Reviews (3)

Who Needs LSD?
This Busby Berkeley movie -- along with "Footlight Parade" and a couple others -- should be controlled by the FDA. Jack Webb could have made a great "Dragnet" episode decrying the menace of this ULTRA-PSYCHEDELIC entertainment upon the minds of youth -- and he'd be right. Like a black-and-white "Yellow Submarine," this ostensible song-and-dance movie packs a potent lysergic punch. DO NOT DRIVE OR OPERATE HEAVY MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THIS HIGHLY INVENTIVE MUSICAL.

GOOD VINTAGE FUN
A millionaire with fanatically religious beliefs tries to stop the opening of a Broadway show. By far, the most memorable item in DAMES is the song and routine, I ONLY HAVE EYES FOR YOU. One of the best songs ever written for a film, it's sung by Dick Powell and beautifully staged by Busby Berkeley. The finale of the film is another all-girl array for the title song. Here is a fascinating rhythmic formation. A hundred girls in white blouses and black tights configurate, fragmenting here and there into abstract designs. Berkeley moves above for his celebrated overhead shot and the effect becomes a startlingly kaleidoscopic cacophony of geometric and floral mosaics. In the last of the grand budget-breaking spectacles before the "Production Code" came into being, distinguished Busby Berkeley took his imagination to the limit: watch for the dancing clothes on the ironing board and a giant puzzle pieces attached to dancing girls which form the face of Ruby Keeler.

Outstanding dance musical from Busky Berkeley.
This is probably one of the best movies ever made. Ignore the silly plot regarding the reformation of morals. Focus on the beautiful dance routines and graphics. Producer Berkeley is a master. I highly recommend his other movies as well. Once you've absorbed "Dames," start working your way through the Golddiggers series. If you like musicals, you won't be disappointed. END ... Read more

Description

The tents are leaky. The troupers are weary. The carnival limps into town and sets up for another show. To the public, the carnival means exciting performers. To Nick Coster, those performers are "mugs and grifters and riffraff - all under one tent." Nick should know. He puts the show together.

Humphrey Bogart plays Nick, bringing crisp authority to a movie whose midway atmosphere is so alive you can almost taste the caramel corn. Sylvia Sidney, Eddie Albert and Joan Leslie join Bogart in this tale centered on Nick and an up-and-coming lion tamer (Albert) he discovers. The story, a reworking of1937's Kid Galahad, is a superb example of how studio-system filmmakers kept successful plotlines rolling. Bogart's career was finally rolling, too. His next film would make him an undisputed star. The title: The Maltese Falcon.Year: 1941Director: Ray Enright Starring:Humphrey Bogart, Sylvia Sydney, Eddie Albert Special Feature: Original Theatrical Trailer

B&W/84 Mins. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

MEDIOCRE BOGART FLICK.
This is actually a remake of the 1937 Bette Davis/Humphrey Bogart film KID GALAHAD; here the action is transformed from the boxing world to the circus world. In this one, Bogie's the owner of a run-down carnival which he desperately tries to keep his convent - schooled sis, Joan Leslie away from. By keeping her on a distant farm, he feels he can protect her from the evils that the carnival atmosphere breeds. Eddie Albert is hired by Bogart for the carnival because of the former's ease with which he fearlessly handled a lion - which escaped from the troupe - when it wanders into the general store where Albert works as a clerk. It isn't long before Leslie and Albert are an item...Sylvia Sidney is memorable as "Madame Florina" /AKA Flo Lorraine who reads both the Tarot and does crystal gazing as well. This isn't a bad little picture but it was released between HIGH SIERRA & THE MALTESE FALCON, so it was understandably quickly forgotton upon its initial release back in 1941.

From Boxing to the Circus
If you've seen Kid Galahad (also with Humphrey Bogart) then you already know the story of Wagons Roll at Night. It's a remake which follows the same plot structure, but switches the subject from boxing to the circus. Bogart runs a circus, and Sylvia Sidney is his girlfriend / fortune teller. Eddie Albert joins the circus as a gifted lion tamer(!). Bogart doesn't have a high opinion of circus people (calls them gypsies), so he tries to keep his people away from his young sister, Joan Leslie. But it's not easy to keep Joan and Eddie apart. The performances are fine, and the use of the circus is an interesting switch from the original. The movie is short (84 minutes), and thus it moves along well. This is not one of Bogart's famous films, and it's hardly a classic, but it's an easy way to pass an hour and a half. ... Read more

Description

Sheep rancher, determined to move his herds into cattle country, meets opposition from wealthy ranchers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Solid Western from Flynn
The year was 1950 and Warner Bros. was looking to recapture their glory days into the foray of very big Westerns the studio produced during the 40s. MONTANA was one of Errol Flynn's last Hollywood films. He would make his last Western for Warner Bros. that same year ROCKY MOUNTAIN, based on a little known Civil War incident and one of my favorite Flynn films. In MONTANA Flynn is a sheepman who invades cattle country in Montana controlled by cattle ranchers Alexis Smith and Douglas Kennedy. Under Ray Enright's direction and under James R. Webb, Borden Chase and Charles O'Neal's scripting it has a feel of the empire building era that was prevalent in numerous Westerns. Flynn is smooth as usual but the film's greatest asset is the colour Cinematography by Karl Freund (Academy Award Winner for THE GOOD EARTH). Composer David Buttolph (THE HORSE SOLDIERS) provided the score.

Montana with Errol Flynn
Flynn is good as sheepherder in confrontation with cattle ranchers in the old West. Alexis Smith co-stars. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Patriotic Movie about Football and War
THE IRON MAJOR is a film about the life of Frank Cavanaugh from his days as a football player at Dartmouth through his triumphant career as coach at Boston College and Fordham. In between he coaches at Cincinnati and Holy Cross and also tries his hand as a lawyer.

