The Fighting Sullivans
Encyclopedia
The Fighting Sullivans, originally released as The Sullivans, is a 1944 American biographical
war film
directed by Lloyd Bacon
and written by Edward Doherty
, Mary C. McCall Jr.
and Jules Schermer. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story
(now discontinued).
The story follows the lives of the five Irish-American Sullivan brothers
, who grew up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression
and served together in the United States Navy
during World War II. Their eventual deaths in the Pacific theater
aboard the light cruiser
(sunk on November 13, 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
) are also chronicled in this film, which is based on the brothers' true life story.
By 1939, only Al is still in high school. On the day that George wins a motorcycle race, Al meets Katherine Mary, (played by Anne Baxter) an only child who lives with her father. Despite their youth, Al and Katherine Mary fall in love. Believing that Al is too young, his brothers nearly break the couple up, but realize what they have done and apologize. Soon after, Katherine Mary and Al are married, and ten months later, are expecting a baby. Al is fired for taking the afternoon off to escort his wife to the doctor, but his brothers vow to help them out.
Later, months after little Jimmy has been welcomed into the family, the Sullivans are relaxing on a Sunday—December 7, 1941. They hear about the attack on Pearl Harbor
on the radio. The boys realize that one of their friends, Bill Bascom (Bill Ball in real life), was on the and resolve to join the Navy to avenge him. Al decides that he cannot go with his brothers, due to his family responsibilities, but when Katherine Mary sees his despondent face, she tells him to go with the others to the recruiting station. The brothers insist that they serve on the same ship, but the recruiter states that the Navy can make no such guarantees. The brothers leave, but later, George receives his draft notice, and writes to the Navy Department, obtaining official permission for the boys to serve together.
Later, Tom, Alleta and Katherine Mary eagerly await letters from their loved ones, who are serving aboard the in the Pacific. A battle rages off the Solomon Islands, and one day, the Juneau is hit. Four of the brothers find each other, then realize that George is below in sick bay. They rush down to get him, and when George insists they leave him behind, Al replies, "We can't go swimming without you."
Soon after, the same recruiter from before visits the Sullivan home and tells Katherine Mary, Tom, Alleta and Gen that all five of the brothers were killed in action. Stunned, Tom goes to work and salutes the water tower on which his sons used to stand and wave to him. Sometime later, Tom, Katherine Mary, and Gen, who has joined the WAVES
, watch with pride while Alleta christens a new destroyer, the . As Tom and Alleta watch the ship sail away, Alleta declares, "Tom, our boys are afloat again."
prompted her brothers to join the Navy to avenge him.
The film never shows that George and Frank had served in the Navy before.
The film allows viewers to assume that all five brothers died instantly, yet survivors of the attack reported that Frank, Joe, and Matt died instantly, while Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days after that.
In the film, the family was notified only by Lieutenant Commander Robinson (portrayed by Ward Bond). However, the boys' father, Thomas, was actually notified by a Lieutenant Commander, a Chief Petty Officer and a Doctor --- all in uniform.
" by Caroline's Spine
. The song was released on their major label debut album, Monsoon, in 1997. Singer Jimmy Newquist felt compelled to write the song after hearing the story of five brothers.
The story inspired, in part, the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan
.
Biographical film
A biographical film, or biopic , is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or people. They differ from films “based on a true story” or “historical films” in that they attempt to comprehensively tell a person’s life story or at least the most historically important years of their...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed by Lloyd Bacon
Lloyd Bacon
Lloyd Francis Bacon was a screen, stage, and vaudeville actor and film director.-Life:Bacon was born in San Jose California, the son of actor Frank Bacon, later the co-author and star of the long running Broadway show 'Lightnin' , and Jennie Bacon. He was not related to actor Irving Bacon whom he...
and written by Edward Doherty
Edward Doherty
Edward Doherty is the name of:* Edward P. Doherty , United States Army officer, led capture of the assassin of US President Abraham Lincoln* Eddie Doherty , reporter, author, screenwriter, and ultimately ordained priest...
