A Guy Named Joe (1944)

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Opening in England during the middle of World War II, A Guy Named Joe tells the story of Pete Sandidge (Spencer Tracy), a tough, devil-may-care bomber pilot who's amassed an enviable record in combat, mostly by taking chances that give his C.O. (James Gleason) the shakes, much as he and the top… More Opening in England during the middle of World War II, A Guy Named Joe tells the story of Pete Sandidge (Spencer Tracy), a tough, devil-may-care bomber pilot who's amassed an enviable record in combat, mostly by taking chances that give his C.O. (James Gleason) the shakes, much as he and the top brass appreciate the results. Pete lives to fly, but he also appreciates the fairer sex, which for the last couple of years means Dorinda Durston (Irene Dunne), herself a hot-shot air-ferry pilot. She's also worried about the chances he takes, even after Pete and his best friend, Al Yackey (Ward Bond), are transferred to Scotland and switched to flying reconnaissance missions. Pete finally agrees to take a training position back in the States, but he must fly one last mission, to locate a German force threatening an Allied convoy. He and Al do the job and have turned for home when the German fighter cover attacks; Pete's plane is damaged and he's wounded, and after his crew bails out he takes the burning ship down and drops his bomb-load on the main German attack ship (a carrier, which is totally inaccurate) at zero altitude. His plane is caught in the blast and destroyed, and that's where the main body of the movie begins.Pete arrives in a hereafter that's a pilot's version of heaven, including a five-star general (Lionel Barrymore). He doesn't even appreciate what's happened to him until he meets Dick Rumney (Barry Nelson), a friend and fellow pilot who was previously killed in action. It seems that the powers of the hereafter are contributing to the war effort, sending departed pilots like Pete and Dick to Earth to help guide and help young pilots; Pete himself discovers that he benefited from these efforts in peacetime. Pete ends up at Luke Field near Phoenix, AZ, where he takes on helping Ted Randall (Van Johnson), a young pilot who lacks confidence. By the time he's done, riding along while Ted "solos," Ted is a natural in the air and ends up as the star of his squadron when he become operational in New Guinea -- in a group under the command of Al Yackey -- and ends up taking over command when their own leader is shot down. Pete's like a proud teacher, and also enjoys his unheard ribbing of Al and his ex-C.O. to Rumney, over their promotions, but then Dorinda shows up, and suddenly Pete finds all of his unresolved feelings about her recalled, even as he sees that she's never gotten over losing him. And when, with Al's help, she and Ted meet and seem to fall for each other, Pete's jealousy gets the better of him. It's only when he is made to realize just how important life was to him, and how important the future is for those still living, that he begins to understand that he has to let go of his feelings, and let Dorinda and Ted get on with their lives. But first he has to help Dorinda survive a suicide mission that she's taken over from Ted, attacking a huge and heavily defended Japanese ammo dump. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 1 min.
Directed By: Victor Fleming
Written By: Chandler Sprague, David Boehm, Dalton Trumbo
Genres: Drama, Romance, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jun 1, 1944 Wide
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
What begins as a nice romantic fantasy turns into a schmaltzy melodrama about love and war, but it reflected the national mood and thus became a huge commercial hit.

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Lanning :

Was there ever an actress more intelligent, more beautiful, than Irene Dunne? And never an Oscar winner. This one's a little hokey, but a beautiful double love story. The movie that made Van Johnson a star.

Cast

            Spencer Tracy as Pete Sandidge

            Irene Dunne as Dorinda Durston

            Van Johnson as Ted Randall

            Ward Bond as Al Yackey

            Lionel Barrymore as The General

            James Gleason as Col. "Nails" Kilpatrick

            Esther Williams as Ellen Bright

            Barry Nelson as Dick Rumney

            Henry O'Neill as Col. Hendricks

            Don DeFore as "Powerhouse" James J. Rourke

            Charles Smith as Sanderson

            Kirk Alyn as Officer In Heaven

            George Atkinson as Waiter

            Irving Bacon as Corporal

            Stephen Barclay
            
            William Bishop as Ray

            Eddie Borden as Taxi Driver

            Fred Coby as Cadet

            Eddie Coke as Corporal

            Peter Cookson as Sgt. Hanson

            Mark Daniels as Lieutenant

            Howard Davies as Bartender

            Vernon P. Downing as English Liaison Officer

            Mary Elliott as Dance Hall Girl

            Frank Faylen as Major

            John Frederick as Lieutenant Ridley

            Gibson Gowland as Bartender

            Richard Graham as Crew Member

            Edward Hardwicke as George

            Carey Harrison as American Major in Red Lion Inn

            Gertrude W. Hoffman as Old Woman

            Leatrice Joy
            
            George Kirby as Fishermaen

            Harold Landon
            
            Robert Lowell
            
            Mary McLeod Bethune
            
            James Millican as Orderly

            Neyle Morrow as Flier

            Michael Owen as U.S. Lieutenant

            Jean Prescott as Mother

            Marshall Reed as Flyer

            Addison Richards as Maj. Corbett

            Walter Sande as Mess Sergeant

            Jack Saunders as American Captain

            Earl Schenck as Col. Sykes

            Ken Scott
            
            Christopher Severn as Peter

            Ernest Severn as Davy

            Raymond Severn as Cyril

            Jessie Tai Sing as Headwaitress

            Arthur Space as San Francisco Airport Captain

            Wyndham Standing as English Colonel

            Clarence Straight as Flight Sergeant

            Robert Sully
            
            Joan Thorsen
            
            Elizabeth Valentine as Washerwoman's Child

            Philip Van Zandt as Majors

            Leslie Vincent as Sentry

            James Warren as Irish Guard

            Jacqueline White as Helen

            Eve Whitney as Powerhouse Girl

            Matt Willis as Lieutenant Hunter

            Melinda Wood Allen as Tough Corporal

            Blake Edwards as Flyer

            James Martin
            
            Maurice Murphy as Capt. Robertson

            John Whitney as Officer in Heaven

            Alan Wilson as Sergeant in Jeep

            William Manning as Co-Pilot

            Carlie Taylor as English Captain

            Oliver Cross as American Major

            Kay Williams as Girl at Bar

            Martin Ashe as Sergeant in Chinese Restaurant

            Herbert Gunn
            
            Aileen Haley as Hostess

            Louis Hart
            
            Stanley Orr as English Captain

            Violet Seton as Bartender's Wife

            Yvonne Severn as Elizabeth

            Arthur Stenning
            
            Richard Woodruff
            
            Ken Scott (III)
            
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