. . . while the other was sentenced to eight years in the White House shooting gallery. That's the story of THE REAR GUNNER, where Burgess Meredith is blasting away at the Enemy, and Ronald Reagan is just his pilot, along for the ride. It is men like Meredith's R.E.L.A. "Peewee" Williams who are presented as the REAL war heroes, "the budding Galahads of Gunnery." Though some of these "Freedom Fighters" seem to be in it primarily to improve their odds of winning carnival midway shooting gallery Kewpie doll prizes (like PeeWee's classmate, "Benny"), most of these "flexible gunners" were too small to make their high school football teams, making them the perfect fit for the cramped quarters of the B-24 bomber gunnery positions. PeeWee wins a Distinguished Service Medal for his success in launching sneak attacks from the rear position. He's shown here bringing down several Japanese Zero fighter planes, thanks to his boyhood pursuit of gunning down "black killer" crows in Kansas. (The latter were decimating the duck population.) One might sum up by saying that PeeWee won one (or two, or three) for the Gipper.
12 Reviews
Shoot Straight.
rmax30482312 February 2017
Interesting and informative brief war-time documentary that takes through aerial gunnery school with a Kansas boy, Burgess Meredith, who learned how to shoot by downing crows that were eating his crops. Ronald Reagan is the captain who encourages him. Tom Neal is an instructor. Classmate Dane Clark is as close as the production should get to a stereotypical New York wise guy.
It's not bad, for what it is. I believe there is a feature film floating around in the ether starring Chester Morris in "Aerial Gunner." It covers much of the same ground as this training camp film but is mucked up with an unnecessary romance and equally gratuitous conflict among the men.
You know why it's interesting? Because every young boy wants to shoot a gun. They don't necessarily want to kill anyone. They just want to hit a target with a projectile. The dynamics of baseball are identical. The bat moves; the ball moves; and you try to hit one with the other. Golf likewise involves making a projectile (the golf ball) move to its target (the little hole in the ground with the flag sticking out of it). Bocce ball and darts ditto.
There's no drama in the film. It's not like Randall Jarell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner."
"From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose."
This is a flag waver from beginning to end and the viewer has to put up with a bit of corn, but the film isn't long. And it does have an educational narrative.
It's not bad, for what it is. I believe there is a feature film floating around in the ether starring Chester Morris in "Aerial Gunner." It covers much of the same ground as this training camp film but is mucked up with an unnecessary romance and equally gratuitous conflict among the men.
You know why it's interesting? Because every young boy wants to shoot a gun. They don't necessarily want to kill anyone. They just want to hit a target with a projectile. The dynamics of baseball are identical. The bat moves; the ball moves; and you try to hit one with the other. Golf likewise involves making a projectile (the golf ball) move to its target (the little hole in the ground with the flag sticking out of it). Bocce ball and darts ditto.
There's no drama in the film. It's not like Randall Jarell's "The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner."
"From my mother's sleep I fell into the State, And I hunched in its belly till my wet fur froze. Six miles from earth, loosed from its dream of life, I woke to black flak and the nightmare fighters. When I died they washed me out of the turret with a hose."
This is a flag waver from beginning to end and the viewer has to put up with a bit of corn, but the film isn't long. And it does have an educational narrative.
