Hollywood 1943 vs. Hollywood 2003

06-14-03 | Unknown

[ProudEagle]

What were the entertainers of 1943 doing 60 years ago?

The Entertainers of 2003 have been in all of the news media lately. it seems Newspaper, Television and Radio has been more than ready to put them and their message before the public.

I would like to remind the people of what the entertainers of 1943 were doing, (60 years ago). Most of these brave men have since passed on.

Alec Guinness (Star Wars) operated a British Royal Navy landing craft on D-Day.

James Doohan ("Scotty" on Star Trek) landed in Normandy with the U.S. Army on D-Day.

Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was a R.A.F. pilot who was shot down, held prisoner and tortured by the Germans.

David Niven was a Sandhurst graduate and Lt. Colonel of the British Commandos in Normandy.

James Stewart flew 20 missions as a B-24 pilot in Europe.

Clark Gable (Mega-Movie Star when war broke out) was a waist gunner flying missions on a B-17 in Europe.

Charlton Heston was an Army Air Corps Sergeant in Kodiak.

Earnest Borgnine was a U.S. Navy Gunners Mate 1935-1945.

Charles Durning was a U.S. Army Ranger at Normandy.

Charles Bronson was a tail gunner in the Army Air Corps.

George C. Scott was a U.S. Marine.

Eddie Albert (Green Acres TV) was awarded a Bronze Star for his heroic action as a U.S. Naval officer aiding Marines at the horrific battle on the island of Tarawa in the Pacific Nov.1943.

Brian Keith served as a Marine rear gunner in several actions against the Japanese on Rabal in the Pacific.

Lee Marvin was a marine on Saipan when he was wounded.

John Russell was a Marine on Guadalcanal.

Robert Ryan was a U.S. Marine who served with the O.S.S. in Yugoslavia.

Tyrone Power (an established movie star when Pearl Harbor was bombed) joined the Marines, was a pilot flying supplies into, and wounded Marines out of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

Audie Murphy , little guy from Texas, Most Decorated serviceman of WWII.

I wish I had room to tell you more about Actor Sterling Hayden and an actor by the name of Peter J. Ortiz (Twelve O'clock High, Rio Grande and The Wings of Eagles), but this would turn into a book.

There is quite a huge gap between the heroics and patriotism in 1943 and the posturing of the Hollywood crowd of today.

Think about this every time you are tempted to go to the movies or go to a concert!! You won't be missing much. After all, what have they done to enrich our society by promoting their immorality in their "work" as well as their real lives?

~Author Unknown

[ProudEagle]

Speaks for itself.

[Ruth A.]

Mega bump.

[Restorer]

Unless I'm confused, David Niven was a British Commando.

[skr]

Aaargh, I wish the writer had continued! What about Sterling Hayden and Peter J. Ortiz?! I always thought Mr. Bornine looked at home on a Navy boat.

Oh yes, the difference between then and now is absolutely incredible. At least Bruce willis tried to enlist. I'm thankful that I can watch the movies which not only had real stars/actors but even better, real Americans.

[umgud]

Bob Hope as well as many other stars went to the troops directly and entertained them and supported them. I remember Raymond Burr went to great lengths in Nam to support the troops in a very personal and one-on-one way..

Contrast that with the currrent crowd.

[Tacis]

That's all well and good. These were young men who were of little importance in Hollywood, at the time. Then, as now, Hollywood was run by commies, folks who wanted America destroyed. The reason for all the anti-German posturing (once Germany and Russia were no longer allies) was that Germany was Russia's greatest threat. Hollywood and other US commies jumped on the anti-German bandwagon, not because they were anti-German, but because they had orders from their commie cells to protect mother Russia.

Socialist power in the US is still found in Hollywood, union leadership, and the Conyers wing of the democratic party. They are as dangerous today as they were then.

[somemoreequalthanothers]

I would like to add, to anyone familiar with the old western "Laredo" .....Neville Brand was, I think, the second most decorated serviceman in WWII

[mombonn]

Then, as now, Hollywood was run by commies, folks who wanted America destroyed.

Amen to your entire post. I would add that hollyweird has always pushed the envelope where the rest of the country is concerned.