, Mary C. McCall Jr.
Mary C. McCall, Jr.
Mary C. McCall, Jr. was a writer best known for her screenwriting. She was the first woman president of the Writers Guild of America, serving from 1942-44 and 1951-52....
and Jules Schermer. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Story
Academy Award for Best Story
The Academy Award for Best Story was an Academy Award given from the beginning of the Academy Awards until 1957, when it was eliminated in favor of the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, which had been introduced in 1940.-1920s:...
(now discontinued).
The story follows the lives of the five Irish-American Sullivan brothers
Sullivan brothers
The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau , the vessel on which they all served, on November 13, 1942, in World War II....
, who grew up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and served together in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during World War II. Their eventual deaths in the Pacific theater
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
aboard the light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
(sunk on November 13, 1942 during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, sometimes referred to as the Third and Fourth Battles of Savo Island, the Battle of the Solomons, The Battle of Friday the 13th, or, in Japanese sources, as the , took place from 12–15 November 1942, and was the decisive engagement in a series of naval battles...
) are also chronicled in this film, which is based on the brothers' true life story.
Plot
The Irish-American, Catholic Sullivan brothers are introduced through a progression of baptisms: George Thomas in 1914, Francis "Frank" Henry in 1916, Joseph Eugene in 1918, Madison "Matt" Abel in 1919, and Albert Leo in 1922. There is also sister Genevieve, making the Sullivans a happy family of eight. As the boys grow, they are doted upon by their mother and sister Genevieve and given stern but loving guidance by their father, who is a railroad freight conductor. Each day, the boys climb the water tower by the tracks and wave to their father as he passes by on the train. The brothers are shown getting into their fair share of trouble growing up: a fight, a near drowning (after which their mother makes them promise not to set foot on a boat again until they are adults), and accidentally flooding the kitchen.By 1939, only Al is still in high school. On the day that George wins a motorcycle race, Al meets Katherine Mary, (played by Anne Baxter) an only child who lives with her father. Despite their youth, Al and Katherine Mary fall in love. Believing that Al is too young, his brothers nearly break the couple up, but realize what they have done and apologize. Soon after, Katherine Mary and Al are married, and ten months later, are expecting a baby. Al is fired for taking the afternoon off to escort his wife to the doctor, but his brothers vow to help them out.
Later, months after little Jimmy has been welcomed into the family, the Sullivans are relaxing on a Sunday—December 7, 1941. They hear about the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
on the radio. The boys realize that one of their friends, Bill Bascom (Bill Ball in real life), was on the and resolve to join the Navy to avenge him. Al decides that he cannot go with his brothers, due to his family responsibilities, but when Katherine Mary sees his despondent face, she tells him to go with the others to the recruiting station. The brothers insist that they serve on the same ship, but the recruiter states that the Navy can make no such guarantees. The brothers leave, but later, George receives his draft notice, and writes to the Navy Department, obtaining official permission for the boys to serve together.
Later, Tom, Alleta and Katherine Mary eagerly await letters from their loved ones, who are serving aboard the in the Pacific. A battle rages off the Solomon Islands, and one day, the Juneau is hit. Four of the brothers find each other, then realize that George is below in sick bay. They rush down to get him, and when George insists they leave him behind, Al replies, "We can't go swimming without you."
Soon after, the same recruiter from before visits the Sullivan home and tells Katherine Mary, Tom, Alleta and Gen that all five of the brothers were killed in action. Stunned, Tom goes to work and salutes the water tower on which his sons used to stand and wave to him. Sometime later, Tom, Katherine Mary, and Gen, who has joined the WAVES
WAVES
The WAVES were a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. The name of this group is an acronym for "Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service" ; the word "emergency" implied that the acceptance of women was due to the unusual circumstances of the war and...
, watch with pride while Alleta christens a new destroyer, the . As Tom and Alleta watch the ship sail away, Alleta declares, "Tom, our boys are afloat again."