Short on height, long on ambition
nickenchuggets28 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Rear Gunner is a good example of how the american film industry did its part to make sure america was victorious in the second world war. During the war, studios made huge numbers of features and short films just like this, intended to either boost morale among enlisted men or to just entertain them. Some of them, like Frank Capra's Why We Fight series, were specifically made to be viewed by those already in the military. Rear Gunner is pretty cheesy and not as informative as you might think, so it is just meant to be a source of entertainment for pilots and airmen. The film, not even a half hour in length, focuses on "Pee Wee" Williams (Burgess Meredith), a newly enlisted man from the heart of america who wants to be part of a bomber plane's crew. At first, his job is just to fix the planes after they receive damage from being shot at during their missions, but it is boring. Williams' superior officer, Lieutenant Ames (Ronald Reagan) offers him a new job as a gunner. His new work revolves around training to shoot down enemy planes, because the men responsible for firing the guns on the aircraft are the ones who will bring everyone home safely. Williams undergoes rigorous training, starting with shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun on a range. After this, he is sent to participate in a 5 week gunnery class in which he learns how to identify several different types of enemy aircraft, how to shoot targets at night using glowing, magnesium-coated bullets, how to shoot moving targets, and even how to clear a jammed machine gun. Williams' last duty at flight school is climbing into the rear seat of a single engine plane and shooting targets towed by other planes at a height of 10 thousand feet. Finally, his class is completed and Williams graduates. Now he fights for real. He is assigned to being the gunner on a B-24 bomber, fighting the japanese in the pacific. Williams' position on the aircraft is the turret located right on the tail, and he must fend off enemy planes using two .50 caliber machine guns. He manages to shoot down one enemy aircraft, and on a different mission, his plane is swarmed by japanese A6M Zeros after the bomber's pilot (Ames) bombs an enemy aircraft carrier. Williams once again springs into action, spewing hot lead at the approaching flying machines. Some of the enemy planes manage to destroy the bomber's engines, forcing the pilot to land. As the plane comes to a halt, everyone piles out and runs for cover, but the last plane keeps strafing and shooting up and down the whole area. After one pass, Williams climbs back into the rear turret of the bomber and aims his guns skyward. The Zero explodes and the crew is now safe. In the end, Williams (now a corporal) arrives at a ceremony and is awarded a medal for his fearlessness and devotion to his crew mates while under attack from enemy forces. There's not too much else to say about this film, other than that it's nothing really amazing. I wasn't really expecting it to have a plot, but the producers probably made Meredith play an ordinary person from the rural US to show how people from all over america answered the country's call when the time came to enlist. I've seen better short films than this, but if something is related to world war 2, I will probably watch it. It's also worth noting Burgess Meredith was an actual pilot during the war and achieved the rank of captain.
Pee Wee is itching to see action.
planktonrules14 September 2020
During WWII, various studios made short films for the US military--both to be shown to the American public and to soldiers serving on the front. And, in many of them, various Hollywood actors who were in the service starred in these pictures. Here, Burgess Meredith, Ronald Reagan, Dane Clark and Tom Neal all contribute to making this film for the war effort.
Meredith plays Pee Wee Williams, a private who hates working on the ground crew for the US Army Air Corps and eventually he gets a chance to to to gunnery school, as he wants to be a gunner on one of the bombers. Now it's never said in the film, but this was one of the most dangerous assignments during the war, as tons of bomber crews were killed...and had Pee Wee been thinking only of his life, he would have stayed working with the ground crew! But the film is supposed to encourage patriotism and sacrifice, so Pee Wee is eager and excels during his time in gunnery school and eventually joins the crew of a B-24 bomber.
While many propaganda shorts are high on patriotism and terrible on realism, this one actually is very well made and lacks the over the top jingoism you might expect. My only complaints are minor...such as the use of grainy stock footage late in the story and the relative easy the gunners seemed to have in knocking own Japanese fighter planes. Otherwise, it holds up well when seen today.
By the way, most of the 'Japanese' fighter planes in the film were actually American A-6 Texans, a slow plane used to train pilots.
Meredith plays Pee Wee Williams, a private who hates working on the ground crew for the US Army Air Corps and eventually he gets a chance to to to gunnery school, as he wants to be a gunner on one of the bombers. Now it's never said in the film, but this was one of the most dangerous assignments during the war, as tons of bomber crews were killed...and had Pee Wee been thinking only of his life, he would have stayed working with the ground crew! But the film is supposed to encourage patriotism and sacrifice, so Pee Wee is eager and excels during his time in gunnery school and eventually joins the crew of a B-24 bomber.
While many propaganda shorts are high on patriotism and terrible on realism, this one actually is very well made and lacks the over the top jingoism you might expect. My only complaints are minor...such as the use of grainy stock footage late in the story and the relative easy the gunners seemed to have in knocking own Japanese fighter planes. Otherwise, it holds up well when seen today.
By the way, most of the 'Japanese' fighter planes in the film were actually American A-6 Texans, a slow plane used to train pilots.
"The fire from your guns is the fire of freedom!"
boblipton8 June 2019
Here's another of the seemingly hundreds of short subjects that Warner Brothers produced during the Second World War. It touts the training of a specialized sort of soldier, the tail gunner of the Army Air Corps, in the person of that short, unassuming Everyman, Burgess Meredith.
