''A Guy Named Joe'' is a 1943 American romantic

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

drama Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...

film directed by

Victor Fleming Victor Lonzo Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) was an American film director, cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were '' Gone with the Wind'', for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director, and '' The Wiza ...

. The film was produced by

Everett Riskin Everett Riskin (1895-1982) was an American film producer, best known for his work at Columbia and MGM, where he specialised in comedies. He was the brother of screenwriter Robert Riskin.Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

, Irene Dunne, and

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II. Johnson was described as the embodiment ...

. The

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

, written by Dalton Trumbo and Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, was adapted from a story by

Chandler Sprague Chandler Sprague (died November 15, 1955) was an American veteran, screenwriter, reporter, and columnist. He served in World War I (for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and the Purple Heart) and World War II. He ...

and

David Boehm David Boehm (1 February 1893 in New York – 31 July 1962 in Santa Monica, California) was an American screenwriter. He is best known for the 1944 World War II heavenly fantasy ''A Guy Named Joe'' (remade by Steven Spielberg in 1989 as ''Always ...

, for which they were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Story. The film is notable for being Van Johnson's first major role. It also features the popular song " I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)" by

Fred Ahlert Frederick Emil Ahlert (September 19, 1892 – October 20, 1953) was an American composer and songwriter. Early life He received a degree from Fordham Law School, but instead of pursuing a legal career he began work as an arranger, initially ...

and

Roy Turk Roy is a masculine given name and a family surname with varied origin. In Anglo-Norman England, the name derived from the Norman ''roy'', meaning "king", while its Old French cognate, ''rey'' or ''roy'' (modern ''roi''), likewise gave rise to ...

, performed in the film by Irene Dunne.

Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...

's 1989 film '' Always'' is a remake of ''A Guy Named Joe'', and stars

Richard Dreyfuss Richard Stephen Dreyfuss (; born Dreyfus; October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for starring in popular films during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, including '' American Graffiti'' (1973), ''Jaws'' (1975), '' Close Encounters of the ...

Holly Hunter Holly Patricia Hunter (born March 20, 1958) is an American actress. For her performance as Ada McGrath in the 1993 drama film '' The Piano'', Hunter won the Academy Award for Best Actress. She earned three additional Academy Award nominations for ...

and

John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He gained national fame for his role as the family patriarch Dan Conner in the ABC comedy series '' Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018), for which he received a Golden Globe Award, ...

. ''Always'' updates the story for a 1989 setting, exchanging the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

backdrop to one of

aerial firefighting Aerial may refer to: Music * ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush * ''Aerials'' (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down Bands * Aerial (Canadian band) * Aerial (Scottish band) *Aerial (Swedish band) Performance art *Aerial silk ...

.Ebert, Roger
" 'Always' review"
''Chicago Sun Times'', December 22, 1989.

Plot

Pete Sandidge (

Spencer Tracy Spencer Bonaventure Tracy (April 5, 1900 – June 10, 1967) was an American actor. He was known for his natural performing style and versatility. One of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, Tracy was the first actor to win two cons ...

) is the reckless pilot of a

North American B-25 Mitchell The North American B-25 Mitchell is an American medium bomber that was introduced in 1941 and named in honor of Major General William "Billy" Mitchell, a pioneer of U.S. military aviation. Used by many Allied air forces, the B-25 served in ...

bomber flying out of England during

. He is in love with

Air Transport Auxiliary The Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA) was a British civilian organisation set up at the start of the Second World War with headquarters at White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire. The ATA ferried new, repaired and damaged military aircraft between factori ...

pilot Dorinda Durston ( Irene Dunne), an American civilian pilot ferrying aircraft all over the United Kingdom. Pete's commanding officer, "Nails" Kilpatrick (

James Gleason James Austin Gleason (May 23, 1882 – April 12, 1959) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter born in New York City. Gleason often portrayed "tough-talking, world-weary guys with a secret heart-of-gold." Life and career Gleason w ...

), first transfers Pete and his crew to a base in Scotland, then offers him a transfer back to the United States to be a flight instructor. Dorinda begs him to accept; Pete agrees, but goes out on one last mission with his best friend Al Yackey (

Ward Bond Wardell Edwin Bond (April 9, 1903 – November 5, 1960) was an American film character actor who appeared in more than 200 films and starred in the NBC television series ''Wagon Train'' from 1957 to 1960. Among his best-remembered roles are Be ...

) to check out a German aircraft carrier. Wounded after an attack by an enemy fighter, Pete has his crew bail out before going on to bomb the carrier and then crashing into the sea. Pete then finds himself walking in clouds, where he first recognizes an old friend, Dick Rumney (

Barry Nelson Barry Nelson (born Robert Haakon Nielsen; April 16, 1917 – April 7, 2007) was an American actor, noted as the first actor to portray Ian Fleming's secret agent James Bond. Early life Nelson was born in San Francisco, the son of Norwegian immi ...