Cast
- Anne BaxterAnne BaxterAnne Baxter was an American actress known for her performances in films such as The Magnificent Ambersons , The Razor's Edge , All About Eve and The Ten Commandments .-Early life:...
as Katherine Mary Sullivan - Thomas MitchellThomas Mitchell (actor)Thomas Mitchell was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter. Among his most famous roles in a long career are those of Gerald O'Hara, the father of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind, the drunken Doc Boone in John Ford's Stagecoach, and Uncle Billy in It's a Wonderful Life...
as Mr. Thomas F. Sullivan, the father - Selena RoyleSelena RoyleSelena Royle was an American stage, television and film actress.-Early life and career:Born in New York City, Royle's parents were playwright Edwin Milton Royle and actress Selena Fetter . She had an older sister Josephine Fetter Royle . She turned to acting despite the objections of her parents...
as Mrs. Alleta Sullivan, the mother - Edward Ryan as Albert Leo Sullivan
- Trudy MarshallTrudy MarshallTrudy Marshall was an American actress.Marshall was born Gertrude Marshall in Brooklyn, New York...
as Genevieve Sullivan - John CampbellJohn Campbell- British political figures :* John Campbell, 1st Earl of Loudoun , Lord Chancellor of Scotland, President of the Privy Council* John Campbell, 2nd Duke of Argyll , Scottish soldier, Lord Steward, Lord Lieutenant of Surrey...
as Francis Henry Sullivan - James CardwellJames CardwellJim Cardwell served as the President, from 2002–2005, of Warner Home Video , the world's largest home video distribution company ....
as George Thomas Sullivan - John AlvinJohn Alvin (actor)----John Alvin was an American film, stage and television actor. He appeared in over 25 films for Warner Brothers and numerous television and theater roles throughout his career, which spanned from the 1940s to the 1990s....
as Madison Abel Sullivan - George Offerman, Jr. as Joseph Eugene Sullivan
- Roy RobertsRoy RobertsRoy Roberts was an American character actor. Over his more than 40-year career, he appeared in more than nine hundred productions on stage and screen.-Biography:...
as Father Francis - Ward BondWard BondWardell Edwin "Ward" Bond was an American film actor whose rugged appearance and easygoing charm were featured in over 200 movies and the television series Wagon Train.-Early life:...
as Lieutenant Commander Robinson - Bobby DriscollBobby DriscollRobert Cletus "Bobby" Driscoll was an American child actor known for a large body of cinema and TV performances from 1943 to 1960. He starred in some of The Walt Disney Company's most popular live-action pictures of that period, such as Song of the South , So Dear to My Heart , and Treasure Island...
as young Albert Sullivan
Film versus reality
The film never reveals that Genevieve was the girlfriend of Bill Ball, whose death at Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
prompted her brothers to join the Navy to avenge him.
The film never shows that George and Frank had served in the Navy before.
The film allows viewers to assume that all five brothers died instantly, yet survivors of the attack reported that Frank, Joe, and Matt died instantly, while Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days after that.
In the film, the family was notified only by Lieutenant Commander Robinson (portrayed by Ward Bond). However, the boys' father, Thomas, was actually notified by a Lieutenant Commander, a Chief Petty Officer and a Doctor --- all in uniform.
In popular culture
Footage from the movie was used in the music video "SullivanSullivan (song)
"Sullivan" is a song by Caroline's Spine and the debut single from their major label debut album, Monsoon. It was previously included on their independently released albums, Ignore the Ants and Huge, in 1995 and '96. The song was later included on the 2006 compilation, The Collection...
" by Caroline's Spine
Caroline's Spine
Caroline's Spine is an alternative rock band based in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's touring schedule in the mid 1990s landed them a record deal with Hollywood Records. They have released several studio albums and shared billings with such bands as Aerosmith, Kiss, and Queensrÿche...
. The song was released on their major label debut album, Monsoon, in 1997. Singer Jimmy Newquist felt compelled to write the song after hearing the story of five brothers.
The story inspired, in part, the 1998 movie Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
.