During WWII aviator
training in California, my dad gave a lift to a hitchhiking Van Johnson in his
car. Well, of course that encounter was
a real long term memory because even though the war was not over Van was making
a name for himself in film. I just
re-watched “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo” in which Van played real life Doolittle
Raider - Ted Lawson. He had an amazing
career and I bet if you like the old war movies you have watched him a time or
two.
The Van Johnson War
Posted on May 29, 2011
In honor of Memorial
Day, I wanted to share some of my favorite war movies. But there’s a catch…they all star Van
Johnson.
It’s no denying that Van
Johnson was one of the most sought-after actors on the MGM lot during World War
II. Big names like James Stewart, Clark Gable and Mickey Rooney were overseas
fighting the war.
Van Johnson trying
to make scrambled eggs in his helmet in “Battleground” (1949)
But Van Johnson wasn’t
able to get in on the action. A car accident during the filming of “A Guy Named
Joe” left him with a metal plate in his head which omitted him from going
overseas to fight.
I do like other
war movies besides ones that star Van Johnson. My undying love for Van isn’t
the reason I’m dedicating this post to him, but because the films that Van
made give a wide variety of the different aspects of war.
War Abroad:
A Guy Named Joe (1943): The infamous movie that made Mr. Johnson a star and oddly
paired him as Irene Dunne’s love interest. Bomber Pilot Pete, Spencer
Tracey, dies on a mission and becomes the guardian angel for a young pilot
named Ted. Pete helps Ted fly difficult missions and gives him his
blessing as Ted starts to romance Pete’s old girlfriend Dorinda-played by Irene
Dunne. Not one character is named Joe in this movie. The title comes from
American soldiers nicknamed “Joe.” Filming was halted when Van had his car
accident. It took three months until he could return but Spencer Tracey
insisted that they keep him in the film. To Review: It’s
a good movie and you get a glimpse of Esther Williams in one of her first roles
(not swimming). I will say, Spencer Tracey does ALOT of talking. Not a bad
thing, it can just get tiring.
Phyllis Thaxter and
Van Johnson as Ellen and Ted Lawson in “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo”
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
(1944): The true story about
Dolittle’s raid on Tokyo after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story follows
Van Johnson playing real-life soldier Ted Lawson. Lawson and the rest of the
men, including actors Robert Walker, Don DeFore and young Robert Mitchum, train
for the mission and then drop bombs on Tokyo. There are several scenes in
the movie of Lawson marrying his wife Ellen, played by Phyllis Thaxter, their
last times together and him remembering her. This may seem cheesy sometimes
with lines like Him: “How did you get to be so cute?” Her: “I had to be if I
was going to get such a good lookin’ fella.” But you have to consider the
context. In Lawson’s book, he said the only way he got through the war was
thinking about his wife. To review: This is one of my favorite World
War II movies. Very patriotic, interesting, exciting and Van Johnson.
Dolittle’s troops also trained at Lake Murray which is about an hour and a half
from my house.
Battleground (1949): What can I say about my favorite war movie of all time?
Van Johnson is a bit older and not just the fresh-faced innocent soldier. This
time he’s a bit more cynical and has seen a lot more life as his character
Holley. The innocent kid in this movie is played by Marshall Thompson. This is
a star-studded film with actors like George Murphy, Ricardo Montalbon, John
Hodiak and James Whitmore. The soldiers are fighting the Battle of the Bulge
and dealing with heavy fog and lack of supplies. Since this film wasn’t made
during the war, it isn’t as glitteringly patriotic. The soldiers are cynical,
mockingly saying, “I found a home in the Army” and you watch the new recruits
change from wide-eyed babes to hardened non-believers. To review: I’ve
heard that this is one of the films that veterans consider the most accurate
when it comes to World War 2 movies. It’s my favorite war movie as well as one
of my favorite films. I don’t just like it for the lineup of attractive male
stars but also the realism. The soldiers get downtrodden and tired. It’s
exciting and nail-biting at times while other times make you want to cry. I
think my favorite part is Leon Ames’ Christmas sermon about the “$64 question”
if the men felt that the war was necessary or not.
War on the Homefront:
War Against Mrs. Hadley (1942): Van Johnson has a very small role, but never the less the
film is great. The wealthy Mrs. Stella Hadley (Fay Bainter) thinks
she is above the war and that everyone is making a fuss about nothing.
The attack on Pearl Harbor ruined her birthday and her family has the nerve to
volunteer to help with the war effort. The widow thinks her husband’s status as
a newspaper publisher will keep her son away from the fighting and keep her
daughter away from canteens. She thinks she can work her way out of
blackouts and rationing with the help of her government friends in Washington.
However, Mrs. Hadley finds that even money can’t get you a break in the war.
Van Johnson plays a young serviceman that Mrs. Hadley’s daughter, Pat (Jean
Rogers), meets while volunteering at a canteen. They marry and mother
disapproves. To review: I love this movie. Fay Bainter
does a terrific job. Though Van has a small role, I think it illustrates how
everyone wasn’t for the war when it started. I think it delivers a great
message, even today. A country isn’t solely going to serve its people. You have
to pitch in too.
The Human Comedy (1943): This is another early Van Johnson film. Mickey Rooney is
really the star here. Fay Bainter (nice in this one) plays the mother of Mickey
Rooney, Van Johnson, Butch Jenkins and Donna Reed. Her husband has recently
died and Van is leaving to go fight in the war. The movie really shows how
small-town life functioned during the war. Young Mickey Rooney helps old Frank
Morgan run the telegraph office. Donna Reed and her friends go to the movies
with soldiers that may never come home from overseas. To review: It’s
a really poignant view of small-town American life during the war. Sometimes
it’s beautiful and other times tragic. War movies don’t just have to be about
the Pacific and European theaters. Wars also affect people at home. This paints
an excellent, innocent portrait of this.
Who should Van
choose? Gloria or June?
Two Girls and a Sailor (1944): The plot is very simple. June Allyson and Gloria De Haven
are the Deyo Sisters, daughters of vaudeville parents. When they grow up they
start their own nightclub act and entertain soldiers in their home after the
show. A mysterious stranger donates an old warehouse to the girls so they can
start a top-notch canteen. Performers like Jose Iturbi, Xavier Cugat, Lena
Horne and Harry James all come and perform at this club. Van Johnson is the
sailor torn between the two girls with soldier Tom Drake as his
competition. The whole time the girls are trying to figure out who
their mysterious donor is. To review: No one ever said every movie had
to be as serious as “War and Peace.” This movie’s plot may be as light as a
feather but it is so much fun. It’s actually one of my favorite movies. Lots of
great musical performances and sweet moments. The movie shows how people
wanted to entertain and help soldiers on leave and unselfishly let them into
their homes.
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