{"id":75670,"date":"2021-09-02T13:46:37","date_gmt":"2021-09-02T20:46:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75670"},"modified":"2022-02-21T23:29:28","modified_gmt":"2022-02-22T06:29:28","slug":"sergeant-york-1941","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75670","title":{"rendered":"Sergeant York (1941)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I figured them guns was killin&#8217; hundreds, maybe thousands, and there weren&#8217;t nothin&#8217; anybody could do, but to stop them guns.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster-193x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-75671\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster-193x300.png 193w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster-659x1024.png 659w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster-82x128.png 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster-174x270.png 174w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Poster.png 707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWith support from his preacher (Walter Brennan), his mother (Margaret Wycherly), and his sweetheart (Joan Leslie), a hard-drinking backwoods farmer becomes a devoutly faithful pacifist, refusing to join World War I until he has no other choice &#8212; but once he enters the military, he begins to understand the value of his sharpshooting skills at protecting his compatriots from harm.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Biopics<\/li>\n<li>Character Arc<\/li>\n<li>Gary Cooper Films<\/li>\n<li>Howard Hawks Films<\/li>\n<li>Joan Leslie Films<\/li>\n<li>Walter Brennan Films<\/li>\n<li>Ward Bond Films<\/li>\n<li>World War I<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nGary Cooper won a Best Actor Oscar for his leading role in this biopic about <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Alvin_York\">one of the greatest &#8212; and perhaps most unusual &#8212; war heroes in American history<\/a>. Cooper actually starred in two other major films that year &#8212; <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16314\"><em>Meet John Doe<\/em> (1941)<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=45431\"><em>Ball of Fire<\/em> (1941)<\/a> &#8212; and in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>, Peary gives Cooper the award for the latter instead, stating that he believes he &#8220;gave a much better performance&#8221; (his personal favorite of Cooper&#8217;s career) playing bookish Professor Potts. As humble Alvin York, however, Cooper also seems perfectly cast (if perhaps typecast); it was interesting learning that Cooper had to be persuaded (by York himself, who wanted no one else to portray him!) to take the role. He convincingly holds his dialect while playing both a farmer: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer-1024x748.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75678\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer-1024x748.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer-768x561.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-Farmer.png 1401w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and a soldier: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-1024x751.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"469\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-1024x751.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-768x563.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper-368x270.png 368w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cooper.png 1397w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the film is overlong at 2 1\/4 hours, and the first half+ &#8212; with its focus on saintly Brennan&#8217;s influence: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3-1024x747.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"467\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75676\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3-1024x747.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3-768x561.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3-370x270.png 370w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Brennan3.png 1407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; Cooper&#8217;s intention to purchase land and marry Leslie: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie-1024x751.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"469\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75682\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie-1024x751.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie-768x564.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie-368x270.png 368w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Leslie.png 1405w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and his mother&#8217;s firm guidance (Wycherly &#8212; best known as <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36525\">&#8220;Ma&#8221; in <em>White Heat<\/em><\/a> &#8212; was certainly a distinctive character actor!): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5-1024x749.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"468\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5-1024x749.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5-768x562.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5-369x270.png 369w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Ma5.png 1409w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; is much less compelling than the second half, when we see York&#8217;s casual yet calculated brilliance in action: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys-1024x746.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"466\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75675\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys-1024x746.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys-768x559.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys-371x270.png 371w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Just-Like-A-Flock-of-Turkeys.png 1407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>With that said, film fanatics will likely be interested to see this movie given its historical significance as a film York agreed to finally see made simply to help out the efforts of WWII; as DVD Savant describes the film: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;Howard Hawks&#8217; advocacy movie is an outgrowth of the 30s Warners tradition of taking hard liberal attitudes toward social problems. It&#8217;s an unusually complicated example of filmmaking, restating history to make a statement about pressing contemporary problems. It&#8217;s beautifully filmed, emotionally honest and exactly right for 1941.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/bF6ekNLJ53c\">this podcast episode<\/a> for a comparison of the movie with real life events; they&#8217;re remarkably close, actually. And this bit of trivia (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0034167\/trivia?item=tr1900055\">courtesy of IMDb<\/a>) was moving to read: <\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Alvin C. York himself was on the set for a few days during filming. When one of the crew members tactlessly asked him how many &#8220;Jerries&#8221; he had killed, York started sobbing so vehemently he threw up. The crew member was nearly fired, but the next day, York demanded that he keep his job.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Talk about living your beliefs. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fine direction and cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography-1024x745.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"466\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75672\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography-1024x745.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography-300x218.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography-768x558.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography-371x270.png 371w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Cinematography.png 1415w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3-1024x687.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"429\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75673\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3-1024x687.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3-300x201.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3-128x86.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3-768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3-402x270.png 402w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-CInematography3.png 1521w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5-1024x756.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-75674\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5-1024x756.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5-300x221.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5-768x567.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5-366x270.png 366w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Sergeant-York-Still5.png 1405w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, once, for its historical significance and Cooper&#8217;s Oscar win. Listed as a Sleeper in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1458\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0034167\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/1386\/sergeant-york#articles-reviews?articleId=21799\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s2162york.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/historyonfilm.com\/sgt-york\/\">History on Film Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I figured them guns was killin&#8217; hundreds, maybe thousands, and there weren&#8217;t nothin&#8217; anybody could do, but to stop them guns.&#8221; Synopsis: With support from his preacher (Walter Brennan), his mother (Margaret Wycherly), and his sweetheart (Joan Leslie), a hard-drinking backwoods farmer becomes a devoutly faithful pacifist, refusing to join World War I until he has no other choice &#8212; but once he enters the military, he begins to understand the value of his sharpshooting skills at protecting his compatriots&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=75670\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=75670"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81617,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75670\/revisions\/81617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=75670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=75670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=75670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}