Movie Monday: A Walk in the Sun

Movie Monday: A Walk in the Sun

Released on December 3, 1945, A Walk in the Sun is based on a novel of the same name by Portland, Maine native, Harry Brown, a writer for Yank magazine. The story was serialized in October 1944 in Liberty Magazine. Robert Rossen wrote the screenplay which closely followed the novel. Rossen would later recommend Brown as a screenwriter which led to an award-winning career.

The film which takes place in 1943 and tells the story of a platoon that lands in Salerno, Italy with a mission to blow up a bridge, was initially produced by Samuel Bronston at the request of his friend, actor Burgess Meredith. Unfortunately, there were financial issues, and production closed down for a period of time before being taken over by Superior Productions. Bronston later sued and was awarded a portion of the film’s profits.

Because it was a war film, a technical advisor was brought in to ensure accuracy. The man selected was Colonel Thomas Drake who’d risen in the ranks from private to sergeant during the first world war, then commanded an infantry division at the Battle of Kasserine Pass. He was captured during the battle and eventually returned to the US as part of a prisoner exchange with the Germans.

Hollywood had to “make do,” and experts will notice an American half-track painted as a German half-

track and P-51s standing in for German aircraft among other “discrepancies.” Once complete, the film had to be shown to the Army for approval. Authorities requested two changes which I found quite interesting:

• The addition of a briefing scene that explained the platoon’s mission. According to Wikipedia, the army “believed the film gave the impression the platoon meandered about without an objective.” Ultimately, the platoon sergeant reminds his men about the briefing while in the landing craft.
• The addition of a remark in the beginning of the film explaining why the bazooka was not used during the attack on the farmhouse. Would the general public really have noticed that?

The movie stars Dana Andrews who is perhaps most well-known for his part as the detective in the 1944 noir film, Laura. A Walk in the Sun was his twentieth picture, and over the course of his career he appeared in over fifty as well as dozens of television shows. Additional cast members include Richard Conte, John Ireland, Lloyd Bridges, and Sterling Holloway. Burgess Meredith narrated the film.

Have you seen this classic?

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The American World War II Home Front in 29 Objects:

Unlike Europe the American mainland escaped physical devastation during World War II as it was not subjected to full-scale invasions. However, that didn’t mean the United States wasn’t impacted by the war. The ramifications of large economic, cultural, and societal changes forced Americans to reconsider entrenched beliefs and traditions.

Artifacts collected from across the nation tell the stories of the American people whose lives were shaped by this second “war to end all wars,” World War II.

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/47pLxR

Photo Credits:

Movie Poster: By Illustrator unknown. "Copyright 1945 Twentieth Century–Fox Film Corp." - Scan via Heritage Auctions.  Public Domain.

Movie Stills: Twentieth Century Fox