The Filming of An Officer and a Gentleman

This officer's real-life drill instructor, GySgt Buck Welcher, USMC, and Director Taylor Hackford cover the finer points of Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School and the mega-hit film "An Officer and a Gentleman." Hackford is casual, engaging, and forthright in discussing Welcher's talents as a key element in the production of the film, and he reveals that Welcher was not only highly influential but also largely responsible for the film's authenticity.

In 1983 Lou Gossett Jr. won an Academy Award in the category of Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as a Marine Corps drill instructor in the film.

More recently Gossett received accolades from the Vatican:
"His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, sends you his sincere regards and compliments for your great work as an actor! Your Performance as Sergeant Foley in 'An Officer and a Gentleman' has touched him deeply. His Holiness remembers you and your movie especially because it was his first visit in a private cinema in Rome after his farewell from Munich and Freising as Archbishop . . . .
Grazie tante et Dio ti benedica! Padre Giovanni (on behalf of his Holiness)"

Sierra Hotel

Director:
Taylor Hackford

Cast:
Richard Gere, Debra Winger, David Keith, Robert Loggia, Lisa Blount, Lisa Eilbacher, Louis Gossett Jr., David Caruso, Tony Plana, Harold Sylvester, Victor French, Grace Zabriskie, Tommy Petersen, Buck Welcher, Vern Taylor, David Marshall, Gary Stillwell, Elizabeth Rogers, Mara Scott Wood, Tee Dennard, Norbert Murray, John Laughlin, Ed Begley Jr., William Graves

Writing Credits:
Douglas Day Stewart

Consultants and Advisors:
Buck Welcher -- technical advisor
George Goode - research conceptual

Academy Awards
• Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Louis Gossett, Jr.
• Best Music, Original Song - "Up Where We Belong", Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie (music), Will Jennings (lyrics)
• Best Semper Fi by a Marine in a Leadership Role - Buck Welcher

Academy Award nominations
• Best Actress in a Leading Role - Debra Winger
• Best Music, Original Score
• Best Film Editing
• Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

Naval Aviation Officer Candidate School Class 12-80 sends. This scene was just after the infamous 'Napalm Sticks to Kids' squad singing the jody/cadence call. See also Marine Corps boot camp, "Pump It" by Black Eyed Peas, , What's Life Like for a U.S. Marine? - With Bloopers, Road to Gold, Hornets Nest, Gunslinger

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• An
• Officer
• and
• Gentleman
• GySgt
• Buck
• Welcher
• USMC
• Taylor
• Hackford
• Navy
• AOCS
• NAS
• Pensacola
• Lou
• Gossett
• Richard
• Gere
• aviation
• officer
• candidate
• school
• Napalm
• Sticks
• to
• Kids
• Marine
• Running
• Jody
• Cadence

[61andycole]

Buck Welcher, or Gunny Buck, was my Company Gunnery Sgt. in the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regement. One of the most decent and fair guys I'd ever met. Great sense of humor, and smart as hell. I remember taking him some homemade (made my my girlfriend) lasagna when he was in the hospital in Japan. He never forgave me for breaking up with her.

[THX138Driver]

@61andycole Yep, that's the guy!

[LaBargeW]

GySgt Buck Welcher is a true professional and a gentleman of the highest caliber.However, do not misjudge his kindness as a sign of weakness.Because if you do, you would be better off sandpapering a Lion's ass in a phone booth than mess with Gunny Buck.

[BadBillyPratte]

Got to work with Buck! One fine piece of work!

[NYtoTX]

This movie is absolutely fantastic. But ending was a little too neat.

[mistergent7]

Wow . I used to work with Buck Welcher in Mosul, Iraq back in '06-'07 . Great guy to be around. He told me about his enjoyment of being a part of this film and how much of a badass D.I he was years ago. Now that Im into the acting game, it would be nice to catch up with him. Personal note to Buck , Thanks for showing me my first steps into the stock market Bro !

[VladLaVey]

ive been in all the bunkers around there soooo many times. its a really really nice area

[partyspecialists]

Lisa Blount RIP

[denvercopsooner]

I met Lou Gossett Jr in Denver 2008 during the DNC

[jonny11022]

@QueenB4Life what you dont get?

[krsfromprp]

@QueenB4Life 'Drop On Request'. 

[QueenB4Life]

@krsfromprp I don't get it?