When World War I breaks out Cavanugh enlists in the army and is wounded leading an artillery battalion in France. By surviving his wounds he earns the nickname of the "Iron Major." His career at Boston College and Fordham follows World War I and lasts until he gradually loses both his sight and his health.

THE IRON MAJOR is above all a patriotic movie about football and war made at the height of World War II. Pat O'Brien plays Cavanaugh and Ruth Warrick has the role of his sturdy wife who is also the mother of their nine children. The supporting cast includes Robert Ryan and Leon Ames.

Ray Enright directed NAUGHTY BUT NICE and RETURN OF THE BAD MEN in addition to THE IRON MAJOR and several other films. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Raiders were trained to operate as a guerrilla outfit
I'll agree with some of the reviews about the movie being a little cornball.

Col. Carlson was sent to China by our government as an observer. He was not a Communist as implied. The Chinese term "Gung Ho" is still used by people in our military today. Remember, China and Russia were allies of ours in World War II. My high school coach was an observer with the Russian Army and he was no Communist.

President Roosevelt's son James was executive officer of Carlson's Raiders and a good Marine. The Raiders were no more blood thirsty than any other Marine with a rifle in combat in WWII.

I would have liked to seen more of the training the Raiders went through.

Gung Ho!
Some movies really don't age well.

GUNG HO! is a creaky old warhorse. It tells the story of the Second Marine Raider Battalion from its formation shortly after the Pearl Harbor to its first mission, a raid on Makin Island. The battalion is a volunteer outfit, so the first question the movie asks of its young stars is "Why do you want to kill Japs?" The Kentucky hick and the Brooklyn toughie and the ordained minister all pretty much say the same thing - because I don't like them.

The film follows the recruits through training and graduation to deployment and finally battle, with a short detour for a sloppy little romantic subplot. GUNG HO!, released in 1943, is based on actual events. The Marines' successful raid was big news back in those bleak days.
This is more a curiosity, a study of the value of propaganda on public morale, than a historically accurate document. Some of its inconsistencies are pretty jarring, though. For instance, Colonel Thorwald (Randolph Scott), the commander of the battalion, gives an inspirational speech at the beginning of training. He exhorts his men to "Cast out all prejudices, racial and religious," and learn to act as a, well, band of brothers. The men may have taken it to heart, but you can't help but notice there are NO people of color, save for a Filipino volunteer, in the unit. The only African-American in the whole movie is a cook on the transport submarine. It probably wasn't noticed when the movie was released, but it does seem a little ironic now.
Col. Thorwald delivers a few more "Some of us are going to die for democracy and freedom and equality" speeches, which are set in stark contrast with the behavior of the Japanese defenders. Fighter pilots laugh as they strafe ground troops. A badly wounded GI, begging for water, is brutally bayoneted by a Japanese soldier.
If you like standard issue war movies, I guess you'll like GUNG HO! Be warned, though. On the cover of the dvd case it looks like Robert Mitchum is pictured next to Randolph Scott, and it seems like they're co-starring. Mitchum has a relatively minor role in this one, much smaller than those played by the likes of Alan Curtis and Noah Beery, Jr.
And the dvd appears to have been transfers from a handy print. There are splotches and splashes and scratches throughout the whole thing. A bargain bin purchase at best.

Bad but Interesting
I'm a high school history and American studies teacher, and I sometimes show this film to my classes as an example of Hollywood's role in WW II. As a piece of cinema, it's pretty bad, filled with a lot of jingoism, ethnic stereotypes, and cornball humor. Compared to our modern portrayals of combat e.g. Saving Pvt. Ryan or Band of Brothers, the battle scenes are laughable--and I do often hear laughs in my classes, often at the wrong times.

As an artifact demonstrating what the United States thought of its war effort in 1943, however, Gung Ho is interesting. Like so many other Hollywood war films, it follows a multicultural unit of American soldiers through their training and into their first combat. The characters' names tell the story: Sgt. McBride the tough Irishman, Lt. Christopoulos the self-made Greek immmigrant, Frankie Montana, the Italian from Brooklyn who has a chip on his shoulder, the fighting half-brothers O' Ryan and Richter, who both love the same girl. The unit commander is the resourceful Col. Thorwald (German/Scandinavian), played by Randoph Scott, who molds them into a single fighting battalion, in much the way that the WWII United States was molded into a unified nation of immigrants to meet the international threat of fascist totalitarianism. Thorwald's motto is "Gung Ho," Chinese for "work together harmoniously." On a number of occasions he makes extended speeches into the camera to emphasize how important it is for the soldiers/audience to follow the motto, win the war, and establish a just and lasting peace.

Several other aspects of the film make it interesting, notably the presence of future stars in early roles. The most obvious is Robt. Mitchum in a small part, but you can also spot Noah Beery, Jr. (later of The Rockford Files and numerous other shows) and Rod Cameron (TV westerns of the 50s). Plus old-time Hollywood character actors like J. Carroll Naish and Louis Jean Heydt. Another interesting aspect is the (very muted) left-wing influence. Thorwald is apparently based on Col. Carlson of the Marine Raiders and perhaps Gen. Stillwell of the army, and is an admirer of the revolutionary Chinese communist army of Maozedong (although neither of the words "communist" nor "Maozedong" is mentioned in the film). He adopts his tactics and philosophy from Mao! Although I don't know Carlson's background, I suspect this facet of the film is based on his actual experience and training philosophy, and I do know that Stillwell traveled with the Chinese Red army during the 1930s and ended up admiring it. (See also the novel Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer, which covers some of the same ground.)

So: Gung Ho is a bad film with some interesting background/sociology connected with it. Better WW II films which employ some of the same ideas include Guadalcanal Diary and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, which I also use sometimes in class.

