The Fighting 69th
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about a 1940 film. For the actual infantry unit, see 69th Infantry Regiment (United States).
| The Fighting 69th | |
|---|---|
 VHS cover. |
|
| Directed by | William Keighley |
| Produced by | Louis F. Edelman Hal B. Wallis |
| Written by | Norman Reilly Raine Fred Niblo, Jr. |
| Starring | James Cagney Pat O'Brien George Brent Dennis Morgan Alan Hale, Sr. |
| Music by | Adolph Deutsch |
| Cinematography | Tony Gaudio |
| Editing by | Owen Marks |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
| Release date(s) |  January 26, 1940 |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Country | US |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Fighting 69th (1940) is an American war film starring James Cagney, Pat O'Brien, and George Brent. The plot is based upon the actual exploits of New York's 69th Infantry Regiment during the First World War. The regiment was first given that nickname by opposing General Robert E. Lee during the Civil War.
The plot centers on misfit Jerry Plunkett, played by Cagney, and his inability to fit into the unit due to a mixture of bravado and cowardice. O'Brien plays Father Francis P. Duffy, a military chaplain who attempts to reform Plunkett. "Wild Bill" Donovan, played by Brent, is the regimental commander, who ultimately orders Plunkett to be court-martialed. One of the characters portrayed in this film is Sgt. Joyce Kilmer, the poet. Alan Hale, Sr. plays Sgt Wynn, who loses both his brothers due to Cagney's blunders.
While Jerry Plunkett was a fictional character, Father Duffy, Colonel Donovan and Joyce Kilmer were all part of the actual regiment.
[edit] Cast
- James Cagney as Jerry Plunkett
- Pat O'Brien as Father Francis P. Duffy
- George Brent as Major "Wild Bill" Donovan
- Jeffrey Lynn as Sergeant Joyce Kilmer
- Alan Hale, Sr. as Sergeant 'Big Mike' Wynn
- Frank McHugh as Terence 'Crepe-Hanger' Burke
- Dennis Morgan as Lieutenant Oliver Ames
- Dick Foran as Lieutenant 'Long John' Wynn
- William Lundigan as Private Timothy 'Timmy' Wynn
- Guinn Williams as Paddy Dolan
- Henry O'Neill as The Colonel
- John Litel as Captain Mangan
- Sammy Cohen as Mike Murphy, an alias of Mischa Moskowitz
- Harvey Stephens as Major Alex Anderson
- William Hopper as Private Turner
- Tom Dugan as Private McManus
- Frank Wilcox as Lieutenant John Norman
