Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

Approved  |   |  Action, Drama, War  |  1 March 1950 (USA)
7.2
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Reviews: 68 user | 39 critic

A dramatization of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima.

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(screenplay), (screenplay), 1 more credit »
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Title: Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

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Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 1 win. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
...
...
...
...
Pfc. Al Thomas
Wally Cassell ...
Pfc. Benny Regazzi
...
Pfc. Charlie Bass
Richard Webb ...
Pfc. 'Handsome' Dan Shipley
Arthur Franz ...
Cpl. Robert Dunne / Narrator
Julie Bishop ...
Mary
James Holden ...
Pfc. Soames
...
Pfc. George Hellenpolis
...
Pfc. Frank Flynn
William Murphy ...
Pfc. Eddie Flynn (as Bill Murphy)
George Tyne ...
Pfc. Harris
Hal Baylor ...
Pvt. 'Sky' Choynski (as Hal Fieberling)
Edit

Storyline

After his wife takes their son and leaves him, Sgt. John Stryker is an embittered man who takes his misery out on the men under his command. They're a bunch of green recruits who have a hard time dealing with Stryker's tough drills and thicker skin. Even his old friends start to wonder if he's gone from being the epitome of a tough Marine Sergeant to a man over the edge. Written by Alfred Jingle

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Fightin' . . Laughin' . . Lovin' ! See more »

Genres:

Action | Drama | War | Romance

Certificate:

Approved | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

1 March 1950 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Iwo Jima  »

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (TCM print)

Sound Mix:

(RCA Sound System)

Color:

(archive footage)|

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

Prior to the assault at Tarawa, Sgt. Stryker (John Wayne) is at the rail of a ship with his squad around him. A young Marine standing next to him has his helmet strap secured under his chin, while Stryker's, as well as the other Marines, have their straps unfastened. Stryker motions for the young Marine to unfasten his strap, a reference to the common belief that the concussion from an explosion would rip off a helmet, killing or wounding the wearer. However, later in the movie, while the squad is aboard an LST preparing to hit the beach on Iwo Jima, all helmets, including Stryker's, are fastened. When a Marine tells Stryker that he's scared, and Stryker replies that he is too, you can clearly see their chin straps. If Stryker was convinced it was so dangerous to fasten a helmet, and taught his subordinates the same, it's unlikely he would change the habit. See more »

Goofs

The way Mary holds the whiskey bottle changes. See more »

Quotes

[During the night the squad is guarding a trenchline amid word that the Japanese may launch an attack. From out of the night a faint voice can be heard calling "Corpsman."]
Pfc. Benny Regazzi: [his voice hushed] Stryker!
Sgt. Stryker: [hushed] Get down! Stay down! You have your orders, don't move!
Pfc. Peter Conway: [hushed] There's somebody wounded out there. Let's go get him!
Sgt. Stryker: Stay down, it might be a Jap trick, they pulled it off plenty of times at Guadalcanal.
Pfc. Peter Conway: That doesn't sound like a Jap to me!
Sgt. Stryker: I don't care what it sounds like to you! You stick ...
[...]
See more »

Crazy Credits

Towards the end of the opening cast credits there states: And The three living survivors of the historic flag raising on Mount Suribachi Rene A. Gagnon (as Pfc Rene A. Gagnon), Ira H. Hayes (as Pfc Ira H. Hayes) and John H. Bradley (as PM3/c John H. Bradley). See more »

Connections

Referenced in Ban the Sadist Videos! (2005) See more »

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User Reviews

 
The first film I remember
19 February 2006 | by (United Kingdom) – See all my reviews

I first saw this film at the age of 5 and it has been my favourite ever since. This led to my following of the greatest actor of all time JOHN WAYNE. The film follows Sgt John M Stryker, taking a platoon of mostly raw recruits and training them to be mean, tough, and ready for anything Marines, by any way possible, loathed by the squad but by the end of the picture admired by them as they realise what and why he is the way he is.

The film mixes battle scenes with actual footage from the landings and allows for character development instead of just a bunch of guy's grouped together. Wayne deserved his Oscar nomination for his role but you cant leave out the supporting cast. John Agar in possibly his best role and Forrest Tucker as his old adversary also Cassell/Brown and Webb proving equally up to the rolls and a young Richard Jaeckel all playing there parts with zest.

When you look at the events it was based on, the Island hopping of hard bitter fighting the slaughter of both sides on Iwo Jima its self 4,000+ U.S. casualties and 21,000 Japanise you can see why this film is compulsory viewing for all new Marine recruits.

I also believe that this film would have been a masterpiece had it been made without the restrictions of the time compared with the films of today like "Saving Private Ryan".

Whatever your own thoughts are on the film when you next watch it just remember those who fought there and REMAIN there................


22 of 26 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

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