Two Movies seen on TCM: Gentleman's Agreement (1947) and To Hell and Back (1955)

I've been hooked on TCM for years now. I just always remember being a fan of Humphrey Bogart, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, James (Jimmy) Steward, John Wayne, and many many more. Around a decade ago, I used to do some reviews of movies I saw on TCM. I figured I'd start it up again. If you're interested, click on through.

  

Gentleman's Agreement (1947). The movie is about a highly regarded West Coast journalist (Philip Green played by Gregory Peck) who is hired by a a New York magazine. His first assignment is to look into the anti-Semitism in the city. After not being able to find an enticing angle for the story, it finally hits him that maybe he should start living life like he is Jewish. 

This double life is something that is well used in Hollywood movies in those days as well as now adays. For example, there is Sullivan's Travels (1941) where a Hollywood director lives life as a homeless person.  

The movie explores the various anti-Semitic moments that Green goes through. He falls for the magazine owner's niece, Kathy Lacey (he is a widower and she is divorced, which is sort of an interest subject matter for a 1947 movie). Though she is actually the person who proposed the idea to her uncle, she herself has concerns about the idea of Green acting like he is Jewish. Soon after they start dating, they become engaged and her sister invites them to their home to celebrate. Lacey tells Green that she wants to tell her sister that he really isn't Jewish so that there aren't any negative reactions. At another point, Green's son Tommy is attacked by other children who call him nasty names. He is also visited by his World War II veteran friend Dave Goldman, who is Jewish, and sees how his friend is treated by others even when he is in uniform. 

One big problem I have with the movie is who Green eventually ends up with in terms of a romantic relationship. He initially falls for the woman who comes from a wealthy background, Kathy Lacey. Later, as they have their conflicts around how he is attempting to pass himself off as Jewish (more because of how it could impact her life) another individual comes into the picture, the magazine's fashion editor Anne Dettrey. Yet, in the end, he continues his relationship with Lacey. We all have our biases so I'm not saying that Lacey is a bad person. It just seems to me that he had a lot more in common (when it comes to social justice) with Dettrey. 

The movie ended up getting 8 Academy Awards and winning three: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Director. 

To Hell and Back (1955). The movie is based on the true story of World War II hero Audie Murphy. He was the most decorated American soldier in World War II. As crazy as it might seem, he plays himself in the movie. 

The movie starts out prior to the war where Audie Murphy drops out of school at around 12 years old to support his mother and siblings. A few years later, World War II breaks out and he joins the military while still only 17 years old. Based on the movie, he is rejected by the marines and navy who all seem to realize that he wasn't 18 years old. Eventually, the army takes him. Wikipedia takes a slightly different angle, which is that his oldest sister lied about his birth date.

The movie follows his army unit as they initially start fighting in Africa. They then end up fighting in Italy and France (after D-Day). Another small discrepancy in the movie is that he is promoted to first lieutenant before the final battle of the movie in Holtzwihr, France. Once again, per Wikipedia, he was promoted after that battle. 

What I enjoyed about the movie is that it gave small little hints about why the Americans and Germans were fighting in a certain way. One of those moments was during the fighting in Italy. The Americans had control of a two story farm house. The Germans were able to push the Americans out of the house. The Americans with Murphy attempted to re-take the house. An American soldier wondered out loud why they were trying to take back the house instead of just destroying it, which would result in less American casualties. A brief explanation is given: both sides wanted to control the house, because it provided a vantage point to see what the enemy was doing. 

I have to suspect that the movie inspired other Hollywood movies. During a battle over a river front, the Germans have these military weapons that look like a mix between artillery and tanks. It reminded me of the AAT Battle Tanks that were used by the Trade Federation in Star Wars Episodes I - III. The final battle of the movie (Holtwihr) reminded me of a Rambo movie. Murphy jumps atop a burning tank and fights off German infantry. The movie seems to imply that the fighting lasted only a few minutes, but Wikipedia states that he did this for an hour. While watching the movie, I was rather sure that this was just a nice Hollywood final battle scene. But know, it really did happen -- maybe not exactly like the movie, but probably close enough.