To the Shores of Tripoli

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Movie
Original title To the Shores of Tripoli
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1942
length 87 minutes
Rod
Director H. Bruce Humberstone
script Lamar Trotti
production Darryl F. Zanuck
for 20th Century Fox
music Alfred Newman
camera Edward Cronjager ,
Harry Jackson ,
William V. Skall
cut Allen McNeil
occupation

To the Shores of Tripoli is an American dramatic war film directed by H. Bruce Humberstone from 1942. The action takes place in San Diego shortly before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor . The leading roles are cast with John Payne , Maureen O'Hara and Randolph Scott .

The script is based on a story by Steve Fisher . The film title is based on a line in the United States Marine Corps anthem , which contains the sentence "... to the coasts of Tripoli" (an allusion to the Battle of Derna ). After the film was almost over, the attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941 , causing studio boss and producer Darryl F. Zanuck to request script changes to capitalize on rapidly evolving events, so that the film was given a new ending, with the main character played by John Payne, Chris Winters, reporting back as a soldier.

action

Chris Winters, a student expelled from the Culver Military Academy for misconduct, a playboy and prone to arrogance, signs up at his father's request as a private student with the United States Marine Corps, where he is assigned to Sergeant Dixie Smith for training. Smith, who served under Captain Winters during World War I , is instructed in a letter from Winters' father, Captain Christopher Winters, requesting that he be extra tough on his son to get him on the right track. Smith affectionately called Winters "The Skipper" at the time. It is because of these lines that Smith has a very special eye on Winters.

Regardless of his father's plans, Chris wants to take on a comfortable desk job in Washington, DC with the help of his girlfriend Helene Hunt after completing his basic training , which Helene's influential father should help him to do.

On the night of his arrival at the Naval Base in San Diego , Chris meets Mary Carter and is struck by her beauty and intelligence. He tries to flirt with her without knowing that Mary is a Navy nurse . Mary is unsettled by the attraction she has on Chris, so she withdraws.

Shortly after his arrival, Smith gives Winters the opportunity to demonstrate whether he has leadership potential. However, the soldiers ridiculed Chris with all sorts of antics during the exercise, which amused Smith. While the sergeant is still enjoying himself, the train shows itself to be in the highest perfection when marching back. Smith is more than surprised and also astonished when his eyes glide over the soldiers and see several men with black eyes, broken teeth and bruises. Winters explains to him that they were part of a boxing team in Culver, of which he was the captain at the time.

The next day, Chris trains with colleagues Johnny Dent, Okay Jones, Mouthy and Butch. For Chris, the tasks assigned by Smith are not difficult, he even helps his comrade Johnny, who is clumsy. When Winters later tries to come into contact with Mary again, she tells him that she has the rank of lieutenant as a nurse, which forbids her to deal with common soldiers. Also, Mary doesn't like the fact that Chris doesn't show any devotion to the military. But that doesn't prevent her from reacting jealously when one day Helene appears on the base and Chris takes care of her. Chris later tells Mary about his planned office job in Washington close to Helene. However, Mary manages to dissuade him.

Not long after, Winters struggles when he accuses Smith of bullying Johnny and a fight breaks out between them. Despite the downsides this can have on his career, Smith states that he started the fight to save Chris trouble. His comrades, however, blame Chris Smith's demotion and act accordingly. Again Chris plays with the idea of ​​going to Washington. During an emergency maneuver by the naval school, caused by nightly shelling, Smith is knocked unconscious, which initially nobody notices. Despite heavy fire, Winters manages to find the sergeant at the last moment and save his life. He says his guilt that Smith lied about fighting for him has now been paid. He's still toying with the idea of ​​turning his back on the Navy. When he asks Mary to accompany him, however, she makes it clear to him where her place is.

So Winters leaves the naval station accompanied by Helene. As they both sit in the taxi, they hear the news of the attack on Pearl Harbor on the radio. Helene tries to convince Chris that this report is an invention of Orson Welles . However, Winters sees Smith leading his ex-comrades through the crowd. At that moment he realizes that he too is a Mariner and that he must join the fight his regiment has to fight. After he has put on his uniform and gone to his troop, the men let him know that they are glad that he has listened to his heart. When they board the ship, Chris notices that Mary is already there. Father and son also make their peace when they say goodbye to each other.

production

Production notes, background

The film was shot from November 3, 1941 to early January 1942 at the San Diego naval base in California. The working titles of the film were The Shores of Tripoli and Tripoli . After the opening credits, narrator Lowell Thomas announces that the film was shot on location at the Naval Base in San Diego, California, and that the film is dedicated to Marines everywhere, past and present, and especially those who fought on Wake Island . Roger Heman senior was responsible for the sound .

