“Sergeant York” is a film I highly recommend. If you are into classic Hollywood war films, a military fan or even a Gary Cooper or Howard Hawks fan, it’s a film worth watching!
DVD TITLE: Sergeant York
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 1941
DURATION: 134 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, English and Francais Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Closed Captions, English, Espanol and Francais Subtitles
COMPANY: Warner Bros.
RATED: NOT RATED
Directed by Howard Hawks
Original Screenplay by Abem Finkel, Harry Chandlee, Howard Koch, John Huston
Based on the Diary of Alvin C. York
Diary Editor: Tom Skeyhill
Produced by Jesse L. Lasky, Hal B. Wallis
Music by Max Steiner
Cinematography by Sol Polito
Edited by William Holmes
Art Direction by John Hughes
Set Decoration by Fred M. Maclean
Starring:
Gary Cooper as Alvin C. York
Walter Brennan as Pastor Rosier Pile
Joan Leslie as Gracie Williams
George Tobias as “Pusher” Ross
Stanley Ridges as Major buxton
Margaret Wycherly as Mother York
Ward Bond as Ike Botkin
Noah Beery Jr. as Buck Lipscomb
June Lockhart as Rosie York
Dickie Moore as George York
Clem Bevans as Zeke
Howard Da Silva as Lem
Charles Trowbridge as Cordell Hull
Harvey Stephens as Capt. Danforth
David Bruce as Bert Thomas
Gary Cooper plays Alvin York, the real-life country lad and sharpshooter drafted to fight during World War I but blocked from killing by his pacifist sentiments. Howard Hawks makes a rousing, heroic film out of the tale, and Cooper gives one of his best performances (for which he won an Oscar). The 1941 feature seems as much a valentine to wartime America (and a not-so-subtle piece of propaganda) as anything, with Hawks capturing splendidly shot scenes of life in York’s home state of Tennessee, which in turn provide a striking contrast to the battlefield. A key scene in the film, in which York is presented with an argument in favor of killing in war, is still thought provoking.
In 1941, a film based on Alvin C. York’s life was created.
For those not familiar with the name, Alvin C. York was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I and accomplished what may seem improbable, which on his lonesome, was able to lead an attack on a German machine gun nets, take over one of them, killing 25 enemy soldiers and with a small group of soldiers, capturing 132 German soldiers.
This earned the soldier decorations not just from the U.S. but also France, Italy and Montenegro.
But Alvin C. York was not a person who wants to be remembered for his accomplishments in the war, that’s because he was very religious and he was torn, up to the day of his death, whether he would go to Heaven because of the people he killed during war.
In fact, York did not want to enlist in the military because of his religious beliefs and the belief of “thou should not kill” and with his pastor, tried to do what he can to not become a soldier but even on appeal, it was denied.
But how a man who lived in the backwoods of the Tennessee mountains would become a worldwide hero is a fascinating story and Warner Bros. producer Jesse L. Lasky pursued Alvin York for rights to his story for nearly two decades, until Lasky relented because of Hitler and World War II.
The film was directed by Howard Hawks and would star Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Joan Leslie, George Tobias, Stanley Ridges, Margaret Wycherly, June Lockhart, Dickie Moore and many more.
The film was one of the most expensive films of its time (production was $2 million), and the film was a huge success and became the highest-grossing film of 1941 and the film’s patriotic theme helped in the recruitment of soldiers in World War II and earned Gary Cooper a “Best Actor” and William Holmes “Best Film Editing” awards at the 14th Academy Awards.
The film begins in the summer of 1916, and Alvin York (portrayed by Gary Cooper) is from a poor farming family in the rural area near Pall Mall, Tennessee. The people of the small town live in poverty and isolation, and while a wonderful marksman, he and his friends often get drunk and get into fights.
In fact, Pall Mall is so isolationist, that people do not know about World War I, nor do they know where Europe is (many of the people in the area are illiterate and are dependent on Pastor and store owner, Rosier Pile, portrayed by Walter Brennan).
In order for Alvin York help his mother (portrayed by Margaret Whycherly), along with his young sister Rosie (portrayed by June Lockhart) and brother George (portrayed by Dickie Moore).