Interresting War Propaganda Film.
This is first and foremost a WWII Era War Prop movie. It was made when the war in the Pacific was going bad for America and the U.S. wanted to boost morale back home. Therefore expect the Americans to be Brave, Intellegent, etc. One of the interresting things to note is the positive focus on China. If you are interrested in History it is worth reviewing but this is not Pearl Harbor. Enjoyable film but not one of the must owns.

Eroc

Not gung ho about Gung Ho
This is an action adventure film made during the propaganda era of WWII. Loosely based on fact, the Americans are cheerful and brave, the Japanese stupid and cowardly. Look for a young Robert Mitchum as Piggie. My problem is that the copy I received was so dark as to be unusable. Good example of the genre but this edition leaves much to be desired. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Scott vehicle...
RETURN OF THE BADMEN is in reality a sequel that RKO released after Randy Scott's success in BADMEN'S TERRITORY and TRAIL STREET. It's full of solid action, good acting, and the special touches that "Gabby" Hayes always adds to his roles. TCM occasionally runs this film. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Passable Western
Joel McCrea, Zachary Scott, and Douglas Kennedy star as friends and partners whose ranch is destroyed as the Civil War rages on. Needing money to restart, they end up running guns for the Confederate Army, leaving McCrea's girlfriend Dorothy Malone behind and tangling with saloon singer/businesswoman Alexis Smith. However, each man wants something different, putting the former friends at odds with each other. South Of St. Louis is a passable film, neither exciting enough to be memorable, nor dull enough to be given a bad rating. The actors are competent in poorly drawn characters, the script average, the direction acceptable. Alexis Smith's saloon singer appears to have some spark to her in the beginning, but she quickly fades. The film needs some spark to get it going and to make the audience care. It's an average movie, nothing more, nothing less. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Western
Coroner Creek b&w from 1948 is about a man searching town to town for the person who killed his fiance and he finally discovers this person is in the town of coroner creek and in the end sees the error of his ways.Let us see this released on DVD soon.

Underrated Scott western
It's a delight to see several westerns from Randy Scott's "middle period" now showing up on video and becoming accessible to the general viewing public. CORONER CREEK is a solid, action-oriented horse opera--a formular Western, true, but in the best Scott tradition and with enough plot twists to satisfy the eager fan. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

"Let's Do It The Hard Way !"
"The Spoilers" is an excellent western, released in 1942, that just misses being a classic. I suppose with the setting in Nome, Alaska, it should be called a "northern" ! The film boasts a potent starring trio of John Wayne, Marlene Dietrich and Randolph Scott, and has remained famous over the years for its climactic, no-holds-barred fistfight between those two icons of western cinema, Wayne and Scott.

Clocking in at just under an hour and a half, "The Spoilers" does not have a complcated plot. The gold rush is on, but ruthless government agents, led by a swaggering crook named McNamara ( an atypically villainous Randolph Scott ), are trying to chisel miners out of their property. Cherry Malotte, the local casino operator ( smouldering Marlene Dietrich ) may seem like a tough woman on the outside, but she has supported a number of the miners and is pleased when her old flame, Glennister ( formidable John Wayne ), is back in town. Cherry's relationship with Glennister is about as calm and centred as that of two Siamese fighting fish ! At the same time, McNamara's pursuit of Cherry is only slightly less energetic than his efforts to steal gold mines, so when the showdown comes, the "Duke" has a lot at stake.

In addition to the three stars, there are many supporting performances of note, with faces familiar to fans of old "A" and "B" westerns--Harry Carey, George Cleveland, Russell Simpson, William Farnum, Ray Bennett and Forrest Taylor to name a few. The movie is directed with a lot of energy by Ray Enright. The sets are impressive--check those streets--thick mud--I suspect that Nome around 1900 was like this--plenty of booze, mud, fortunes won and lost, and a busy undertaker !

The DVD exhibits a black and white picture with reasonable quality. When a movie is 62 years old, I tend to be less critical about technical matters than some reviewers. There are no extras whatsoever. Surely there are some noted film critics out there who could have provided some interesting background comments ? Hey--Leonard Maltin--hey Roger Ebert--how about a little help here ?

"The Spoilers", even with the legendary fisticuffs, is not--for me, at least--in the top echelon of classic westerns. At the same time, Wayne, Dietrich and Scott are so watchable that this disc still deserves a place in the collection of any serious fan.

Format of DVD
I would like to know whether the DVD format is COLOUR or Black & White . Amazon.conm shows it as Colour but Movies Unlimited
info. is B&W !! I am confused. Please clarify before I decide to purchase

Ashoke P. Mahtani/ Calcutta/ India

SPURS & SADDLES: SUBLIME SPOILERS - YE-HAW!
"The Spoilers" is an unabashed adventure flick brimming with romance, humor and spectacular action. The plot, such as it is, is simple but compelling. When government agents arrive in Alaska and 'steal' a gold miner's claim, the miners decide to retaliate. Both Randolph Scott and John Wayne cut dashing figures of masculinity across the stark but beautiful Alaskan backdrops while Marlene Dietrich - as the lusty, husky madam, is at her most provocatively sensual best. The climactic fistfight, between Wayne and Scott is defiantly brutal to say the least.
TRANSFER: Exemplary. The B&W picture can be nicely balanced. Blacks are sometimes unstable. There's a limited amount of film grain and age related artifacts that enhances the performances. Digital anomalies are generally not an issue, though some edge enhancement is present. The audio is mono but nicely cleaned up.
EXTRAS: Forget it! Universal generally doesn't think much of its classic film library and this disc is no exception.
BOTTOM LINE: "The Spoilers" is recommended as a movie - not as a reference quality DVD.

Wayne and Scott Brawl Highlights Classic!
'The Spoilers' may be the most often-filmed western, ever, yet it has been largely forgotten by today's moviegoers, which is a shame! This is a riproaring adventure yarn with claimjumpers, a sexy romantic triangle, loads of humor, and, to cap things off, the most spectacular fistfight in screen history!

