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James E. Wise, Jr., Anne Collier Rehill. Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the Marines. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1999. x + 246 pp. $28.95, cloth, ISBN 978-1-55750-949-9.

Reviewed by Charles C. Kolb

Published on H-PCAACA (November, 1999)

This unique, well-written, and fascinating vol‐ The senior author, James Wise, a retired cap‐ ume is a companion to Wise and Rehill's Stars in tain in the U.S. Navy, served as a naval aviator Blue: Movie Actor's in America's Sea Services, and intelligence ofcer, and is the author of four published by the Naval Institute Press in 1997, other books concerning naval topics. His co-au‐ which was also assessed by your current review‐ thor, Anne Rehill, a magazine writer and editor, is er. See http://www.h-net.msu.edu/reviews/ a former acquisitions editor for the Naval Insti‐ showrev.cgi?path=12705884375164 tute Press, and professes English at Penn State Like its predecessor, Stars in the Corps is a University. In his initial remarks, Wise reminds us valuable resource for scholars and afcionados of that the USMC was founded in 1775 and since that motion picture flms, military bufs and histori‐ time has participated in 171 wars and expeditions ans, and students of American popular culture. (with 40,000 Marines killed and 189,000 wound‐ This volume is the equal to and in several ways ed), and that since 1862, 301 Marines have been surpasses its earlier companion and is itself a awarded the Congressional . The valuable reference. Structurally, the volume con‐ authors also point out that many of the actors tains a preface and introduction, two parts com‐ they interviewed were extremely proud of their prising 28 short biographies, four appendices, and Marine experience and that their service had ben‐ 101 black-and-white images. A very useful Bibli‐ efted them in their professional lives -- indeed ography lists 92 books and periodicals, thirteen Semper Fidelis ("always faithful") to the Corps. Ac‐ reference works, twelve interviews or correspon‐ tor Hugh O'Brien and comedian dence, fve major ofcial records or archives, and are exemplars. fve other sources. A six-page double column in‐ Some of the biographies are upbeat and heart dex lists, in the main, proper nouns and is an ap‐ warming and others pensive and melancholic. propriate fnding aid. Known to many flm fans as actors rather than as Marines are actors , Steve McQueen, H-Net Reviews

Tyrone Power, and George C. Scott. Perhaps less in the Balkans during World War II commanding well know are Sterling Hayden, Peter Ortiz, Lee 400 in guerrilla warfare Powell, and Tad Van Brunt. There were troubled against the Nazis. A firtation with Marxism near‐ youths (Hayden, Marvin, and McQueen); Yale ly ended his movie career but he cooperated with scholars (Bradford Dillman and ); the House Unamerican Activities Committee, and and Broadway stars before their ser‐ had a distinguished career in motion pictures, in‐ vice (Hayden, Louis Hayward, Powell, and Ty cluding the role of General Jack D. Ripper in Dr. Power); OSS -- Ofce of Strategic Services, prede‐ Strangelove (1964). cessor of the CIA --operatives (Hayden and Ortiz); Louis Hayward (1909-1968), a star of swash‐ combat photographers (Hayward and Bill Lundi‐ bucklers in the who became a naturalized gan); aviators (, Ed McMahon, and American citizen on 6 December 1941, joined the Power); and aircrew (). Several earned Corps in 1942 and became a combat cinematogra‐ high-school equivalency diplomas in the Corps pher, flming With the Marines at Tarawa (1944), ( and ), others went the Academy Award best documentary for that to OCS - Ofcer's Candidate School -- (Dillman, year. The trauma of that invasion led to depres‐ Dale Dye, Hayden, and Power), or took advantage sion and a complete physical collapse, but Hay‐ of the GI Bill for acting school (Dillman, George ward starred in twenty flms and three television Peppard, and Ryan). On the negative side, series. Child actor Brian Keith served as a rear military service resulted in several nervous gunner in a SBD Douglas Dauntless dive bomber breakdowns (Hayward and Jonathan Winters), al‐ during missions against the Japanese naval base coholism (Macdonald Carey, Powell, Power, and at Rabaul during World War II, and returned to Van Brunt), or lung disease and death from chain the stage, radio, flms, and television. He has smoking (McQueen and ). made ffty flms and starred in nine television se‐ The biographies begin with six Marines who ries. made various contributions in Hollywood, then, Lee Marvin (1924-1987), a true "wild one," en‐ in alphabetic order, 22 others - some well known listed in August 1942, served in the Marshall Is‐ to flm or television devotees. The authors lead of lands (Eniwetok and Kwajalein), and was in the with Dale Dye, an enlistee who served two tours June 1944 invasion force. His company of duty in Vietnam (Bronze Star and three Purple was ambushed and only six of 241 men survived. Hearts), became a Chief Warrant Ofcer, attended Marvin was, as he stated "shot in the ass" (a OCS, and was a Captain in Beirut in 1982-1983. 9x3x3-inch wound), hospitalized 13 months, and Dye has written fve military novels, and because discharged. Disabled and underemployed, he dis‐ of his expertise became a motion picture techni‐ covered summer stock acting, and progressed to cal advisor for , Brian DePalma, and Broadway plays, and motion pictures. For Cat Bal‐ , and also appeared in more than lou (1965) he earned the best actor Academy 15 flms -- notably Platoon (1986), The Last of the Award, starred in television's M-Squad, and the Mohicans, (1992), Forrest Gump (1994), Outbreak classic war flms (1967), director (1995), and (1998). Sterling 's Hell in the Pacifc (1968) with Hayden (1916-1968), a schooner commander at Toshiro Mifune, and (1979). He is age 22, was established flm star and a graduate of buried in Arlington National Cemetery beside Joe the British Commando Training School, but was Louis, the world heavyweight boxing champion. injured in a parachute jump and discharged. He Multilingual Pierre "Peter" Ortiz (1913-1988), then enlisted as a boot in the Corps in 1942, of French-Spanish parentage, had an extraordi‐ changed his name to John Hamilton, and served