According to The Hollywood Reporter of July 22, 1941, the studio is said to have been negotiating with George Raft over the male lead, while the magazine announced in September 1941 that Pat O'Brien was earmarked for the role. The actor Harry Morgan, then Henry, made his debut in this film. Special He became famous later by his portrayal of Col. Potter in the television series M * A * S * H . Maureen O'Hara and John Payne played here for the first time in a film, and in 1947 they both met again in the Christmas film The Miracle of Manhattan . For Maureen O'Hara, this was her first Technicolor film. The film's box office success was instrumental in helping investors realize that Technicolor films, which were expensive and tedious to make, had a profitable future. Although O'Hara was marketed as the "Queen of Technicolor Film," the actress hated filming under the glaring light it needed.

In December 1941, The Hollywood Reporter reported that James Havens and his crew had been captured after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Honolulu , Hawaii . They were shooting background shots for the film there. For a few days there was uncertainty; on December 12, 1941, the magazine reported that no one had been injured. A few days later, it emerged that two thousand meters of the film taken by Haven's crew had been confiscated by the Navy for inspection.

According to The Hollywood Reporter of April 1, 1942, the studio intended to recruit Technicolor recordings from the Marine Corps that had not previously been shown to create a short film. Tyrone Power was the narrator and again Lamar Trotti for the script. The magazine reported in April and June 1942 that the film had helped increase the number of recruits joining the Navy. In August 1942, told The Hollywood Reporter that author Jack Andrews and producer Milton Sperling on a story called Battle Stations would work that tell the history of the Marine Corps between the two world wars and a follow-up to To the Shores of Tripoli to be should. However, a corresponding film was never made.

Soundtrack

According to the studio advertisement, the songs " The Marine's Hymn " and Semper fidelis were played by the San Diego Marine Band.

  • I Know Why (and So Do You) , music: Harry Warren
    • played during the first dance and every now and then during the film
  • The Marine Hymn ,
    • Music: Jacques Offenbach from his opera Genevieve de Brabant , text: LZ Phillips
    • sung in the opening credits and every now and then during the film
  • The Song of the Volga Boatman , traditional way
    • played during the Winter-led Marines exercise
  • Semper fidelis , music: John Philip Sousa
    • played during the Winters-led exercise and during the final parade
  • Chattanooga Choo Choo , music: Harry Warren
    • played at the big dance
  • Anchors Aweigh , music: Charles A. Zimmerman

reception

publication

The film had its world premiere on March 24, 1942 in San Diego, California, and was shown in New York on March 25, 1942. It was published in Mexico on July 29, 1942, in Argentina on September 25, 1942, in Sweden on February 13, 1943 and in Portugal on February 15, 1943. It was also shown in cinemas in Belgium, Brazil, Canada and Spain , France, Greece, Italy and Romania.

criticism

Bosley Crowther of the New York Times headlined a colorful but implausible film about a US Marine Corps recruit . The film is presented to the American public as a glowing tribute to the United States Navy. Crowther was disappointed with the plot and implementation of the film, especially since Mr. Zanuck the base of the Marine Corps in San Diego and its staff would have been available. Without exception, the film shows a combination of well-known clichés. A cheeky fellow joins the Marines for no reason, there is entanglement, he cheekily pursues a Marines nurse who falls in love with him. Then he saves his superior's life and then, just as he is about to say goodbye to the Marines, the attack on Pearl Harbor comes and he returns to the Corps. Crowther decided that a great many people would undoubtedly enjoy the film. The music is highly contagious and the color also offers a lot. However, it is difficult to recognize the United States Marines in it. Wait , he said, until the Mariners see it, oh man!

Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World thought it was a decent, but not exciting, Technicolor film that did not contain battle scenes, even if the title implied. It is best used as a recruiting film for the US Navy. What makes the film unique is that it was made during the war. H. Bruce Humerstone guide him in a technically good manner. Schwartz also said the film is filled with clichés and a story that has no passion. The music is inspiring, but everything else seems artificial, despite the authentic location recordings.

Holly E. Ordway of DVD talk wrote in his rating of the DVD that the film was made during wartime, which, apart from its entertainment value, gives it a certain historical charm. And it is also a product of its time - a US Marines recruiting film through and through. That is also the focus of the story, which one cannot expect to be even a little realistic.

Award

Edward Cronjager and William V. Skall were nominated for an Oscar at the 1943 Academy Awards in the category "Best Camera for a Color Film" , but this went to Leon Shamroy and the pirate film The Buccaneer .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Richard Harland Smith: To the Shores of Tripoli sS Articles at tcm.com (English)
  2. ↑ To the Shores of Tripoli sS Original Print Info at tcm.com (English)
  3. ↑ a b c d To the Shores of Tripoli sS Notes at tcm (English)
  4. ↑ Bosley Crowther : The Screen in Review; "To Shores of Tripoli," Colorful but Implausible Film About a Recruit in the US Marine Corps, Is Presented at Roxy In: The New York Times . March 26, 1942 (English). Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  5. ↑ Dennis Schwartz: "It serves best as a recruitment film for the US Marines." SS homepages.sover.net (English)
  6. ↑ Holly E. Ordway: To the Shores of Tripoli sS dvdtalk.com (English)