The second of three Marlene Dietrich/John Wayne teamings (and Duke is third-billed, behind Dietrich and Randolph Scott!), the plot is simple; evil government 'agents' arrive in Alaska, steal goldminers' claims, until the miners finally take matters into their own hands!

The climactic fistfight, between Wayne and Randolph Scott, is the stuff of legends! You can hold up 'The Quiet Man', or 'Hard Times', or 'Any Which Way But Loose' as having epic brawls, but this one tops them all! We're talking shirts ripped to shreds, broken furniture and windows, rolling under horses and through the mud mayhem, here! If this were pro football, both Scott and Wayne would make the All-Madden Team, for sure!

This film may never make a 'Classic Westerns' list (other than mine!), but it is a VERY enjoyable tale that shouldn't be forgotten! If you love a good Western, particularly if you're a John Wayne fan, 'The Spoilers' is a MUST! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Poor Transfer to DVD
My copy of Alpha Video's DVD of Joe E. Brown's Earthworm Tractors is marred. The soundtrack is oversaturated. It is very distorted during the opening fanfare. I find I must turn down the volume drastically to make this DVD listenable. The visual quality of this DVD is no better than the VHS version I have borrowed from my local library. I recommend instead the VHS version distributed by Nostalgia Family Video - until a better transfer is offered on DVD

the ancestor of slapstick comedy
This old movie is the one of the ancestors of modern slapstick comedy. I don't normally like slapstick - in fact, I diligently avoid it - but I really enjoyed this movie. The stunts are overdone, the expressions and mannerisms exaggerated, the style is absurd, but it's funny. Funny enough to watch repeatedly. Like most of the movies of the era, there's no reason not to let the kids watch it. It's cute and light, and everybody's happy in the end.

Poorly Paced Slapstick
Although Warner Brothers studio was famous for many film genres in the 1930s and 1940s, comedy was not one of them. They didn't have any great comedy actors on their roster, so Joe E. Brown was their comedy "star" in a series of B-films. If you like your comedy played very broadly, you might find him funny. Personally, I don't see the appeal. In this film, he stars as a "natural born salesman" trying to sell earthworm tractors to lumberyard owner Guy Kibbee, who does not want any new-fangled machinery. At first, he does so to try and impress his old girlfriend, but in the end he is trying to impress his new girlfriend, Kibbee's daughter June Travis. There's much slapstick with his misadventures with the tractors, and most of it goes on for far too long. Director Ray Enright poorly paces the film, letting jokes drag on and on well past the point of being funny. The acting is weak and obvious, although Travis does display some talent. Mercifully, the film is short, and there are a couple of moments that made me grin (such as when he is repeatedly tossed out the door), but a couple of moments is hardly enough for a whole film. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Raiders were trained to operate as a guerrilla outfit
I'll agree with some of the reviews about the movie being a little cornball.

Col. Carlson was sent to China by our government as an observer. He was not a Communist as implied. The Chinese term "Gung Ho" is still used by people in our military today. Remember, China and Russia were allies of ours in World War II. My high school coach was an observer with the Russian Army and he was no Communist.

President Roosevelt's son James was executive officer of Carlson's Raiders and a good Marine. The Raiders were no more blood thirsty than any other Marine with a rifle in combat in WWII.

I would have liked to seen more of the training the Raiders went through.

Gung Ho!
Some movies really don't age well.

GUNG HO! is a creaky old warhorse. It tells the story of the Second Marine Raider Battalion from its formation shortly after the Pearl Harbor to its first mission, a raid on Makin Island. The battalion is a volunteer outfit, so the first question the movie asks of its young stars is "Why do you want to kill Japs?" The Kentucky hick and the Brooklyn toughie and the ordained minister all pretty much say the same thing - because I don't like them.

The film follows the recruits through training and graduation to deployment and finally battle, with a short detour for a sloppy little romantic subplot. GUNG HO!, released in 1943, is based on actual events. The Marines' successful raid was big news back in those bleak days.
This is more a curiosity, a study of the value of propaganda on public morale, than a historically accurate document. Some of its inconsistencies are pretty jarring, though. For instance, Colonel Thorwald (Randolph Scott), the commander of the battalion, gives an inspirational speech at the beginning of training. He exhorts his men to "Cast out all prejudices, racial and religious," and learn to act as a, well, band of brothers. The men may have taken it to heart, but you can't help but notice there are NO people of color, save for a Filipino volunteer, in the unit. The only African-American in the whole movie is a cook on the transport submarine. It probably wasn't noticed when the movie was released, but it does seem a little ironic now.
Col. Thorwald delivers a few more "Some of us are going to die for democracy and freedom and equality" speeches, which are set in stark contrast with the behavior of the Japanese defenders. Fighter pilots laugh as they strafe ground troops. A badly wounded GI, begging for water, is brutally bayoneted by a Japanese soldier.
If you like standard issue war movies, I guess you'll like GUNG HO! Be warned, though. On the cover of the dvd case it looks like Robert Mitchum is pictured next to Randolph Scott, and it seems like they're co-starring. Mitchum has a relatively minor role in this one, much smaller than those played by the likes of Alan Curtis and Noah Beery, Jr.
And the dvd appears to have been transfers from a handy print. There are splotches and splashes and scratches throughout the whole thing. A bargain bin purchase at best.

Bad but Interesting
I'm a high school history and American studies teacher, and I sometimes show this film to my classes as an example of Hollywood's role in WW II. As a piece of cinema, it's pretty bad, filled with a lot of jingoism, ethnic stereotypes, and cornball humor. Compared to our modern portrayals of combat e.g. Saving Pvt. Ryan or Band of Brothers, the battle scenes are laughable--and I do often hear laughs in my classes, often at the wrong times.

