In this clip from Return of the Bad Men (1948), good guy vance (played by Randolph Scott) fights the Sundance Kid (Robert Ryan).
Both men were real heroes off-screen as well. Scott served in World War One as an Army Artillery Observer in France, and Ryan served in World War Two as a Marine Corps Drill Instructor. Scott also tried to obtain a Marine Corps commission when World War Two broke out but was rejected due to an old back injury. Still, he went on to tour and raise money for the troops for the duration of the war. And it's noteworthy that both men volunteered to leave their burgeoning film careers to enlist when America called.
Somehow I can't see "stars" like Robert Downey Jr. or Tobey Maguire rushing down to the recruiter's office just because America's at war. But men were really men and Patriotism was the norm back then. Times have certainly changed, haven't they?
Yes they have, and NOT for the better... sigh
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, true. *sigh* Although, I would happily campaign to raise money to give some of those loudmouth actors/actresses who did all that "stop the war or we'll go over there and reason with them" yapping awhile back, get them a one-way ticket to alQuaida-ville. I know of a lot of people here who would gladly donate!
ReplyDelete@ RA: Agreed. I would pay money to send Susan Sarandon, Sean Penn and George Clooney to Kabul provided that they not be allowed to return.
ReplyDelete[In unison] "Randolph Scott!"
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that now that RDJr has cleaned up his act, he's become conservative.
ReplyDeleteAgree with the comment about the naysayers needing offshore deployment, though.
Along with Hanoi Jane...
gfa
Great American
ReplyDeleteThe Greatest Generation really was the greatest...
ReplyDeleteI saw an article once that projected Ted Williams baseball stats had he not volunteered to fight in two wars... nobody would have come close to his accomplishments... but he chose to serve his country instead...
Dann in Ohio