The Fighting 69th (1940)

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Cagney was a fighter in his youth; a boxer. He was also a master tap dancer. Both skills have similar movements; quick stepping, fast movements, extreme alertness, counting the beats, fast turns and jumps backward and forward.In this film, Jimmy starts to get into a fight. I was waiting for the classic boxing stances, but I didn't see any.Spoiler. Early in the film, Jimmy is fighting his sergeant, but near the end Jimmy ends up giving his life for ol' sarge.Jimmy starts out the film as cocky, smart-alecky and a know-it-all who really doesn't know much of anything.He is a raw recruit, a hayseed from the city, actually. He has no patriotic feeling; perhaps he is there just for the paycheck. The recruits are all gung ho and happy go lucky, and so are the soldiers already in uniform.We don't see the backstory, that after several years of President Woodrow Wilson not wanting to get the U.S. into The Great War, all of a sudden men are joining up. Was there a draft? There was a HUGE publicity campaign trying the convince the American public to go into the war, previously only a European interest. There were cartoon posters depicting the enemy as a huge, ugly monster or even the devil.Was this group a national guard? Where was the real army? Was the U.S. not prepared, or were the smallish group of regulars already overseas? Maybe Jimmy and his hayseeds only wanted to go and see French mademoiselles who Parlez-Vous'd Francaise and offered them snails for lunch. Ugh. Inky-dinky parley voo, indeed.Jimmy is a troublemaker and overly sure of himself. Spoilers ahead. He becomes a coward, but later saves some other people by ending up being a target of the enemy.I am female.I have studied several war courses as part of my history degree at university. It is interesting that this film was made right before the U.S. entered World War Two.I also love Jimmy Cagney, as well as tap dancing. You know that, from reading my other reviews. I love song and dance films very much, except that in this film the only singing is done at a church service.Not exactly my cup of tea, and even the black and white hurts my eyes, as you also well know. Anyway, give me Jimmy tap dancing any old day. Yankee Doodle Dandy was Jimmy's favorite film that he ever made. It is also one of my favorites that I have ever seen; black and white, but I have never seen a colorized version of Yankee Doodle Dandy.

ONCE ONE REMEMBERS that this story, based on the career of Army Chaplain, Father Duffy, is very Hollywood, it can be properly evaluated and absorbed into the intellect. Although the story is highly fabricated and fictionalized, it nonetheless brings us in contact with a proud old Regiment and its tough, but saintly Catholic Priest Chaplain.THE STORY PRESENTS a stark contrast in characterization by pitting the "lost sheep", draftee/PFC Jerry Plunkett (James Cagney) against Father Duffy (Pat O'Brien), the Officers and the entire U.S. Army. Various characters are depicted in between the two extremes. The best character of this classification is "Crepe Hanger" Burke* (Frank McHugh); who also is a sort agent of comic relief.COURAGE UNDER FIRE is a central theme of the story. The behaviour of ordinary 'Citizen Soldiers', called "Doughboys" in World War I, is dramatized throughout the picture. The very action of taking a bunch of raw recruits from their lives in the 5 Bourroughs of NYC's Irish neighborhoods and transforming them post-haste into soldiers is an interesting subject in itself and one that provides so much of the interaction of the film.ONE VERY INTERESTING aspect of the film is the inclusion of the story of well known poet, Alfred Joyce Kilmer (18861918), who was portrayed by Warner Brothers' star, Jeffrey Lynn. Corporal Joyce Kilmer was killed in action with the NY 69th on July 30, 1918.AS A SORT of historical footnote to this story, those who visit NYC's Times Square should stop and take a look at the memorial to the Priest.ALONG WITH THE two other pictures of this period, Warner Brothers gave us a sort of World War I Trilogy. THE FIGHTING 69th is joined by SERGEANT YORK and THE ROARING 20's in giving us a cinematic picture of WWI and its effect on our way of life in the USA and the whole World.NOTE * The term "Crepe Hanger" is one of those vanishing terms that is largely unknown today. The meaning is one who is always a downer and displays a chronic pessimistic attitude toward everything. The origin of this comes from the old custom of draping the home of the recently deceased with Black Crepe Paper as a symbol of mourning.

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, Rocky Sullivan 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.

This isn't exactly the most realistic or subtle film Cagney or Warner Brothers ever made. However, despite being a piece of unbelievable fluff, it still is very entertaining--with lots of action and histrionic performances--particularly from Cagney. He plays a blow-hard who acts tough but knuckles under in action during WWI. In fact, for cowardice in action he is sentenced to death and must choose whether to go out like a man or die as a lily-livered coward. Considering it's pure Hollywood hokum, it's not hard to figure out how he'll make his final exit. So, in summary it's VERY formulaic and silly but still worth a watch just because it's so entertaining.