As an artifact demonstrating what the United States thought of its war effort in 1943, however, Gung Ho is interesting. Like so many other Hollywood war films, it follows a multicultural unit of American soldiers through their training and into their first combat. The characters' names tell the story: Sgt. McBride the tough Irishman, Lt. Christopoulos the self-made Greek immmigrant, Frankie Montana, the Italian from Brooklyn who has a chip on his shoulder, the fighting half-brothers O' Ryan and Richter, who both love the same girl. The unit commander is the resourceful Col. Thorwald (German/Scandinavian), played by Randoph Scott, who molds them into a single fighting battalion, in much the way that the WWII United States was molded into a unified nation of immigrants to meet the international threat of fascist totalitarianism. Thorwald's motto is "Gung Ho," Chinese for "work together harmoniously." On a number of occasions he makes extended speeches into the camera to emphasize how important it is for the soldiers/audience to follow the motto, win the war, and establish a just and lasting peace.

Several other aspects of the film make it interesting, notably the presence of future stars in early roles. The most obvious is Robt. Mitchum in a small part, but you can also spot Noah Beery, Jr. (later of The Rockford Files and numerous other shows) and Rod Cameron (TV westerns of the 50s). Plus old-time Hollywood character actors like J. Carroll Naish and Louis Jean Heydt. Another interesting aspect is the (very muted) left-wing influence. Thorwald is apparently based on Col. Carlson of the Marine Raiders and perhaps Gen. Stillwell of the army, and is an admirer of the revolutionary Chinese communist army of Maozedong (although neither of the words "communist" nor "Maozedong" is mentioned in the film). He adopts his tactics and philosophy from Mao! Although I don't know Carlson's background, I suspect this facet of the film is based on his actual experience and training philosophy, and I do know that Stillwell traveled with the Chinese Red army during the 1930s and ended up admiring it. (See also the novel Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer, which covers some of the same ground.)

So: Gung Ho is a bad film with some interesting background/sociology connected with it. Better WW II films which employ some of the same ideas include Guadalcanal Diary and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, which I also use sometimes in class.

Interresting War Propaganda Film.
This is first and foremost a WWII Era War Prop movie. It was made when the war in the Pacific was going bad for America and the U.S. wanted to boost morale back home. Therefore expect the Americans to be Brave, Intellegent, etc. One of the interresting things to note is the positive focus on China. If you are interrested in History it is worth reviewing but this is not Pearl Harbor. Enjoyable film but not one of the must owns.

Eroc

Not gung ho about Gung Ho
This is an action adventure film made during the propaganda era of WWII. Loosely based on fact, the Americans are cheerful and brave, the Japanese stupid and cowardly. Look for a young Robert Mitchum as Piggie. My problem is that the copy I received was so dark as to be unusable. Good example of the genre but this edition leaves much to be desired. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Raiders were trained to operate as a guerrilla outfit
I'll agree with some of the reviews about the movie being a little cornball.

Col. Carlson was sent to China by our government as an observer. He was not a Communist as implied. The Chinese term "Gung Ho" is still used by people in our military today. Remember, China and Russia were allies of ours in World War II. My high school coach was an observer with the Russian Army and he was no Communist.

President Roosevelt's son James was executive officer of Carlson's Raiders and a good Marine. The Raiders were no more blood thirsty than any other Marine with a rifle in combat in WWII.

I would have liked to seen more of the training the Raiders went through.

Gung Ho!
Some movies really don't age well.

GUNG HO! is a creaky old warhorse. It tells the story of the Second Marine Raider Battalion from its formation shortly after the Pearl Harbor to its first mission, a raid on Makin Island. The battalion is a volunteer outfit, so the first question the movie asks of its young stars is "Why do you want to kill Japs?" The Kentucky hick and the Brooklyn toughie and the ordained minister all pretty much say the same thing - because I don't like them.

The film follows the recruits through training and graduation to deployment and finally battle, with a short detour for a sloppy little romantic subplot. GUNG HO!, released in 1943, is based on actual events. The Marines' successful raid was big news back in those bleak days.
This is more a curiosity, a study of the value of propaganda on public morale, than a historically accurate document. Some of its inconsistencies are pretty jarring, though. For instance, Colonel Thorwald (Randolph Scott), the commander of the battalion, gives an inspirational speech at the beginning of training. He exhorts his men to "Cast out all prejudices, racial and religious," and learn to act as a, well, band of brothers. The men may have taken it to heart, but you can't help but notice there are NO people of color, save for a Filipino volunteer, in the unit. The only African-American in the whole movie is a cook on the transport submarine. It probably wasn't noticed when the movie was released, but it does seem a little ironic now.
Col. Thorwald delivers a few more "Some of us are going to die for democracy and freedom and equality" speeches, which are set in stark contrast with the behavior of the Japanese defenders. Fighter pilots laugh as they strafe ground troops. A badly wounded GI, begging for water, is brutally bayoneted by a Japanese soldier.
If you like standard issue war movies, I guess you'll like GUNG HO! Be warned, though. On the cover of the dvd case it looks like Robert Mitchum is pictured next to Randolph Scott, and it seems like they're co-starring. Mitchum has a relatively minor role in this one, much smaller than those played by the likes of Alan Curtis and Noah Beery, Jr.
And the dvd appears to have been transfers from a handy print. There are splotches and splashes and scratches throughout the whole thing. A bargain bin purchase at best.

Bad but Interesting
I'm a high school history and American studies teacher, and I sometimes show this film to my classes as an example of Hollywood's role in WW II. As a piece of cinema, it's pretty bad, filled with a lot of jingoism, ethnic stereotypes, and cornball humor. Compared to our modern portrayals of combat e.g. Saving Pvt. Ryan or Band of Brothers, the battle scenes are laughable--and I do often hear laughs in my classes, often at the wrong times.