2 H-Net Reviews nary military record and was the most decorated the USNR in 1948, was selected for OCS, and as a man to serve in to OSS. He spent fve years with Marine 2nd Lieutenant was assigned to teach the in North Africa in the communication skills to Marine veterans rather 1930s and rejoined the Legion in 1939, although than being sent to Korea in 1951. his ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic before he Gene Hackman, a high-school dropout who reached Morocco. Captured by the Germans in served two hitches in the Marines and left as a North Africa in 1941 he became a POW in Austria, PFC in 1954, had the distinction of serving in Chi‐ escaped, made his way through Portugal and back na in 1948-1949 keeping Japanese war materiel to the United States, enlisting in the Marine Corps out of Communist hands. He later aspired to the in June 1942. Ortiz was sent to Morocco where he ofce of U.S. Secretary of State in the flm No Way was wounded and promoted to Captain before be‐ Out (1987). George Roy Hill, a Yale history and ing sent to France by the OSS to work with the music graduate, joined the Corps in 1943, earned maquis in 1944. A German battalion at Centron, aviator's wings, and piloted transports in the France trapped Ortiz and four of his men, but he South Pacifc. Recalled to duty in 1951, he few negotiated his own surrender in order to spare F4F Panther jet fghters during the . retribution by the Gestapo against the village. As a story editor and flm director, he is known Again he escaped, was recaptured, escaped again for his stellar direction of Butch Cassidy and the and fnally "liberated himself" in April 1945. Ortiz Sundance Kid (1969) and (1973). Harvey was in training for OSS work in Indochina when Keitel was a Marine enlistee in 1956 and served in the war ended. Two flms (13 Rue Madeleine, Beirut before embarking on his flm career (15 so 1946, starring Jimmy Cagney, and Operation Se‐ far, including Taxi Driver, 1976, and Pulp Fiction, cret, 1952) were modeled after his exploits, and he 1994). Bill Lundigan (1914-1975) had been a pre- worked in a dozen flms prior to his death in 1988. law student and radio announcer, and was a flm World War I Marine veteran and comedian star before joining in 1943. He became a combat Bob Burns (1891-1956), inventor of an unusual photographer and served in the bloody invasions musical instrument he called the "bazooka," had at Peleliu and Okinawa, where the Marines expe‐ that name "commandeered" by the U.S. Army in rienced "staggering casualties." Renowned stunt 1943 to designate its new, portable antitank rocket man Jock Mahoney (1919-1989) was a civilian in‐ launcher. Macdonald Carey (1913-1994), known in structor in the U.S. Army Air Corps but enlisted in the post-war era as a stage, radio, and television the Marines in 1943, earned his wings, and few soap opera star, appeared in the 1942 flm Wake F4U Corsairs but missed out on actual combat. He Island. Inspired, he and other cast members actu‐ worked in many flm and television Westerns, and ally joined the Corps immediately thereafter, and is known for starring in two flms (1962, he served in the South Pacifc. Barry Corbin, son 1963). of a state senator, served as a Marine from Better known as an announcer, straight-man 1962-1963 but "never left ." His distin‐ and/or sidekick initially for TV's and guished theater, flm, and television career as an then for (1958-1992), silvery- actor is enhanced by his screenwriting abilities, voiced Ed McMahon started his career in the and he has fond memories of the Corps. Brian Navy's V-5 Program, transferred to the Marines, Dennehy, a student-athlete at Columbia Universi‐ and was a fight instructor in F4U Corsair fghters ty, joined in 1962 and served on Okinawa; he later prior to his discharge in 1946. While at Philadel‐ discovered acting in theater, motion pictures, and phia's WCAU radio and television he was recalled television. Actor and writer Bradford Dillman, a to active duty and Captain McMahon few 85 re‐ Yale literature and drama graduate, enlisted in

