phyllis Povah and Dale Winter were among the actresses who were considered for the role of Ms. Sullivan. John Alvin was on loan from Warner Bros. The film marked its screen premiere for actors John Campbell, James Cardwell, Nancy June Robinson, Marvin Davis and Billy Cummings. Of the ten actors the Sullivan brothers played as children and adults, only Bobby Driscoll, who played Al as a child, was relatively well known. Edward Ryan, seen as an adult Al, only had a handful of roles, most of which weren't even featured in the credits, including in Citizen Kane (1941). John Alvin, who played Matt, and George Offerman Jr., who acted as Joe, had long careers, but played mostly minor roles. There are only three other films in John Campbell's filmography, where he played Frank. James Cardell, seen as George, was discovered during a talent search and got a seven-year contract with 20th Century Fox, but it didn't work out and his career failed. He committed suicide in 1954.

The most famous name in the film was that of Anne Baxter, who already had impressive roles at that age, including her role in Orson Welles ' drama The Splendor of the House of Amberson . Thomas Mitchell, who played the family's patriarch, was a well-respected character actor. For his role in the Western Ringo , he was awarded an Oscar in 1940 in the category "Best Supporting Actor".

Music in the film

history

The Sullivan Brothers on the Juneau

The Sullivan Brothers , also known as The Fighting Sullivans , served aboard the cruiser USS Juneau during World War II . On November 13, 1942, four of the brothers died when the cruiser was sunk off Guadalcanal , the fifth brother died a few days later. The US War Department responded by introducing the Sole Survivor Policy , which states that siblings of fallen soldiers are brought back or not sent to a combat zone in the first place.

The Sullivans, who came from an Irish Catholic family in Waterloo , Iowa , consisted of:

  • George Thomas Sullivan (born December 14, 1914)
  • Francis "Frank" Henry Sullivan (born February 18, 1916)
  • Joseph "Joe" Eugene Sullivan (born August 28, 1918)
  • Madison "Matt" Abel Sullivan (born November 8, 1919)
  • Albert "Al" Leo Sullivan (born July 8, 1922)

The brothers' parents were Tom and Alleta Sullivan. In addition to their five sons, they had two daughters, one of whom died of pneumonia in childhood. The death of five sons in a family from fighting in World War II was the greatest loss any single family had to endure. The entire nation mourned her.

publication

The film premiered in New York on February 9, 1944, and was premiered in Los Angeles on February 23, 1944. Two months after its first release, the title was changed to The Fighting Sullivans . The New York Times reported that the Sullivans were present at the New York film premiere selling war bonds in the lobby.

In Mexico a release followed in October 1944. In 1945 the film was released in the following countries: Portugal, Argentina, Sweden, the Netherlands (Utrecht), Denmark, France and Belgium (Brussels) and in 1946 in Austria and Finland, in Germany it was published in 1947. It was also shown in Brazil, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, the Soviet Union and Spain.

reception

criticism

The reviews for the film at the time were respectful of the tragic and patriotic subject. Bosley Crowther of the New York Times wrote that the story of the five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa was deeply touching because of their personal sacrifice. It is also the story of typical Americans, for whom love of home and family is the focus of their lives. It is a story about why the Sullivans volunteered to fight but not how . Crowther also wrote that the film deals with human nature with humor and an honest feeling. The reviewer also praised the young unknown actors who were all good, especially Edward Ryan as Al, the youngest of the Sullivan brothers. Buddy Swan, who plays the oldest brother George, is the best of them in childhood. Thomas Mitchell gives a fine performance as a deeply loving father and Selena Royle is very motherly. Anne Baxter plays her role appropriately. All in all, one can only recommend the lovable film.

Virgile Dumez explained on the avoir-alire page that this was a beautiful melodrama, a poignant propaganda film that was carried by a moving story and directed by a brilliant director. Thanks to talented children and, as a result, young, unknown actors, including the beautiful Anne Baxter, the filmmaker succeeds in evoking a piece of life that is deeply moving and sometimes reminds one of Robert Redford's great film From the Middle A River .

DVD talk's Glenn Erickson believed the sentimental film was less of a defense of US war policies than a collective memorial to lost war veterans. The Sullivans immediately became a symbol of patriotism and American values, so that the great loss was turned into a positive one.

The film critic Matt Hinrichs spoke of a strange mixture of nostalgia and premonition, which made the film a curiosity, but also said that given the sensitivity with which such a topic should be treated, he too did not know how to better it could have done. He went on to say that two of the brothers actually survived the Japanese attack on the USS Juneau, one of whom died in a lifeboat and the other threw himself deliriously into the ocean. But can you imagine that on the screen? In conclusion, Hinrichs certified that the film portrayed one of the great tragedies of World War II as a heartwarming, patriotic melodrama.

Award

Edward Doherty and Jules Schermer were nominated for an Oscar in the category "Best Original Story " at the Academy Awards in 1945 , which went to Leo McCarey and the drama The Road to Happiness .

Aftermath

The film is said to have inspired Steven Spielberg for his film drama Saving Private Ryan . A song by alternative rock band Caroline's Spine called Sullivan , which became the group's biggest hit in 1997, describes Alleta Sullivan's grief.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e The Sullivans (1944) see notes at TCM - Turner Classic Movies (English)
  2. ↑ The Sullivans (1944) original print info at TCM (English)
  3. ↑ a b c d The Sullivans (1944) see articles at TCM (English)
  4. ↑ The Sullivans sS tvguide.com (English)
  5. ↑ Bosley Crowther : "The Sullivans" an Appealing Film About the Five Brothers Who Died on Cruiser Juneau, Presented at Roxy Theater In: The New York Times, February 10, 1944 (English). Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  6. ↑ Brothers in arms sS avoir-alire.com (French). Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  7. ^ Glenn Erickson: The Fighting Sullivans Commemorative Edition sS dvdtalk.com (English). Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  8. ↑ Matt Hinrichs: The Fighting Sullivans sS dvdtalk.com (English, including various film images). Retrieved January 19, 2019.