). Pete suddenly becomes uneasy, remembering that Dick went down with his aircraft in a fiery crash. Pete tells Dick, "Either I'm dead or I'm crazy." Dick answers, "You're not crazy." Dick ushers Pete to a meeting with "The General" (

Lionel Barrymore Lionel Barrymore (born Lionel Herbert Blythe; April 28, 1878 – November 15, 1954) was an American actor of stage, screen and radio as well as a film director. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''A Free Soul'' (1931 ...

), who gives him an assignment. He is to be sent back to Earth, where a year has elapsed, to pass on his experience and knowledge to Ted Randall (

) at flight school, then in the South Pacific, where Ted is a

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...

fighter pilot. Ted's commanding officer turns out to be Al Yackey. The situation becomes complicated when Ted meets the still-grieving Dorinda, now a ferry pilot with the Womens Airforce Service Pilots in New Guinea. Al encourages Dorinda to give the young pilot a chance. The pair gradually fall in love; Ted proposes to her and she accepts, much to Pete's jealous dismay. When Dorinda finds out from Al that Ted has been given an extremely dangerous assignment to destroy the largest Japanese ammunition dump in the Pacific, she steals his aircraft. Pete guides her in completing the mission and returning to the base to Ted's embrace. Pete accepts what must be and walks away, his job done.

Cast

as Pete Sandidge * Irene Dunne as Dorinda Durston *

as Ted Randall *

as Al Yackey *

as "Nails" Kilpatrick *

as The General *

as Dick Rumney *

Esther Williams Esther Jane Williams (August 8, 1921 – June 6, 2013) was an American competitive swimmer and actress. She set regional and national records in her late teens on the Los Angeles Athletic Club swim team. Unable to compete in the 1940 Summer Ol ...

as Ellen Bright, a USO hostess *

Henry O'Neill Henry O'Neill (August 10, 1891 – May 18, 1961) was an American film actor known for playing gray-haired fathers, lawyers, and similarly dignified roles during the 1930s and 1940s. Early years He was born in Orange, New Jersey. Caree ...

as Colonel Sykes *

Don DeFore Donald John DeFore (August 25, 1913 – December 22, 1993) was an American actor. He is best known for his roles in the sitcom ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'' from 1952 to 1957 and the sitcom ''Hazel'' from 1961 to 1965, the former of w ...

as James J. Rourke (as Don De Fore) * Charles Smith as Sanderson *

Addison Richards Addison Whittaker Richards, Jr. (October 20, 1902 – March 22, 1964) was an American actor of film and television. Richards appeared in more than three hundred films between 1933 and his death. Biography A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Rich ...

as Major Corbett *

Kirk Alyn Kirk Alyn (born John Feggo Jr.; October 8, 1910 – March 14, 1999) was an American actor, best known for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Superman in live-action for the 1948 movie serial ''Superman'' and its 1950 sequel ''At ...

as Officer in Heaven (uncredited) * Maurice Murphy as Capt. Robertson (uncredited)

Production

''A Guy Named Joe'' introduced Van Johnson in his first major role. When the filming was partially completed in 1943, Johnson was in a serious automobile accident. The crash lacerated his forehead and damaged his skull so severely doctors inserted a plate in his head. MGM wanted to replace Johnson, but Tracy convinced the studio to suspend filming until Johnson could return to work, which he did after four months of recovery. He then went on to become a major star. Because the movie was filmed before and after the accident, Johnson can be seen without and with the forehead scars he bore from then on. During Johnson's period of recovery, Spencer Tracy recorded broadcasts for Armed Forces Radio and visited hospitals along the California coast, shaking hands, signing autographs, posing for pictures, and occasionally appearing at the

Hollywood Canteen The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945 (Thanksgiving Day), as a club offering food, dancing and entertainment for serv ...

, where he would sing " Pistol Packin' Mama" to the soldiers. Irene Dunne was required to begin work on another already scheduled MGM picture called ''

The White Cliffs of Dover The White Cliffs of Dover is the region of English coastline facing the Strait of Dover and France. The cliff face, which reaches a height of , owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk accented by streaks of black flint, deposi ...