Consider, for example, how scandalous "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" was considered at the time.

Aaahhh, for the good old days!

[liberallarry]

These were young men who were of little importance in Hollywood, at the time

Of those listed Clark Gable, Tyrone Power and James Stewart were major stars in 1941 - Gable was in fact at the top of the heap. Sterling Hayden and David Niven may also have had name recognition.

There were others - actors, writers, directors, camera people - not here listed who also served with distinction.

Get your facts straight before you start slinging mud.

[skr]

James Stewart was doing well (made Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in 1935 and earned an Academy Award in 1940 for The Philadelphia Story) and as was Clark Gable, who was already the King of Hollywood. His marriage to Carole Lombard "...ended abruptly and tragically in January 1942, when Lombard was killed in an airplane crash as she was returning from a hugely successful trip to her home state of Indiana to sell war bonds. Inconsolable, Gable enlisted in the army as a private at the age of forty-one and completed the rigorous training at Officer Candidate School. He became a tail gunner on a bomber in England, and, as a result of his wartime assignment to make a recruiting film for the air force, he flew several dangerous missions over Germany, causing some to suspect that after Lombard's death he cared little whether he lived or died. He served with distinction and returned to Hollywood in 1944." From http://www.elmhurst.edu:8413/articles/18/18-00427.html

[liberallarry]

Then, as now, Hollywood was run by commies, folks who wanted America destroyed

The studio owners - who ran Hollywood - were first and foremost business men. They never were communists and in fact were ardent patriots.

You're complaining about the creative people - artists - who traditionally the world over were (and are) generally bohemians and non-conformists.

Your ignorant smears are truly disgusting.

[Little Bill]

Highland Light Infantry====>Player======>60th Rifles======>5th Commando, Majors command companies in the British Army, Battalion CO?

[aristeides]

John Ford was not a nonentity in Hollywood at the time. He had already directed Stagecoach and How Green Was My Valley. Nevertheless, he served in the U.S. Navy as a captain during the war.

[DoughtyOne]

While I do feel that your comments have more than a glimmer of truth with regard to movers and shakers behind the scenes in Hollywood 1943, more than a few of the people you mentioned were giants before they answered "duty's call".

Major baseball players left thriving careers and cush positions to join the services. Some of them left knowing that their lifetime achievements in their chosen profession would never be realized if they left. Those who's lifetime achivement records involved those years, did so with shortened careers, so much more remarkable their performance.

This group in Hollyweird today is a vacant shell of what it was in 1943. In many ways our whole society is.

The "Entertainment Tonight" type shows make me ill. The idolization of the present day entertainers is so ill-placed it bears no attachment to reality at all.

These people are made to be out and out gods. Nope, not this guy. I like some of them and their roles. However I do have a life.

[grannyc]

And then there was Lew Ayres who was a true conscientous objector who served willingly as a medic and never carried a gun. I am a Senior Citizen, but think my memory is correct on this one.

[Little Bill]

James Stewart....

My Father in Law was in the same unit as Stewart, his crew loved him. Wouldn't take a promotion unless every man was promoted also, calm and brave.

[Revolting cat!]

Poorly written ("Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was". Why really?!), poorly thought out, but at least somewhat provocative. The diffference, you foolish Anonymous author, is not just in Hollywood, but all around us. Hollywood then and today reflects the tenor of the entire culture, and it (the culture) is now dominated by infantile neo-marxist ideas. That is what you should address!

[aristeides]

Jimmy Stewart was a bomber pilot, wasn't he? That was one of the most dangerous jobs.

[monkey]

Poorly written ("Donald Pleasance (The Great Escape) really was". Why really?!),

Because, in the The Great Escape, he plays Flight Lieutenant (and forger) Colin Blythe. The movie is about prisoners escaping from a German POW camp.

[Little Bill]

Lew Ayres was black listed as a commie, Sterling Hayden, was also a commie I think there is a book, "Hollywood Party"(?), that documents this era. I have it somewhere, good read, if I can Find it.

Bravery goes with the man not the politics, but I wonder how it would have been if the Berlin-Moscow Axis survived..