Paul Newman's war Service

[Mrs Chaddsley_Corbett]

http://mattybing1025.tumblr.com/post/5968602080/old-hollywood-stars-that-served-in-the-united

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Nice. Thanks for posting that. I knew that Newman was a vet, but don't recall him discussing it in interviews; but then most vets wouldn't, would they?

I don't suppose there's a John Wayne war service photo around, is there? (Sands of Iwo Jima and other WWII films notwithstanding).

 

[1961MJS]

... I don't suppose there's a John Wayne war service photo around, is there? (Sands of Iwo Jima and other WWII films notwithstanding).

Hi

In spite of being one of the biggest supporters of our military, and famous for his portrayals of military men, John Wayne is NOT a veteran. At the beginning of WW2, John Wayne was at the beginning of stardom. The various studios kept him out of the draft and he was scared into not volunteering (according to his various biographers). Many people see this as odd considering all of the stars who were in the military. On the other hand, try and remember a pre-WW2 John Wayne movie.

Later

 

[dhermann1]

Wayne was just about 35 (maximum draft age) when the war broke out, recently divorced, and had a bunch of kids to support. I think this had a lot to do with his decision.
Pre War John Wayne movie? How about Stage Coach? But really, before Stage Coach in 1939, he was definitely a B movie player. But he was always great.

 

[Stearmen]

John Ford, who did serve and was wounded in Italy, would take enlistment papers to the set and put them in front of Wayne. Ford took great pleasure in giving Wayne grief in his non service. The worst was on the set of Sands Of Iwo Jima, where Wayne got into a fist fight with real Marines when they called him a cowered. Can't totally blame the Marines, seeing the way Wayne lived after they went through Hell and back!

 

[Nathan Dodge]

John Ford, who did serve and was wounded in Italy, would take enlistment papers to the set and put them in front of Wayne. Ford took great pleasure in giving Wayne grief in his non service. The worst was on the set of Sands Of Iwo Jima, where Wayne got into a fist fight with real Marines when they called him a cowered. Can't totally blame the Marines, seeing the way Wayne lived after they went through Hell and back!

Ford humiliated Wayne on the set of They Were Expendable and did so to such an extent that Wayne's co-star, veteran Robert Montgomery, actually asked Ford to ease off!

The excellent Wayne biography, John Wayne: American by Olson and Roberts discusses The Duke's life, and more interestingly, his times. An absolute must read.

As for Newman, seeing his pic reminds me of similar photos of future legendary stars Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, who both served in the U.S. Navy, with Curtis even being present at Tokyo Bay for the Japanese surrender in 1945.

 

[dhermann1]

Eddie Albert was also in the Pacific, in the Navy. He was a landing craft driver carrying Marines to the beaches. He was under plenty of fire during those moments.
Then there were Lee Marvin and Bob Mitchum, both of whom were Marines.

 

[Atticus Finch]

This photo has been posted before, but here's Newman...after the war and still young and poor...in his old N-1. The perfect image of cool.

AF