Hoping to make enough money to purchase land, Alvin works hard doing odd jobs that will help him earn around .50/.75 cents a day and he is attracted to Gracie Williams (portrayed by Joan Leslie), who lives in town.
While Alvin does all he can to make money to purchase land, unfortunately, the land is sold to a rival and this leads Alvin to his lowest point.
While drunk and out riding his horse, his rifle is struck by lightning and he and his horse fall. Feeling that he has been given a second chance at life, he begins to start going to church and even teaching the bible and becomes a changed man.
His relationship with Gracie grows stronger and dreams of building a house for them to live.
But word comes that there is a draft in the US for younger people to sign up to fight for their country in the war.
But because of Alvin York’s religious beliefs, he does not want to become a soldier because war means people will need to be killed. And he will not kill anyone.
Pastor Rosier Pile does all he can to help Alvin in order to be dismissed from enlisting, but even on appeal, he is denied and Alvin York enlists in the Army.
But his superiors know that he is a “Conscientious Objector” due to his religious beliefs and even give him a hard time about it. But during training for soldiers to use their rifle, York shocks everyone when he is able to shoot the bullseye each time he shoots. The brass are impressed and want to make him a Corporal but because of his religious beliefs, once York goes to Europe to fight in World War II, can he stay true to his beliefs to not kill anyone?
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Sergeant York” is presented in black and white and English and Francais Dolby Digital 2.0. Subtitles are in English, Francais and Espanol.
I do hope that “Sergeant York” will be released on Blu-ray or 4K UHD someday.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Sergeant York” comes with an audio commentary by Jeanine Basinger, with two documentaries:Â “Sergeant York: Of God and Country” about the real Alvin York and interviews with surviving members of that time, Joan Leslie and June Lockhart and “Gary Cooper: American Life, American Legend” about the life and career of Cooper.
Also, included are the classic cartoon, “Porky’s Preview” and a vintage short “Lions for Sale”.
“Sergeant York” is one of those films that is magnificent, no matter how many decades have passed.
While certain scenes in the film are no doubt fictitious, the man that the film is based on, is inspiring and what York accomplished while in Europe during World War I, is true. He was no doubt a war hero, but also he was a man who had a bad conscious and he was forever bothered by being recognized for his accomplishments but most importantly, bothered that what he had gained and being praised for, was something he did not want to do and that was “to kill”.
For Cooper, what he did was necessary to stop the bloodshed that was happening around him, seeing his fellow soldiers being gunned down by the Germans in the machine gun nests and in order to stop the death toll, he had to make an important choice and and that was to use his excellent marksmanship skills and take out the enemy.
What he and his men did, saved a lot of lives and what he did was considered improbable but he did it. There is no disputing that and it earned him a hero’s welcome, when he returned back home.
But for York, people cheer for him and people respect him because of his heroic war efforts and for Alvin C. York, it was more of a reminder of something he did not want to do and it would be in his own conscience for the rest of his life.
I have to admit that when I watched this film, over an hour into the film, I was asking myself “Is this a war film?”. Because the first hour was focused on Alvin York, his relationship with his family and Gracie, but also how he became a religious man and most importantly, his upbringing in the backwoods, living in poverty and a world so different from what other Americans were living at the time.
Once the film does start to get into York enlisting in the Army and fighting in the war, I was quite impressed. While I’m not an erudite when it comes to Alvin C. York’s actual account, watching the included documentary, you realized what he accomplished was incredible.
“Sergeant York” truly is an amazing film directed by the legendary filmmaker Howard Hawks, with wonderful acting by Gary Cooper, who was most deserving of the Academy Award which he won for the film.
The film also starred three time Academy Award winner Walter Andrew Brennan, Joan Leslie in her first major role, a young June Lockhart before her “Lassie” and “Lost in Space” roles and “Our Gang” actor Dickie Moore and many more.
Overall, “Sergeant York” is a film I highly recommend. If you are into classic Hollywood war films, a military fan or even a Gary Cooper or Howard Hawks fan, it’s a film worth watching!