Guadalcanal Diary (1943)

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(1,279 ratings)

20th Century-Fox's 1943 filmization of Richard Tregaskis' best-selling book Guadalcanal Diary does full justice to the spare, lean prose of Tregaskis' eyewitness account. The incidents in the "diary" are tied together by an off-screen narrator into a cohesive storyline. The principal characters in… More 20th Century-Fox's 1943 filmization of Richard Tregaskis' best-selling book Guadalcanal Diary does full justice to the spare, lean prose of Tregaskis' eyewitness account. The incidents in the "diary" are tied together by an off-screen narrator into a cohesive storyline. The principal characters in this wartime chronicle are marine sergeant Lloyd Nolan, chaplain Preston S. Foster, Mexican enlistee Anthony Quinn, and a Dodgers-lovin' Brooklynite, played by William Bendix. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Lewis Seiler
Written By: Lamar Trotti, Jerry Cady
Genres: Classics, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Oct 27, 1943 Wide
On DVD: Nov 6, 2001

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A typical, inspirational WWII Hollywood movie, a product of the times and pressures in which it was made.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
is interesting for a glimpse at the Hollywood propaganda machine of WWII if not for any other reason

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

Solid war film chronicling one of the bloodiest battles of WWII, the taking of Guadalcanal by the U.S. Marines. Nice performances from Richard Conte, Anthony Quinn and a VERY young Richard Jaeckel.

Cast

            Preston S. Foster as Father Donnelly

            Lloyd Nolan as Sgt. Hook Malone

            William Bendix as Taxi Potts

            Richard Conte as Capt. Davis

            Anthony Quinn as Jesus "Soose" Alvarez

            Richard Jaeckel as Pvt. Johnny Anderson ("Chicken")

            Roy Roberts as Capt. Cross

            Minor Watson as Col. Grayson

            Ralph Byrd as Ned Rowman

            Lionel Stander as Butch

            Reed Hadley as Correspondent

            John Archer as Lt. Thurmond

            Eddie Acuff as Tex McIlvoy

            Harry Carter as Dispatch Officer

            Brian Robert Rose as Sammy Kline

            Jack Luden as Major

            Louis Hart as Lieutenant

            Miles Mander as Weatherby

            Selmar Jackson as Col. Thompson

            Warren Ashe as Col. Morton

            Walter Fenner as Col. Roper

            Larry Thompson as Chaplain

            Martin Black as Marine

            Charles Lang as Marine

            George Holmes as Marine

            Russell Hoyt as Marine

            Paul Fung as Japanese Prisoner

            Allen Jung as Japanese Officer

            Tom Dawson as Captain
See full cast