A Guy Named Joe (1943)
A sentimental, patriotic (if not propagandistic) Hollywood fantasy about a
dead World War II bomber pilot, Maj. Pete Sandidge (Tracy) who becomes
guardian angel to another pilot, Capt. Ted Randall (Johnson), guiding Randall
through battle and helping him to romance his old girlfriend (Dunne), despite
her excessive devotion to Sandidge's memory.
Directed by Victor Fleming
Writing credits: Chandler Sprague, and David Boehm,
Frederick Hazlitt Brennan.
Dalton Trumbo
Cast:
Spencer Tracy .... Pete Sandidge
Irene Dunne .... Dorinda Durston
Van Johnson .... Ted Randall
Ward Bond .... Al Yackey
James Gleason .... 'Nails' Kilpatrick
Lionel Barrymore .... The General
Barry Nelson .... Dick Rumney
Esther Williams .... Ellen Bright
Henry O'Neill .... Colonel Sykes
Don DeFore .... James J. Rourke
Charles Smith .... Sanderson
Addison Richards .... Major Corbett
Kirk Alyn .... Officer in Heaven
Bill Arthur .... Cadet
Martin Ashe .... Sergeant in Chinese Restaurant
George Atkinson .... Waiter
Irving Bacon .... Corporal Henderson
Dora Baker .... Charwoman
Steve Barclay .... Flier
Ted Billings .... Man
Charles Bimbo .... Man
William Bishop .... Ray - Transport Pilot
John Bogden .... Cadet
Rebecca Bohannen .... English Girl
Eddie Borden .... Taxi Driver
Fred Coby .... Cadet
Eddie Coke .... Corporal
Peter Cookson .... Sergeant Hanson
Oliver Cross .... American Major
Mark Daniels .... Lieutenant
Edward Davies .... Bartender
Vernon Downing .... English Liaison Officer
Johnny Dunn .... Cadet
Blake Edwards .... Flyer
Mary Elliott .... Dance Hall Girl
Frank Faylen .... Major
Craig Flannagan .... American Lieutenant
John Frederick .... Lieutenant Ridley
Mary Ganley .... Woman in Chinese Restaurant
Leatrice Joy Gilbert .... Woman in Chinese Restaurant
Gibson Gowland .... Bartender
Richard Graham .... Crew Member
Herbert Gunn .... Cadet
Aileen Haley .... Hostess
Edward Hardwicke .... George - English Boy
Carey Harrison .... American Major in Red Lion Inn
Louis Hart .... Cadet
Gertrude Hoffman .... Old Woman
Earl Kent .... American Lieutenant
Charles King .... Lieutenant Collins
George Kirby .... Fisherman
Harold Landon .... Cadet
Nelson Leigh .... Man
Robert Lowell .... Flier
Peggy Maley .... Woman
William Manning .... Co-pilot
James Martin .... Cadet
Mary McLeod .... Hostess
James Millican .... Orderl
Neyle Morrow .... Flier
Maurice Murphy .... Captain Robertson
Melvin Nix .... American Lieutenant
Simon Oliver .... Boy
Stanley Orr .... English Captain
Michael Owen .... American Lieutenant
Jean Prescott .... Mother
Stafford Quartet .... Background Singers: "I'll See You in My Dreams" (voice)
Marshall Reed .... Flyer
Walter Sande .... Sande - Mess sergeant
Jack Saunders .... American Captain
Earl Schenck .... Colonel Hendricks
Ken Scott .... Cadet
Violet Seaton .... Bartender's Wife
Bernard Sell .... Co-pilot
Christopher Severn .... Peter - English Boy
Ernest Severn .... Davey - English Boy
Raymond Severn .... Cyril - English Boy
Yvonne Severn .... Elizabeth - English Girl
Jessie Tai Sing .... Headwaitress
Bill Sloan .... Man
Arthur Space .... San Francisco Airport Captain
Wyndham Standing .... English Colonel
Arthur Stenning .... Fisherman
Clarence Straight .... Flight Sergeant
Robert Sully .... Cadet
Carlie Taylor .... English Captain
Joan Thorsen .... Woman in Chinese Restaurant
Elizabeth Valentine .... Washerwoman's Child
Philip Van Zandt .... Major
Leslie Vincent .... Sentry
James Warren .... Irish Guard
Jacqueline White .... Helen
Eve Whitney .... Girlfriend of Rourke
John Whitney .... Officer in Heaven
Kay Williams .... Girl at Bar
Matt Willis .... Lieutenant Hunter
Alan Wilson .... Sergeant in Jeep
Allen Wood .... Tough Corporal
Richard Woodruff .... Cadet
Produced by Everett Riskin
Original Music by Herbert Stothartm Alberto Colombo
Non-Original Music by Fred E. Ahlert (song "I'll Get By"), Lew Brown (song "Don't
Sit Under the Apple Tree"), Robert Crawford (song "The U.S. Air Force"),
W.C. Handy (song "St. Louis Blues"), Isham Jones (song "I'll See You in My
Dreams"), Burton Lane (song "{I Like New York in Spring} How About You?"),
Sam H. Stept (song "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"), Milo Sweet (song "Fight
On For Old S.C. {USC's Official Fight Song}"), Charles Tobias (song "Don't Sit
Under the Apple Tree"), Richard Wagner (from "Bridal Chorus {Here Comes the
Bride}" from "Lohengrin")
Cinematography by George J. Folsey (director of photography)
Karl Freund (director of photography)
Film Editing by Frank Sullivan
Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons
Set Decoration by Edwin B. Willis
Production Management Gilbert Kurland .... unit manager