As an artifact demonstrating what the United States thought of its war effort in 1943, however, Gung Ho is interesting. Like so many other Hollywood war films, it follows a multicultural unit of American soldiers through their training and into their first combat. The characters' names tell the story: Sgt. McBride the tough Irishman, Lt. Christopoulos the self-made Greek immmigrant, Frankie Montana, the Italian from Brooklyn who has a chip on his shoulder, the fighting half-brothers O' Ryan and Richter, who both love the same girl. The unit commander is the resourceful Col. Thorwald (German/Scandinavian), played by Randoph Scott, who molds them into a single fighting battalion, in much the way that the WWII United States was molded into a unified nation of immigrants to meet the international threat of fascist totalitarianism. Thorwald's motto is "Gung Ho," Chinese for "work together harmoniously." On a number of occasions he makes extended speeches into the camera to emphasize how important it is for the soldiers/audience to follow the motto, win the war, and establish a just and lasting peace.

Several other aspects of the film make it interesting, notably the presence of future stars in early roles. The most obvious is Robt. Mitchum in a small part, but you can also spot Noah Beery, Jr. (later of The Rockford Files and numerous other shows) and Rod Cameron (TV westerns of the 50s). Plus old-time Hollywood character actors like J. Carroll Naish and Louis Jean Heydt. Another interesting aspect is the (very muted) left-wing influence. Thorwald is apparently based on Col. Carlson of the Marine Raiders and perhaps Gen. Stillwell of the army, and is an admirer of the revolutionary Chinese communist army of Maozedong (although neither of the words "communist" nor "Maozedong" is mentioned in the film). He adopts his tactics and philosophy from Mao! Although I don't know Carlson's background, I suspect this facet of the film is based on his actual experience and training philosophy, and I do know that Stillwell traveled with the Chinese Red army during the 1930s and ended up admiring it. (See also the novel Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer, which covers some of the same ground.)

So: Gung Ho is a bad film with some interesting background/sociology connected with it. Better WW II films which employ some of the same ideas include Guadalcanal Diary and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, which I also use sometimes in class.

Interresting War Propaganda Film.
This is first and foremost a WWII Era War Prop movie. It was made when the war in the Pacific was going bad for America and the U.S. wanted to boost morale back home. Therefore expect the Americans to be Brave, Intellegent, etc. One of the interresting things to note is the positive focus on China. If you are interrested in History it is worth reviewing but this is not Pearl Harbor. Enjoyable film but not one of the must owns.

Eroc

Not gung ho about Gung Ho
This is an action adventure film made during the propaganda era of WWII. Loosely based on fact, the Americans are cheerful and brave, the Japanese stupid and cowardly. Look for a young Robert Mitchum as Piggie. My problem is that the copy I received was so dark as to be unusable. Good example of the genre but this edition leaves much to be desired. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Raiders were trained to operate as a guerrilla outfit
I'll agree with some of the reviews about the movie being a little cornball.

Col. Carlson was sent to China by our government as an observer. He was not a Communist as implied. The Chinese term "Gung Ho" is still used by people in our military today. Remember, China and Russia were allies of ours in World War II. My high school coach was an observer with the Russian Army and he was no Communist.

President Roosevelt's son James was executive officer of Carlson's Raiders and a good Marine. The Raiders were no more blood thirsty than any other Marine with a rifle in combat in WWII.

I would have liked to seen more of the training the Raiders went through.

Gung Ho!
Some movies really don't age well.

GUNG HO! is a creaky old warhorse. It tells the story of the Second Marine Raider Battalion from its formation shortly after the Pearl Harbor to its first mission, a raid on Makin Island. The battalion is a volunteer outfit, so the first question the movie asks of its young stars is "Why do you want to kill Japs?" The Kentucky hick and the Brooklyn toughie and the ordained minister all pretty much say the same thing - because I don't like them.

The film follows the recruits through training and graduation to deployment and finally battle, with a short detour for a sloppy little romantic subplot. GUNG HO!, released in 1943, is based on actual events. The Marines' successful raid was big news back in those bleak days.
This is more a curiosity, a study of the value of propaganda on public morale, than a historically accurate document. Some of its inconsistencies are pretty jarring, though. For instance, Colonel Thorwald (Randolph Scott), the commander of the battalion, gives an inspirational speech at the beginning of training. He exhorts his men to "Cast out all prejudices, racial and religious," and learn to act as a, well, band of brothers. The men may have taken it to heart, but you can't help but notice there are NO people of color, save for a Filipino volunteer, in the unit. The only African-American in the whole movie is a cook on the transport submarine. It probably wasn't noticed when the movie was released, but it does seem a little ironic now.
Col. Thorwald delivers a few more "Some of us are going to die for democracy and freedom and equality" speeches, which are set in stark contrast with the behavior of the Japanese defenders. Fighter pilots laugh as they strafe ground troops. A badly wounded GI, begging for water, is brutally bayoneted by a Japanese soldier.
If you like standard issue war movies, I guess you'll like GUNG HO! Be warned, though. On the cover of the dvd case it looks like Robert Mitchum is pictured next to Randolph Scott, and it seems like they're co-starring. Mitchum has a relatively minor role in this one, much smaller than those played by the likes of Alan Curtis and Noah Beery, Jr.
And the dvd appears to have been transfers from a handy print. There are splotches and splashes and scratches throughout the whole thing. A bargain bin purchase at best.

Bad but Interesting
I'm a high school history and American studies teacher, and I sometimes show this film to my classes as an example of Hollywood's role in WW II. As a piece of cinema, it's pretty bad, filled with a lot of jingoism, ethnic stereotypes, and cornball humor. Compared to our modern portrayals of combat e.g. Saving Pvt. Ryan or Band of Brothers, the battle scenes are laughable--and I do often hear laughs in my classes, often at the wrong times.

