Story of G.I. Joe

1945 "The mightiest action drama ever filmed !"
7.2| 1h48m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 13 July 1945 Released
Producted By: United Artists
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

War correspondent Ernie Pyle joins Company C, 18th Infantry as this American army unit fights its way across North Africa in World War II. He comes to know the soldiers and finds much human interest material for his readers back in the States. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 2000.

Genre

Drama, War

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Story of G.I. Joe (1945) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

William A. Wellman

Production Companies

United Artists

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Story of G.I. Joe Audience Reviews

Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.
Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.
Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
Cristal The movie really just wants to entertain people.
evanston_dad "The Story of G.I. Joe" is a tribute to the anonymous grunts who made up the U.S. infantry during WWII. It's an odd film in many ways compared to other war movies of the time. It's light on the propaganda and morale boosting, and doesn't really even have a plot. It's rather an episodic series of vignettes that shows what a day in the life of an infantry soldier could consist of. It's even a bit surreal in the way that I imagine war can be, where one moment you're having a conversation about something mundane, the next moment you're dodging bullets and bombs, and the moment after that you're back to your mundane conversation. There's not a mission to anchor the plot, and there's no conclusion either. These guys just wander around, doing what they're told and never really seeming to be sure (or really care for that matter) what they're objective is. I imagine that also is very much the way war is for the average soldier.If you need main characters in your movies, I suppose those played by Burgess Meredith and Robert Mitchum will do, but this film isn't really about those two men any more than it is about any one of the other men. We get to know the soldiers the way another soldier in the company would, by one or two defining traits, not by any intimate knowledge of their inner lives. Makes it easier to say goodbye to them when they die.The always reliable William Wellman directed "The Story of G.I. Joe," and he gives it a realistic, newsreel look that's also very different from the usual studio sets of the era."G.I. Joe" was nominated for four Oscars in 1945: Best Supporting Actor (Mitchum), Best Screenplay, Best Dramatic or Comedy Score, and Best Original Song, for the short tune "Linda" that hauntingly is used in the film as part of a German radio broadcast designed to demoralize American troops.Grade: A
Benedito Dias Rodrigues Forget all those heroes in war movies that telling untruthful facts and things to the audience,this one is about a real guys with fears,dreams and hope to go back alive to their homes.they talk about your parents.brothers and girlfriends,but in war they meet death and hopeless,an old newspaperman as war correspondent played magnificent by Meredith follow them and wrote all those terrible happenings,Mitchum plays an ordinary Lieutenant which everybody trust,the infantry has a best good mascot a white little dog...touching picture!!Resume:First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.25
Jeff (actionrating.com) Skip it – This movie has a very "old" feel to it. Unlike other classics made during this time, it has not aged well. Also, it lacks the Hollywood heroics usually associated with a war movie. It is for this unique reason that a lot of people actually like this unconventional 1945 WWII movie co-starring a super young Robert Mitchum. I could compare it to "Band of Brothers" because the story is about the unit rather than a single main character. Replacements come and go but the story always focuses on the unit. But "Band of Brothers" actually had some good fight scenes. This movie only has one good combat sequence. So instead, I will compare this film to "All Quiet on the Western Front" because instead of focusing on combat, it focuses more on the rain and mud and "trench" hardships of the war. 1 action rating
tlcndc Being family to the story's author, Ernie Pyle, I have been privy to lots of background on the movie itself. Ernie Pyle was and still is considered to be one of the greatest war correspondents ever, and NOT for writing about the campaigns or generals - but about the everyday life and drudgery of the grunts, sailors and airmen. A ship, plane, and numerous schools have been named after him, his works still studied by today's aspiring journalists, and Ernie's most famous article, "The Death of Capt Waskow", is even portrayed by Mitchum in this movie (http://www.journalism.indiana.edu/news/erniepyle/waskow.html)When Hollywood wanted to capitalize on Ernie's fame and make a movie of his book "Here is Your War" and daily articles, he made a distinct point in ensuring the movie wasn't about him, but rather about what the GIs go through (he is sometimes even credited with coining the moniker "GI Joe" - but I can't verify this).That is also why this is not your traditional shoot-em-up-blow-em-up action packed movie. As in real life (and having just retired from 21 yrs active duty myself I know personally), combat action is really 45 days of sheer maddening boredom interrupted by 45 seconds of sheer indiscriminate terror. And that is what this movie portrays for the first time - and the dirt - the boredom - the dark humor - and the tragic unpredictable randomness of combat death.Ernie was involved in the making of the movie but never saw its completion before being killed by a sniper on Ie Shima in 1945 on 18 April (now celebrated as National Columnists Day even - http://www.columnists.com/pyle.html) and Meredith fairly closely portrays the diminutive stature of Ernie.In fact, this movie is specifically credited from Hasbro's own web site with naming the most popular boy's action figure - GI Joe (http://www.hsbro.com/gijoe/rah/default.cfm?page=history). Hasbro finally also provided a limited special edition "Ernie Pyle GI Joe" - but it's best to buy the $28 corrected version from the Ernie Pyle Museum in Dana, IN, than the $50+ uncorrected versions on eBay.Additionally, today's military even can thank Ernie for "hazardous duty" or "combat pay" with the "Ernie Pyle Bill" by Congress in 1945 to award such special pay. After seeing that the everyday grunt that was bearing the burden and horror of war and getting paid no different for risking their lives than the REMFs back at Washington for pushing paper - he took exception and wrote - and wrote - and wrote, which in turn was taken to heart by the American public and their elected representatives.Lastly, when Ernie was killed on Ie Shima, the soldiers so respected him that while all the military KIAs were being buried in their ponchos or blankets by the hundreds a day, they took the time to make a coffin for this non-combatant civilian journalist - and buried along side the grunts he loved so well. I doubt any of today's journalists would ever rate that kind of respect.No, not your modern action packed war movie - but neither is real war, and this movie tells it like it really is!