Gung Ho! 1943 WWII VHS Video Tape Randolph Scott Robert Mitchum

This listing is for Gung Ho! 1943 WWII VHS Video Tape Randolph Scott Robert Mitchum.

Actors: Randolph Scott, Alan Curtis, Noah Beery Jr., J. Carrol Naish, Sam Levene
Directors: Ray Enright
Writers: Joseph Hoffman, Lucien Hubbard, W.S. LeFrançois
Producers: Walter Wanger
Format: Black & White, EP, NTSC
Rated: NR - Not Rated
Number of tapes: 1
Studio: Good Times Video
VHS Release Date: 1992
Run Time: 88 minutes

Gung Ho! (full title: Gung Ho!: The Story of Carlson's Makin Island Raiders) is a 1943 war film starring Randolph Scott. The story is based on the real-life World War II Makin Island raid led by Lieutenant Colonel Evans Carlson's 2nd Marine Raider Battalion.

The film begins with a tough Greek Lieutenant (J. Carrol Naish) announcing that the United States Marine Corps is seeking volunteers for a hazardous mission and special unit. Sergeant "Transport" Anderof (Sam Levene) meets the commander of the unit, Lieutenant Colonel Thorwald (Randolph Scott) who he has served with in the China Marines. Thorwald explains that he left the Corps to serve with the Chinese guerrillas fighting the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War to learn their methods and has decided to form a unit using the qualities of Gung Ho or "work together".

Amongst the volunteers for the unit are a hillbilly (Rod Cameron) who responds to the Marine Gunner's (Walter Sande) question whether he can kill someone with the fact that he already has; specifically a romantic rival. Alan Curtis is an ordained minister keeping his vocation a secret. Robert Mitchum is "Pig Iron"; a boxer from a background of poverty and hard work. Harold Landon is a young and small street kid who is initially rejected by Naish but wins him over as both worked as dishwashers on ships bound to the United States from Piraeus. Noah Beery Jr and David Bruce are rivals for United States Navy Nurse Corps Lt. Grace McDonald. Volunteers with brief screen time include a Filipino wishing to avenge his sister (who was raped and killed in Manila) who teaches the Raiders knife fighting, a veteran of the Spanish Civil War who sees the war as a continuation of the fight against Fascism, and a Marine who honestly admits "I just don't like Japs".

The film moves rapidly in a documentary style with stock footage of training narrated by Chet Huntley. The survivors of the training are sent to Hawaii for further jungle warfare training where they witness the damage of the attack on Pearl Harbor. In Hawaii they hear a radio bulletin of the announcement of the Battle of Guadalcanal. The Marines are ordered to board two submarines, the USS Nautilus and the USS Argonaut destined for a commando raid on a Japanese held island.

After a claustrophobic voyage, the Raiders invade the island from rubber boats. The Marine landing is met by fire from snipers hiding in palm trees. The Marines dispose of them, attack the Japanese headquarters, wipe out the Japanese garrison, destroy installations with explosives, then board the submarines for their return home.

Gung-Ho was a hit movie in 1943.... And I will tell you why...it showed the first offensive ground action taken against the Japanese Army...offensive action...the film/goers, both young and older rushed to see this Marine movie...you have to remember America wasn't even aware of year 1991 to the present...IT WAS 1943 and America was galvanized like an iron fist to crush the hated Japanese forces a far, far cry from how American's view of the war in Iraq...the USA was totally UNITED to eradicate Fascism off the face of the earth...WW2 movies were also utilized to educate us, slowly but surely, about two new words being bantered in the press and newsreels..United Nations...that is clearly seen in the final fadeout in a face to face lecture Randolph Scott declares to the nation...to the contraditions of other reviews in here, it most certainly was a clarion call...and that stirring fadeout scene was NOT a silly speech; rather, Scott's eloquent preamble of what this new United Nations unity is all about was very compelling, every word was important, every word ...yes, a new social order to prevent world wars in the future...it had a great and uplifting impact on everyone who left the showing...there was no television, no CNN, or cable media world-wide newscasts with hidden agendas, no phoney political correctness...just radio and the WW2 movies...kudos to Universal Studios and Producer: Walter Wanger in releasing, "GUNG HO"...Hollywood had much to do to keep morale up all throughout the loooong war, overseas and on the homefront...everyone pitched in to win WW2, in direct contrast to the fragmentation of our country today, which is wrought by the politically correct, ego/politicians and dilletantes which we have in today's America...this is a wonderful and fast paced movie in 1943 built around the US Marine Raiders [3 Marine Raider Bns]....it's an icon movie of the WW2 era and a heroic/tribute to those who SAVED the American way......Semper Fi, Mac.

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