As an artifact demonstrating what the United States thought of its war effort in 1943, however, Gung Ho is interesting. Like so many other Hollywood war films, it follows a multicultural unit of American soldiers through their training and into their first combat. The characters' names tell the story: Sgt. McBride the tough Irishman, Lt. Christopoulos the self-made Greek immmigrant, Frankie Montana, the Italian from Brooklyn who has a chip on his shoulder, the fighting half-brothers O' Ryan and Richter, who both love the same girl. The unit commander is the resourceful Col. Thorwald (German/Scandinavian), played by Randoph Scott, who molds them into a single fighting battalion, in much the way that the WWII United States was molded into a unified nation of immigrants to meet the international threat of fascist totalitarianism. Thorwald's motto is "Gung Ho," Chinese for "work together harmoniously." On a number of occasions he makes extended speeches into the camera to emphasize how important it is for the soldiers/audience to follow the motto, win the war, and establish a just and lasting peace.

Several other aspects of the film make it interesting, notably the presence of future stars in early roles. The most obvious is Robt. Mitchum in a small part, but you can also spot Noah Beery, Jr. (later of The Rockford Files and numerous other shows) and Rod Cameron (TV westerns of the 50s). Plus old-time Hollywood character actors like J. Carroll Naish and Louis Jean Heydt. Another interesting aspect is the (very muted) left-wing influence. Thorwald is apparently based on Col. Carlson of the Marine Raiders and perhaps Gen. Stillwell of the army, and is an admirer of the revolutionary Chinese communist army of Maozedong (although neither of the words "communist" nor "Maozedong" is mentioned in the film). He adopts his tactics and philosophy from Mao! Although I don't know Carlson's background, I suspect this facet of the film is based on his actual experience and training philosophy, and I do know that Stillwell traveled with the Chinese Red army during the 1930s and ended up admiring it. (See also the novel Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer, which covers some of the same ground.)

So: Gung Ho is a bad film with some interesting background/sociology connected with it. Better WW II films which employ some of the same ideas include Guadalcanal Diary and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, which I also use sometimes in class.

Interresting War Propaganda Film.
This is first and foremost a WWII Era War Prop movie. It was made when the war in the Pacific was going bad for America and the U.S. wanted to boost morale back home. Therefore expect the Americans to be Brave, Intellegent, etc. One of the interresting things to note is the positive focus on China. If you are interrested in History it is worth reviewing but this is not Pearl Harbor. Enjoyable film but not one of the must owns.

Eroc

Not gung ho about Gung Ho
This is an action adventure film made during the propaganda era of WWII. Loosely based on fact, the Americans are cheerful and brave, the Japanese stupid and cowardly. Look for a young Robert Mitchum as Piggie. My problem is that the copy I received was so dark as to be unusable. Good example of the genre but this edition leaves much to be desired. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

The Raiders were trained to operate as a guerrilla outfit
I'll agree with some of the reviews about the movie being a little cornball.

Col. Carlson was sent to China by our government as an observer. He was not a Communist as implied. The Chinese term "Gung Ho" is still used by people in our military today. Remember, China and Russia were allies of ours in World War II. My high school coach was an observer with the Russian Army and he was no Communist.

President Roosevelt's son James was executive officer of Carlson's Raiders and a good Marine. The Raiders were no more blood thirsty than any other Marine with a rifle in combat in WWII.

I would have liked to seen more of the training the Raiders went through.

Gung Ho!
Some movies really don't age well.

GUNG HO! is a creaky old warhorse. It tells the story of the Second Marine Raider Battalion from its formation shortly after the Pearl Harbor to its first mission, a raid on Makin Island. The battalion is a volunteer outfit, so the first question the movie asks of its young stars is "Why do you want to kill Japs?" The Kentucky hick and the Brooklyn toughie and the ordained minister all pretty much say the same thing - because I don't like them.

The film follows the recruits through training and graduation to deployment and finally battle, with a short detour for a sloppy little romantic subplot. GUNG HO!, released in 1943, is based on actual events. The Marines' successful raid was big news back in those bleak days.
This is more a curiosity, a study of the value of propaganda on public morale, than a historically accurate document. Some of its inconsistencies are pretty jarring, though. For instance, Colonel Thorwald (Randolph Scott), the commander of the battalion, gives an inspirational speech at the beginning of training. He exhorts his men to "Cast out all prejudices, racial and religious," and learn to act as a, well, band of brothers. The men may have taken it to heart, but you can't help but notice there are NO people of color, save for a Filipino volunteer, in the unit. The only African-American in the whole movie is a cook on the transport submarine. It probably wasn't noticed when the movie was released, but it does seem a little ironic now.
Col. Thorwald delivers a few more "Some of us are going to die for democracy and freedom and equality" speeches, which are set in stark contrast with the behavior of the Japanese defenders. Fighter pilots laugh as they strafe ground troops. A badly wounded GI, begging for water, is brutally bayoneted by a Japanese soldier.
If you like standard issue war movies, I guess you'll like GUNG HO! Be warned, though. On the cover of the dvd case it looks like Robert Mitchum is pictured next to Randolph Scott, and it seems like they're co-starring. Mitchum has a relatively minor role in this one, much smaller than those played by the likes of Alan Curtis and Noah Beery, Jr.
And the dvd appears to have been transfers from a handy print. There are splotches and splashes and scratches throughout the whole thing. A bargain bin purchase at best.

Bad but Interesting
I'm a high school history and American studies teacher, and I sometimes show this film to my classes as an example of Hollywood's role in WW II. As a piece of cinema, it's pretty bad, filled with a lot of jingoism, ethnic stereotypes, and cornball humor. Compared to our modern portrayals of combat e.g. Saving Pvt. Ryan or Band of Brothers, the battle scenes are laughable--and I do often hear laughs in my classes, often at the wrong times.