There is considerable talent in this propaganda short: Ray Enright, who directed, was one of the workhorse directors of Warner Brothers throughout the 1930s, adept at comedy, westerns and musicals. During the War, he made some fine war features in between shorts like this.; it require two cinematographer, James Van Tree and three-times-Oscar-nominated Ted McCord; and the cast includes Ronald Reagan and Dane Clark.
It's a high-speed and rousing short subject, aimed not just at educating the American public, but letting them know that their sons were doing an important job in the coming victory.
There is considerable talent in this propaganda short: Ray Enright, who directed, was one of the workhorse directors of Warner Brothers throughout the 1930s, adept at comedy, westerns and musicals. During the War, he made some fine war features in between shorts like this.; it require two cinematographer, James Van Tree and three-times-Oscar-nominated Ted McCord; and the cast includes Ronald Reagan and Dane Clark.
It's a high-speed and rousing short subject, aimed not just at educating the American public, but letting them know that their sons were doing an important job in the coming victory.
Historical Comment
TxReb26 November 2006
The Aircraft in the movie is a B-24 Liberator and not a B-17 Flying Fortress. The B-17 was the first long range heavy bomber used by the U.S.A.A.F. The B-24 could carry a heavier bomb load. The B-24 could fly longer range than the B-17, which is was designed to augment in the arsenal of air power. The rear gun position did not look as in the movie, but was probably used to allow the viewer to see Burgess Meredith. The top turret shown in the film was never used on the B-24 or the B-17. That turret would have been found on the Martin bomber of the 30s and not used afterwards. In several shots they also showed Lockheed Hudsons as the bomber being flown. Hudsons were used greatly by the Brits, especially in their "moonlight squadron" operations. Agents were flown in Hudsons to occupied territory in the Hudson, although this was not the only use for the Hudson. A multitude of craft were used to parachute them.
Not brilliant, but has a certain charm
grantss25 May 2018
Pee Wee Williams joins the US Army Air Corps and eventually gets selected to train as an air gunner. We see his training and then how he handles the real thing - aerial combat.
Made in the middle of WW2, so you already know it's a propaganda film. Is reasonably interesting though, despite its marketing-orientation and military inaccuracies. Also has a folksy charm.
Cast includes Burgess Meredith as Pee Wee Williams and Ronald Reagan as the pilot of his B-24.
Made in the middle of WW2, so you already know it's a propaganda film. Is reasonably interesting though, despite its marketing-orientation and military inaccuracies. Also has a folksy charm.
Cast includes Burgess Meredith as Pee Wee Williams and Ronald Reagan as the pilot of his B-24.
A great short film to laugh at.
shampoojones25 August 2004
"A short film bout a B-17 gunner starring Burgess Meredith and Ronald Reagan. Approximately 20 minutes - B & W."
I guess, back in 1943, you were supposed to join the armed forces after seeing this short film. It's pretty much a recruitment film. Meredith plays a stuttering soldier who finds his place as a rear gunner aboard a B-17. Ronald Reagan plays the part of the pilot.
I found this film on a DVD of WWII films that I bought at Wal-Mart for about five dollars.
It's a great film to make fun of with your friends. Just imagine all the lines from Rocky and Grumpy Old Men that you can quote while watching Meredith shoot down Japanese fighters over the Pacific.
I guess, back in 1943, you were supposed to join the armed forces after seeing this short film. It's pretty much a recruitment film. Meredith plays a stuttering soldier who finds his place as a rear gunner aboard a B-17. Ronald Reagan plays the part of the pilot.
I found this film on a DVD of WWII films that I bought at Wal-Mart for about five dollars.
It's a great film to make fun of with your friends. Just imagine all the lines from Rocky and Grumpy Old Men that you can quote while watching Meredith shoot down Japanese fighters over the Pacific.