'', resulting in her having to perform in both pictures simultaneously after Johnson returned. She later described the difficulties this entailed: "I’ve always lived the characters I played, and to be these two entirely different women at the same time was unbearable.” One of the other reasons Johnson was allowed to stay was because a deal was made that Tracy and director Victor Fleming had to stop making Dunne's life miserable on set. Although she had been excited to work with Tracy, the actor took an instant dislike to her and endlessly teased her, sometimes driving her to tears. The deal was made, and Dunne and Tracy took the extra time caused by Johnson's recovery to re-shoot some of the scenes where their hostility was noticeable.Orriss 1984, p. 80. Budget restrictions precluded location shooting, and all the flying scenes were staged at the MGM Studios. For an air of authenticity, footage shot at various

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF) bases throughout the United States was incorporated via an exterior backdrop process.Orriss 1984, p. 79. Authentic aircraft were used, although they remained firmly on the ground. The pivotal scene with Irene Dunne flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning was recreated at Drew Field, Florida, utilizing a surplus P-38E which had been acquired from the USAAF, where it had been used as an instructional aircraft. Electric motors drove the propellers and allowed for an authentic run-up sequence. The miniature work was the product of the same MGM special effects team of A. Arnold Gillespie, Donald Jahrus and Warren Newcombe that would later be responsible for ''

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo ''Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo'' is a 1944 American war film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo is based on the 1943 book of the same name by Captain Ted W. Lawson. Lawson was a pilot on the historic Doolittle Raid, ...

'' (1944).Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, p. 50. During the scene where Tracy's character dies, he was shown making a suicidal divebomb run on a German

aircraft carrier An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...

, despite the fact that Germany never had an operational aircraft carrier in service before or during World War II. After completion of the picture, the Production Code Administration (PCA) objected to its ending, which originally depicted Irene Dunne’s character crashing after bombing an enemy ammunition dump, thereby reuniting her with Tracy’s Pete Sandidge at the fade-out. The PCA held that this represented a wilful act of suicide, which, under the Code, could never be “justified, or glorified, or used specifically to defeat the ends of justice.” Dunne was flown in from Mexico City to film a revised ending.

Aircraft used in the film

* Lockheed P-38E Lightning fighter ("static", propellers turned by electric motors) * North American B-25 Mitchell bomber (special effects scale model) *

Vultee BT-13 Valiant The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic (a category between primary and advanced) trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the ...

trainer (static but flyable aircraft on loan from Luke Field Arizona) * North American P-51A Mustangs as Luftwaffe fighters *

Martin B-26 Marauder The Martin B-26 Marauder is an American twin-engined medium bomber that saw extensive service during World War II. The B-26 was built at two locations: Baltimore, Maryland, and Omaha, Nebraska, by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in t ...

s as Japanese bombers *

North American Yale The North American NA-64 (NA-64 P-2 or NAA-64 P-2 in French service, Yale in Canadian service) is a low-wing single piston engine monoplane advanced trainer aircraft that was built for the French Air Force and French Navy, served with the Royal C ...

trainers (NA 64) at an unnamed BCTAP field in Canada. * C-36 or C-40 in some scenes, C-47 and C-60 in others

Reception

''A Guy Named Joe'' premiered at the Capitol Theater in New York on December 23, 1943 to generally positive reviews. ''Life Magazine'' summed up the critical reaction: "MGM's ''A Guy Named Joe'' manages to remain strong and exciting despite such weaknesses as verbosity and a climax that is pure ''Perils of Pauline''."

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' considered it "a tricky excursion into metaphysical realms." that almost comes off. The film was eventually released nationally in the United States on March 10, 1944 and became one of the top-grossing movies of that year. The team of David Boehm and Chandler Sprague were nominated for the Best Story Academy Award in 1944, which was eventually received by

Leo McCarey Thomas Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 – July 5, 1969) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was involved in nearly 200 films, the most well known today being '' Duck Soup'', ''Make Way for Tomorrow'', '' The Awful T ...

for '' Going My Way'' at the

17th Academy Awards The 17th Academy Awards were held on March 15, 1945 at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, honoring the films of 1944. This was the first time the complete awards ceremony was broadcast nationally, on the Blue Network ( ABC Radio). Bob Hope hosted the ...

. The film is recognized by

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...

in these lists: * 2002: AFI's 100 Years...100 Passions – Nominated * 2006: AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated

Box office

According to MGM records, the film earned $3,970,000 in the US and Canada, and $1,393,000 overseas, resulting in a profit of $1,066,000.

References

Notes Citations Bibliography * Breyer, Siegfried. ''The German Aircraft Carrier Graf Zeppelin''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing Ltd., 1989. . * Dolan Edward F. Jr. ''Hollywood Goes to War''. London: Bison Books, 1985. . * Hardwick, Jack and Ed Schnepf. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies." ''The Making of the Great Aviation Films''. General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989. * Orriss, Bruce. ''When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II''. Hawthorn, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. .

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guy Named Joe 1943 films 1940s English-language films 1940s fantasy films American black-and-white films American fantasy films American romantic fantasy films Fantasy war films Films about angels Films about death Films about the United States Army Air Forces Films directed by Victor Fleming Films scored by Herbert Stothart Films shot in South Carolina Films with screenplays by Dalton Trumbo Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films World War II aviation films World War II films made in wartime