Ernie Pyle’s ‘Story of G.I. Joe'” is a classic 1944 film designated to be preserved by the Library of Congress. The Story of G.I. Joe” is a war movie showing a realistic and uncommon portrait of war and the soldiers fighting it, especially unusual at the time when it was made.
Ernie Pyle stayed out of briefing rooms and occupied fox-holes with the entrenched soldiers. He became a beloved go-between for soldiers and the folks back home , writing in his direct and down to earth style. Pyle helped with making the film, and was the one to get William Wellman to direct it.
Burgess Meredith was chosen to play Ernie Pyle because he wasn’t well known and had a home-spun quality about him, reminiscent of Pyle’s reporting style. Robert Mitchum, in one of his numerous military roles, played a Captain and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance. It was the director, Wellman, who was inspired to create a grainy worn look for the film.
The National Society of Newspaper Columnists named its most prestigious columnist award for lifetime achievement after Pyle and declared the date of his death, April 18, as National Columnists’ Day, a day to remember Pyle and his outstanding journalism, as well a day for the celebration of all columnists.
Read the entire movie review at the blog,“Let’s not talk about movies.”