3 H-Net Reviews connaissance missions in an unarmed Cessna 180 of acute alcohol poisoning at age 35 on the island observation plane in Korea (1951-1952). Steve Mc‐ of Tinian. Queen (1930-1980), a wild and rebellious farm boy (1914-1958) was already a Hol‐ from the Midwest who had worked in brothels as lywood megastar (A Yank in the RAF, 1942, and a youth, enlisted in the Marines in 1947, was a , released in 1943) when he joined the crewman on tanks and amphibious tractors, and Corps as a boot in April 1942. He, qualifed for served in the guards assigned to President Tru‐ OCS, received his commission, became an aviator, man's yacht, Sequoia. Odd jobs and Actor's Studio and served as a command transport pilot fying led to Broadway and television (Wanted Dead or R4D Dakotas and C47s in the Pacifc, notably, Iwo Alive, 1958-1961), a distinguished career in mo‐ Jima and Okinawa. Returning to his flm career, tion pictures, and respect as a professional motor‐ he made (1947) with former cycle and racecar driver. The Magnifcent Seven Navy Chief Boatswain's Mate , and a (1960), The War Lover (1962), The Great Escape dozen other motion pictures (Abandon Ship, The (1963), Bullitt (1968), and Papillon (1971) are Sun Also Rises, Witness for the Prosecution, all among his well-known flms. 1957) but died of a heart attack at age 44. Televi‐ Hugh O'Brian, born Hugh Charles Krampe, sion's Lawman (1958-1962) at six feet four inches, son of a Marine captain, enlisted in 1943 and be‐ John Russell (1921-1991) was initially rejected for came a Drill Instructor at age 18 when he met service because of his stature, but he served on who became a life-long friend. Guadalcanal as a Marine 2nd Lieutenant in 1942 O'Brien has the distinction of being the last man before a medical discharge, and would make a Wayne "killed" in cinema (, 1976), but dozen motion pictures - many with Clint East‐ had also starred as television's wood. Holding a degree in English literature, Dart‐ (1955-1971) and is respected widely in Hollywood mouth College-educated (1909-1973) for establishing HOBY - the Hugh O'Brien Youth was also a heavyweight boxing champion for four Leadership Program - in 1958. years before enlisting and becoming a Camp Gerald O'Laughlin enlisted in 1942, was a Pendleton Drill Instructor. A committed pacifst commissioned ofcer, trained for the invasion of after 1945, he starred in flms including The Dirty Japan, and served in the occupation forces in Na‐ Dozen (1967) with fellow Marine Lee Marvin, and gasaki (1945-1946). Completing a degree in me‐ Sam Peckenpaugh's classic, chanical engineering, he attended Actor's Studio (1969). and became a distinguished actor, director, and George C. Scott's service on Arlington Nation‐ teacher. (1928-1994) enlisted in al Cemetery's grave detail in the mid- made the Corps in 1946 and took amphibious training. a lasting impression. Graduating from the Univer‐ His interests in civil engineering were sidetracked sity of , Scott taught at nearby Stephens for drama and the Actor's Studio, leading to mem‐ College, and then moved from stage to memorable orable television series (Banacek 1972-1974, and screen and television appearances - especially as A-Team, 1983-1987) and flms (Breakfast at General Buck Turgidson in 's Dr. Tifany's with in 1961, and Oper‐ Strangelove (1964), as the lead in Patton (1970), ation Crossbow, 1965). Lee Powell (1908-1944), and portraying Hemingway in Islands in the who was the frst Lone Ranger in pre-war serial Stream (1977). Tad Van Brunt (1921-1977) was flms, enlisted in 1942, served in the South Pacifc born and raised in Japan of Dutch-American and as a Sergeant in the 2nd Marine Division, but died British parentage so that his fuency in the Japa‐ nese language led to assignments in Guam and