As an artifact demonstrating what the United States thought of its war effort in 1943, however, Gung Ho is interesting. Like so many other Hollywood war films, it follows a multicultural unit of American soldiers through their training and into their first combat. The characters' names tell the story: Sgt. McBride the tough Irishman, Lt. Christopoulos the self-made Greek immmigrant, Frankie Montana, the Italian from Brooklyn who has a chip on his shoulder, the fighting half-brothers O' Ryan and Richter, who both love the same girl. The unit commander is the resourceful Col. Thorwald (German/Scandinavian), played by Randoph Scott, who molds them into a single fighting battalion, in much the way that the WWII United States was molded into a unified nation of immigrants to meet the international threat of fascist totalitarianism. Thorwald's motto is "Gung Ho," Chinese for "work together harmoniously." On a number of occasions he makes extended speeches into the camera to emphasize how important it is for the soldiers/audience to follow the motto, win the war, and establish a just and lasting peace.

Several other aspects of the film make it interesting, notably the presence of future stars in early roles. The most obvious is Robt. Mitchum in a small part, but you can also spot Noah Beery, Jr. (later of The Rockford Files and numerous other shows) and Rod Cameron (TV westerns of the 50s). Plus old-time Hollywood character actors like J. Carroll Naish and Louis Jean Heydt. Another interesting aspect is the (very muted) left-wing influence. Thorwald is apparently based on Col. Carlson of the Marine Raiders and perhaps Gen. Stillwell of the army, and is an admirer of the revolutionary Chinese communist army of Maozedong (although neither of the words "communist" nor "Maozedong" is mentioned in the film). He adopts his tactics and philosophy from Mao! Although I don't know Carlson's background, I suspect this facet of the film is based on his actual experience and training philosophy, and I do know that Stillwell traveled with the Chinese Red army during the 1930s and ended up admiring it. (See also the novel Once An Eagle by Anton Myrer, which covers some of the same ground.)

So: Gung Ho is a bad film with some interesting background/sociology connected with it. Better WW II films which employ some of the same ideas include Guadalcanal Diary and 30 Seconds Over Tokyo, which I also use sometimes in class.

Interresting War Propaganda Film.
This is first and foremost a WWII Era War Prop movie. It was made when the war in the Pacific was going bad for America and the U.S. wanted to boost morale back home. Therefore expect the Americans to be Brave, Intellegent, etc. One of the interresting things to note is the positive focus on China. If you are interrested in History it is worth reviewing but this is not Pearl Harbor. Enjoyable film but not one of the must owns.

Eroc

Not gung ho about Gung Ho
This is an action adventure film made during the propaganda era of WWII. Loosely based on fact, the Americans are cheerful and brave, the Japanese stupid and cowardly. Look for a young Robert Mitchum as Piggie. My problem is that the copy I received was so dark as to be unusable. Good example of the genre but this edition leaves much to be desired. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Good Scott vehicle...
RETURN OF THE BADMEN is in reality a sequel that RKO released after Randy Scott's success in BADMEN'S TERRITORY and TRAIL STREET. It's full of solid action, good acting, and the special touches that "Gabby" Hayes always adds to his roles. TCM occasionally runs this film. Recommended. ... Read more

Description

With JOE E. BROWN, JUNE TRAVIS, GUY KIBBEE, DICK FORAN, GENE LOCKHART. Wide-mouthed funny-man Joe E. Brown was at his best playing comically oblivious braggarts who were single-minded in their self-assurance. They would bluster on about being the best at everything but ultimately would prove to be far less than infallible. Here Brown stars as Alexander Botts, a self-described "natural born salesman." Lately hes been hawking nondescript gadgets, and there is very little profit here. This displeases the father of the girl he loves. She isnt too impressed herself. She tells Botts that she wishes he would sell something "worthwhile." He cannot sell ships or bridges. Even he knows this is impractical. Instead, he decides to peddle earthworm tractors! "Thats big," Botts notes. "Thats important. Thats worthwhile." Our hero promises to make a big success selling tractors. However, you quickly will see that a promise by Alexander Botts is not that easily kept. He may as well change his name to "Botch" as he attempts to peddle a tractor to a perpetual grump (played to a tee by Guy Kibbee). The scenes in which Botts and his tractor run amuck are especially amusing. 68 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Poor Transfer to DVD
My copy of Alpha Video's DVD of Joe E. Brown's Earthworm Tractors is marred. The soundtrack is oversaturated. It is very distorted during the opening fanfare. I find I must turn down the volume drastically to make this DVD listenable. The visual quality of this DVD is no better than the VHS version I have borrowed from my local library. I recommend instead the VHS version distributed by Nostalgia Family Video - until a better transfer is offered on DVD

the ancestor of slapstick comedy
This old movie is the one of the ancestors of modern slapstick comedy. I don't normally like slapstick - in fact, I diligently avoid it - but I really enjoyed this movie. The stunts are overdone, the expressions and mannerisms exaggerated, the style is absurd, but it's funny. Funny enough to watch repeatedly. Like most of the movies of the era, there's no reason not to let the kids watch it. It's cute and light, and everybody's happy in the end.

Poorly Paced Slapstick
Although Warner Brothers studio was famous for many film genres in the 1930s and 1940s, comedy was not one of them. They didn't have any great comedy actors on their roster, so Joe E. Brown was their comedy "star" in a series of B-films. If you like your comedy played very broadly, you might find him funny. Personally, I don't see the appeal. In this film, he stars as a "natural born salesman" trying to sell earthworm tractors to lumberyard owner Guy Kibbee, who does not want any new-fangled machinery. At first, he does so to try and impress his old girlfriend, but in the end he is trying to impress his new girlfriend, Kibbee's daughter June Travis. There's much slapstick with his misadventures with the tractors, and most of it goes on for far too long. Director Ray Enright poorly paces the film, letting jokes drag on and on well past the point of being funny. The acting is weak and obvious, although Travis does display some talent. Mercifully, the film is short, and there are a couple of moments that made me grin (such as when he is repeatedly tossed out the door), but a couple of moments is hardly enough for a whole film. ... Read more