July 26 - Guadalcanal Diary

Here is a movie with a scene that happens today – July 26. I hope you enjoy the film and watch it tonight.

GUADALCANAL DIARY

On July 26, 1942 [2:08 to 5:30] the American Marine invasion task force is sailing towards Guadalcanal. The Marines land on Guadalcanal with no initial opposition. They find an abandoned village and capture an airfield, which the Americans work to complete.  Based on a tip from a Japanese deserter, a Marine platon  leaves by boat for the village of Matanikau, where there are supposedly a large number of Japanese troops who want to surrender. On the way one boat is destroyed by a Japanese sub before it is sunk by onshore Marine artillery. The Marines walk into a trap and they are all killed except for Private Soose Alvarez who makes it back to the American lines. The Marines then march on Matanikau in force and on the way, Private “Chicken’ Anderson is wounded by a Japanese soldier who only pretended to be dead. The Marines enjoy mail call, but suffer through Japanese air force bombing raids. Army troops land to support the Marines. They launch a campaign to root Japanese troops out of a series of caves. They try to listen to the results of the game two of the 1942 World Series, but static unfortunately prevents them from hearing the final score. (FYI, the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees 4-3)  The Marines are both shelled by the Japanese navy and bombed by their air force. A force of Marine fighter planes land on the island. All the marines write letters home.  They launch an attack on the Japanese, during which Pvt. Alvarez is killed. The marines are relived and evacuated from the island.

A decent war film. Surprisingly, even though it was made during the War, it does not engage in blatant anti-Japanese demonization. You can tell the battle scenes were shot in California, not anywhere tropical.   

Date given in film at 2:20-23

Producer – Brian Foy

Director – Lewis Seiler

Screenplay – Lamar Trotti and Jerome Cady

Runtime   - 1 hour 33 minutes

Released – October 27, 1943

Starring –

Preston Foster as Father Donnelly

Lloyd Nolan as Sgt. Hook Malone

William Bendix as  Corp. Taxi Potts

Richard Conte as Capt. Don Davis

Anthony Quinn as Pvt. Soose Alvarez

Richard Jaeckel as Pvt. Chicken Anderson

Roy Roberts as Capt. Cross.

Minor Watson as Col. Grayson

Ralph Byrd as Ned Rowman

Lionel Stander as Sgt. Butch

Reed Hadley as War Correspondent/Narrator

John Archer as Lt. Thurmond