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Okinawa as an interrogator of enemy troops. He out.) Another addition is "The Swinging Sounds of was so popular among the native Okinawans that Bob Crosby's Bands" profles George Robert "Bob" they asked that he be allowed to stay as governor Crosby, band director of the Fifth Marine Division of their island in 1945. This, of course, did not in the South Pacifc, 1944-1945. Lastly, "Entertain‐ happen, and he had bit parts in three flms before ing the Troops includes 21 images and captions il‐ rejoining the Marines in 1948 and participating in lustrating Hollywood stars who assisted or visited the Inchon, Korea landings as an intelligence of‐ the troops - from in World War I cer in 1951. A career in advertising and sales pre‐ through in Vietnam. Mary Pick‐ ceded his death from alcoholism. Comedian ford, Joe E. Brown, , Randy Scott, Dan‐ Jonathan Winters served on the Marine Detach‐ ny Kaye, Jane Russell, , , ment on the aircraft carrier Bon Homme Richard and even John Wayne are among these luminar‐ of the coast of Japan in 1945 and was in the occu‐ ies. pation force at Yokosuka. After fnishing high The book is well written and very entertain‐ school and graduating from Dayton Art Institute ing, and the biographies are compelling, often re‐ in , Winters parlayed a local humor contest vealing little-known facts, and are accompanied into features on the Jack Parr, , and by many never-before-published photographs, Gary Moore television shows and success in flms making the volume a worthy companion to Stars and as a writer. in Blue as another "Who's Who" in Hollywood and The authors also include brief essays on a the USMC. A trip to the videotape rental store will number of Corps-related topics: Parris Island, be in order for some flm bufs, but scholars of Saipan, Camp Pendleton, Peleliu, Okinawa, Camp military history will fnd much to enjoy and to in‐ Elliott, and "Learning Japanese." The four appen‐ form. dices also provide enlightening information. "A [Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this Few More Good Men" lists 36 other actors who review are those of the author and not of his em‐ served in the USMC - quite a few comedians - ployer or any other federal agency.] from Don Adams to Burt Young, with surprises This review is copyrighted (c) 1999 by H-Net such as Drew Cary, (Captain Kanga‐ and the Popular Culture and the American Cul‐ roo), and former "presidential candidate" Pat ture Associations. It may be reproduced electroni‐ Paulsen, to the not so surprising television and cally for educational or scholarly use. The Associ‐ cinema actors Mike Farrell (M*A*S*H), Glenn ations reserve print rights and permissions. (Con‐ Ford, Scott Glenn (The Right Stuf, 1983), Warren tact: P.C.Rollins at the following electronic ad‐ Oates, and Bo Svenson. James Whitmore is also on dress: [email protected] Marines, 1963-66) this list but your reviewer wishes that he had been accorded a full profle -- could anyone forget "Mac" in Leon Uris's Marine Corps classic flm Bat‐ tle Cry (1955)? A second appendix, "Lillian Russell and Women in the Marines" documents World War I Recruiting Sergeant Russell and traces the history of women in Corps through 1997, noting that Marine second lieutenant Sarah Deal became the frst woman naval aviator in 1995. (What ever happened to Ensign Casey "Sugar Britches" Seeger from the 1982 flm An Ofcer and a Gentleman who wanted to "fy jets"? She must have washed

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Citation: Charles C. Kolb. Review of Wise, James E.; Jr.; Rehill, Anne Collier. Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines. H-PCAACA, H-Net Reviews. November, 1999.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=3562

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

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