Pride Of The Marines (1942) - The Attack

Director: Delmer Daves - With John Garfield

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Pride
• Marines
• Delmer
• Daves
• John
• Garfield

[dlester46]

garfield was great,and his girl was too.one of my favorite ww ll films ,along with many more.

[starskhutchgel]

@dlester46 Totally agree with you!!! : ))

[dlester46]

al schmidt received mavy cross,lee dimond also johnny KIA. over 200 jap killed. battel of alligator creek guadalcanal 1943. dimond survived,schmidt blinded but survived.

[starskhutchgel]

@dlester46 Thank you so much for the information. I didn't know about it ^

[starskhutchgel]

@dlester46 Thank you so much for the information. I didn't know about it ^

[penumbra155]

If memory serves correctly, this scene is based on an actual event which occurred during the battle for Guadalcanal. The gunner was blinded and his loader (if that's the right term) was struck in the spine (or vice-versa), the net result being that neither could individually operate the gun. However, working as a team, with the blinded gunner receiving direction from the incapacitated loader, they kept the gun operating throughout the night. I believe only one survived his wounds.

[starskhutchgel]

@penumbra155 Thank you so much for the information. I didn't know about it ^

[grabit1]

@grabit1 Looks like I posted the same info several times before on this thread. I'm not embarrassed.

[grabit1]

@penumbra155 As I heard it, too. Al Schmid apparently lived into the early 80's, and regained some sight in one of his eyes, and took up fishing (and was good at it) according to his daughter. John Garfield apparently lived with him and his wife for months learning to walk around without eyesight. As great as this scene is, the better ones come later.

[grabit1]

@dlester46 Ya know, Schmidt after many operations regained some of the sight in one eye, and became a very good fisherman with his limited eyesight. And lived until the early 1980's, 40 years after this.

[grabit1]

@penumbra155

From what I've read (no guarantee of accuracy, since I merely read it), this was pretty close to what actually happened. Garfield apparently hung out with Al Schmid and his family for a while to learn how to act blind. And, Schmid himself apparently regained some sight in one of his eyes and fished until the early 1980's, when he passed away.

[grabit1]

The battle was 1942. The movie was 1945. Garfield was beyond great, but Dane Clark (a lawyer by training, and apparently Garfield's best buddy), didn't hurt.

[penumbra155]

@grabit1 You know, John Garfield must be one of Hollywood's most under-rated actors. I never really noticed him much until a few years ago when I saw "The Postman Always Rings Twice". I starting watching him in other movies as well and what I realize now is that, far more than Stewart or Cooper, Garfield was the American "Joe". He even LOOOKED like a guy who survived of the Depression and war through tenacity and determination. The kind of guy I wish most Americans (myself included) were.

[dlester46]

@grabit1 hard to deside the best, donna reed-they were expendeable mureene ohara from here to eturnity-heven knows mr allison, and the girl in in harms way(went brain dead momentarly) .also check out elenor in between two worlds,great flick.also with garfield.

[grabit1]

@dlester46

Eleanor Parker is still alive, 90 now I think. She was nominated for three Oscars herself. And beautiful in her day.

No wonder that Garfield wanted to go home to her.

[grabit1]

@penumbra155

Yes. Based on Al Schmidt's account, this was about as accurate as it could get in Hollywood. And Garfield wasn't about to let him down.

[grabit1]

@penumbra155

I think you got it.

And Al actually apparently got some sight back in one of his eyes, and went fishing. Truly.