The Fighting 69th (1940)

Director:

William Keighley

Writers:

Norman Reilly Raine (original screenplay) &
Fred Niblo Jr. (original screenplay) ...

Release Date:

5 July 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Jammed With Action ! . . Loaded With Excitement ! . . . And Every Thrill-Packed Word Is True !

Plot:

Although loudmouthed braggart Jerry Plunkett alienates his comrades and officers, Father Duffy, the regimental chaplain, has faith that he'll prove himself in the end.

Plot Keywords:

Chaplain | Cowardice | Braggart | Faith | Poet

Cast

James Cagney	...	Private Jerry Plunkett
Pat O'Brien	...	Father Francis P. Duffy
George Brent	...	Major 'Wild Bill' Donovan
Jeffrey Lynn	...	Sergeant Joyce Kilmer
Alan Hale	...	Sergeant 'Big Mike' Wynn
Frank McHugh	...	Terence 'Crepe-Hanger' Burke
Dennis Morgan	...	Lieutenant Oliver Ames
Dick Foran	...	Lieutenant 'Long John' Wynn
William Lundigan	...	Private Timothy 'Timmy' Wynn
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Paddy Dolan
Henry O'Neill	...	The Colonel
John Litel	...	Captain Mangan
Sammy Cohen	...	Mike Murphy, an alias of Mischa Moskowitz
Harvey Stephens	...	Major Alex Anderson
William Hopper	...	Private Turner (as DeWolf Hopper)

Also Known As:

Father Duffy of the Fighting 69th (USA) (working title)
The Old 69th (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min | Finland:84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | Latin | Yiddish

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-15 (new rating: 2001) | Australia:G (TV rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #5756)

Filming Locations:

Providencia Ranch, Hollywood Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Charles Trowbridge is in studio records for the role of "Chaplain Holmes", and although the character is mentioned, he never appears. A modern source includes several cast members who never appear: Sol Gorss (Soldier), Creighton Hale, Benny Rubin, Eddie Acuff, Jack Mower, Nat Carr and Jack Wise.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After the skirmish in the woods, an "unconscious" German prisoner obligingly stands on his feet prior to being carried back to the American lines.

Quotes:

Terence 'Crepe-Hanger' Burke: An army's not an *army*, unless it *eats!* It's just a-a walking *famine!*

Movie Connections:

Featured in Warner at War (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

When Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Soldiers With Dirty Faces

This movie is a rehash of Angels With Dirty Faces but with grenades instead of electric chairs.

Father Nice Guy (Pat O Brien) offers Jerry Plunkett a solution to all of his cowardice. He should either be thrown onto a grenade or go to the electric chair.

Plunkett is not too keen on the electric chair ( His cousin, Cody Jarrett died screaming and begging on the way to one) so he figures if he's gonna die he'd better be dragged toward a live grenade.

Predictably, the moment comes and Plunkett's comrades drag him toward a live grenade and throw him onto it.

This has been done before and much better.