Jay Marchant .... unit manager
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director John Burch .... assistant director: Luke Field
Ralph Ceder .... second unit director: Luke Field (
Horace Hough .... assistant director
William Kaplan .... second unit director: Drew Field
Joe Popkin .... assistant director: Luke Field
Dolph Zimmer .... assistant director
Art Department Ralph S. Hurst .... associate set decorator
Lyle R. Wheeler .... associate art director
Walter Decker .... location greensman
Hal Dumas .... location props
Carl Feist .... location props
George Green .... location props
Richard Hendrickson .... location props
Winfield Hubbard .... location props
Jerry Kelley .... location props
Herman Kirchner .... location greensman
Lynn Leishman .... location plasterer
Joe McKinnon .... location props
Johnny Menta .... location greensman
Jack Myron .... location painter
Richard Neblett .... location props
Luther Newman .... location props
Don Pringle .... location greensman
Jasper Queen .... location painter
Thomas Rockwell .... location greensman
Abe Siegel .... location greensman
George Vertafeville .... location props
James Vesey .... location painter
Roy Whitcomb .... location props
Sound Department Douglas Shearer .... recording director
Special Effects by A. Arnold Gillespie .... special effects
Donald Jahraus .... special effects Warren Newcombe .... special effects
Other crew:
Edward G. Hillary .... technical advisor
Irene .... costume supervisor
Frank Bjeering .... location still photographer
Lew Brown .... lyricist: "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"
Sam Browning .... location still photographer
Richard Chaney .... location wardrobe
Murray Cutter .... orchestrator
William Doran .... location script clerk
Bert Eason .... location assistant camera
Ralph Freed .... lyricist: "{I Like New York in Spring} How About You?"
Glen Grant .... lyricist: "Fight on for Old S.C. {USC's Official Fight Song}"
William Greenwalt .... location grip
W.C. Handy .... lyricist: "St. Louis Blues"
Lewis Jarrard .... location script clerk
Gus Kahn .... lyricist: "I'll See You in My Dreams"
Matt Klosnick .... location assistant camera
Karl Reed .... location grip
Harry Reid .... location grip
Jack Smith .... location camera
Glen Stephens .... double: Barry Nelson
Sam H. Stept .... lyricist: "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"
Walter Strenge .... location camera operator
Milo Sweet .... lyricist: "Fight on for Old S.C. {USC's Official Fight Song}"
Charles Tobias .... lyricist: "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree"
Roy Turk .... lyricist: "I'll Get By"
Harry Warren .... double: Spencer Tracy
George Webber .... location camera
Charles Wecker .... location assistant camera
Runtime: 120 min / USA:122 min (copyright length)
Country: USA
Language: English
Color: Black and White
Sound Mix: Mono (Western Electric Sound System)
Certification: Australia:PG / Finland:S / Sweden:15 / USA:Approved
(PCA #9727) / USA:Passed (National Board of Review)
Trivia: The Production Code Administration (PCA) objected to the original
ending, where Dorinda dies during her mission to destroy an ammunition
dump, and is reunited with Pete in heaven. They considered this to be be
a suicide. Script revisions were made and retakes shot for the current
ending, which was panned by most critics. Still, the film was among the
top 10 box office hits of the year.
There was no way to composite Spencer Tracy's image into the scenes
where Van Johnson is flying, so he actually had to be standing behind
Johnson and, later, Irene Dunne for the filming of these scenes. The same
approach was used for The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947) (techniques for
superimposing one image onto another were not invented until much later)
Actors Richard Carlson, Phillip Terry and Richard Whorf were originally cast
in the movie but were not seen in the released version. Actors announced by
news items to be cast in the movie, but who were not seen in the print include
David Thursby, Rex Evans, Will Stanton, Harry Cording and George Magrill.Van
Johnson was in critical condition after an automobile accident on 31 March
1943 and would have been replaced, except that Spencer Tracy insisted that
they shoot around him during his convalescence. Johnson didn't return to work
until the first week in July, 1943, more than 3 months later.The War Department
initially did not approve the script, fearing psychological damage to new and
experienced pilots and their parents. It relented after 2 revisions and promised
full cooperation.
Awards: Nominated for Oscar.
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