Join the army now
Horst_In_Translation13 July 2019
Warning: Spoilers
"The Rear Gunner" is an American black-and-white short film from 1943, so this one had its 75th anniversary last year and it was directed by the pretty prolific Dick Enright and written by the not so prolific Edwin Gilbert. If you take a look at the year this was made, you maybe already guessed correctly that this is a propaganda movie made with pretty much the only intention to get as many viewers to join the army in order to try to repeat the main character's success here. A real success story about a young man who starts as a mechanic, but is unhappy there because he really wants to join in on the action. In a slightly too convenient and not particularly realistic turn of events we find out that he has great talent as a marksman and starts a really solid career that eventually has him receive the medal of honor and apart from many scenes with his fellow soldiers and recruiters, we also get to see a lot of war action and find out why his job in the army is irreplaceable from the perspective of protection. The main character here is played by the young Burgess Meredith, who however, looks older already than he is. You may have seen him in Rocky or other films, but this one here was among his earlier career efforts several decades before his two Oscar nominations. Also on board as a supporting character is a certain Ronald Reagan quite a while before he had bigger challenges waiting for him too. You know what I am talking about: the White House obviously. I personally want to say that I thought this was not a bad film, but it was never really interesting story-wise either. I can see, however, that maybe many young men back then were really inspired and motivated by this film despite Meredith sure not being the typical American hunky role model. But maybe that was intended too to address a different kinf of target group this time. Apart from the historic context I would say that today there is not really much reason to check it out, neither the acting nor the writing/story nor the war sequences. But maybe I am biased here because it is also not really my genre. I say: Watch something else instead.
Great example of how Hollywood helped to win the war
Silents2 June 2005
Following Pearl Harbor, Hollywood rushed to turn out films that would help to win the war. They produced more than features. There were countless cartoons and short subjects that were intended to inform the public, boost morale, encourage support of the Red Cross and other organizations that were helping at home and over seas or recruit men into the service. There were also films that were shown only to members of the armed forces. These films either trained them or entertained them.
"Rear Gunner" is one of the best examples of how Hollywood pitched in and worked to boost morale and also recruit men into the service. It has a mission and it does it with pride and a very solid conviction. This film is a real time machine of its era showing the American attitude towards the war. It is also interesting to get a glimpse of just what a rear gunner did and how he learned to do it.
Burgess Meredith was one of the finest and most versatile film actors of the 20th century. Unfortunately most people today know him only for his appearance in the "Grumpy Old Men" films. In "Rear Gunner" he takes a part that is about as standard as they come. There's very little in the words to indicate anything about Pee-Wee's personality. But Meredith takes this shallow part and makes Pee-Wee a real guy. He's quiet and smart without a hint of arrogance, exactly the kind of guy Americans at least claimed to admire then. And Pee-Wee's gentle stutter works well because Meredith soft pedals it thus making it seem real.
"Rear Gunner" allows us to reach through the screen and touch the American mind from WWII. It also happens to be entertaining.
"Rear Gunner" is one of the best examples of how Hollywood pitched in and worked to boost morale and also recruit men into the service. It has a mission and it does it with pride and a very solid conviction. This film is a real time machine of its era showing the American attitude towards the war. It is also interesting to get a glimpse of just what a rear gunner did and how he learned to do it.
Burgess Meredith was one of the finest and most versatile film actors of the 20th century. Unfortunately most people today know him only for his appearance in the "Grumpy Old Men" films. In "Rear Gunner" he takes a part that is about as standard as they come. There's very little in the words to indicate anything about Pee-Wee's personality. But Meredith takes this shallow part and makes Pee-Wee a real guy. He's quiet and smart without a hint of arrogance, exactly the kind of guy Americans at least claimed to admire then. And Pee-Wee's gentle stutter works well because Meredith soft pedals it thus making it seem real.
"Rear Gunner" allows us to reach through the screen and touch the American mind from WWII. It also happens to be entertaining.
Interesting ww2 recruitment film
rjb-905567 June 2019
Saw this on TCM this AM, and it was interesting look back. However to pass off Burgess Meredith, and Dane Clark 19 year-olds is a bit of a stretch, as both were well into their thirties at the time, Ronald Reagen was also too old to be an aircarft commander as most were in their 20's. Tom Neal as the instructor fit his part, age-wise (I always thought Neal could have done more with his career). Mixing B17's with B24's was odd as well as showing the Zero with a rear gunner, but this was meant to entertain and recruit and not be great film making, and in that it succeeds.
Back from when Hollywood loved the USA
whitey_nighty18 July 2022
Nowadays Hollywood and the actors hate America, but this is a good patriotic short film that is informative and a good bit of history on how things were done back then. Seeing Ronald Reagan that young is really awesome.
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