To the Shores of Tripoli

Darryl Zanuck personally signed his name to this seminal, jaw-droppingly glamourous war movie full as leading lady Maureen O'Hara put it, of "unfurling flags, marching men, and martial music" and "credited with more new enlistments in the United States Marine Corps than any other promotional campaign that year". Shot at San Diego Marine Base, it also represents a key moment in film history as Miss O'Hara's first Technicolor production, for which she'd been becomingly transformed into a brunette.

While it was in production (SPOILER COMING:) Pearl Harbor was bombed (a moment when according to the movies every single American simultaneously had their radios on when the news first hit the airwaves); cue the outrageous super-patriotic climax when John Payne finally puts his love-life on hold the better to head for the Pacific.

Hirohito and Tojo probably never saw it; but Dr Goebbels probably needed oxygen after seeing this one!

The plot of "To the Shores of Tripoli" is very, very similar to the very popular "Buck Privates" starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. But, unlike this film from the year before, "To the Shores of Tripoli" is not meant to be a comedy. Like the earlier film, this one starts with an obnoxious and self-assured brat of a man (John Payne) walking into the Marine base--assuming because of his connections that he will be accorded special privileges. But, like the other film, his father goes behind his back and insists that his son needs character building and NO exceptions or special favors should be granted to him. And, like "Buck Privates", the brat manages to make a nuisance of himself until, ultimately, he finds redemption. In the interim, he relentlessly chases a pretty nurse (Maureen O'Hara), tangles repeatedly with his Sergeant and makes a few friends--then alienates them with his boorish attitude.

Overall, the film looks great. It's filmed in full color--the sort of intense 1940s color that doesn't quite look real, but is better in some ways than real life! The acting is excellent (with Payne, O'Hara and Randolph Scott) and there is a nice group of actors who play the recruits such as Harry Morgan (in his first film), "Slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom and William Tracy (famous for his Sergeant Doubleday films with Hal Roach). As for the story, it's very predictable and formulaic throughout, but it's well-made formula! Mindless but very enjoyable wartime propaganda that must have done a lot to bolster the public behind the war effort.

Warlike patriotic movie in the guise of drama, in which a smarmy playboy, : John Payne, goes into a Boot Camp, but he comes across a tough and strict Sergeant : Randolph Scott, who results to be his father's old friend. The handsome playboy is transformed into a Marine in boot camp thanks the rigid Sergeant. Along the way he falls in love for the Nurses Chief : delicious Maureen O'Hara in this story of life in a Marine training camp, previous Pearl Harbor bombing by Japanese. Here a Sergeant takes bath after bath of recruits through training and we are meant to feel his frustration seeing his sometimes harsh approach to the men, while fully appreciating that he is the man for the job.

It is set on location in San Diego Marines base , California, and it is dedicated to the brave Marines Corps who were trapped and besieged by Japanese army in the island of Wake, Pacific Ocean Compared to the likes of "Full Metal Jacket" with Lee R. Ermey as a two-fisted sergeant , it is all rather mild, and there is never any questioning of the righteousness of America's fighting men as a force for good. Providing a lot of patriotism and liberal sympathies extending to make the military service a total pride, and especially at its final full of military parades and jingoist songs. Film title is not to be confused with Tripoli 1951 a period pirate adventure which also performed John Payne and Maureen O'Hara . In fact the title comes from the Marine Corps in their first war feat attacked pirates in Tripoli, Libya. Star Randolph Scott is specialised in taking authoritarian types and give them more light and shade that the script sometimes allows. This was one of his last non-westerns characters as a rival for the true starring, John Payne. Here the good-looking John Payne is fine as a real seducer . Payne was a well-known actor of the Forties and Fifties, playing important films as Miracle on 3th street , Silver Lode, Slightly Scarlet , though, nowadays he is really forgotten. As John Payne acted in all kinds of genres as Western, Film Noir, musical and dramas, such as : Dodsworth, Hats off , Tin Pan alley, Weekend in Habana, The great American broadcast , Springtime in the Rockies, Iceland, The razor's edge, Kansas City confidential, Hello Frisco hello, The Dolly sisters, College swing, Footlight serenade, and Tennessee's partners. Trio protagonists : Randolph Scott, John Payne, Maureen O'Hara are well accompanied by a pretty good support cast, such as :Nancy Kelly who delivers additional gorgeous decoration, Henry -Harry-Morgan in his first screen role as a likeable Private, William Tracy, Minor Watson, Alan Hale Jr, Russell Hicks, and a very secondary role for Hillary Brooke, among others.

Shot in colorful and vivid Technicolor by Hollywood's three best cameramen as William Skall, Harry Jackson, Edward Cronjager. As well as sensitive and moving musical score by classy composer Alfred Newman, adding several patriotic songs. The ordinary screenplay with usual elements from recruitment and Privates training from the prestigious Lamar Trotti. Lavishly produced by Milton Sperling and powerful producer Darryl F Zanuck, the motion picture was professionally directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, though with no originality and it turns out to be a little corny and dated. Rating : 5/10. Average but passablr

PEARL HARBOR seems to have borrowed elements of its plotline from TO THE SHORES OF TRIPOLI--only this time the cocky hero with plenty of attitude is JOHN PAYNE and the Navy nurse he falls in love with is MAUREEN O'HARA. The scene where she gets even with him in the dispensary is reminiscent of the much more graphic event in PEARL HARBOR's early courtship scene.

Anyway, as patriotic flag-waving recruitment films go, this one is typical of what the public clamored for during World War II. I'm sure the stirring drill scenes and dress parade moments, combined with stirring soundtrack music, were geared to get marine enlistments into high gear. And maybe they succeeded.

Having put in some military years at the San Diego Naval base, much of the background looks achingly familiar to me. All of the location scenes at the military base have the requisite real flavor while the story itself is the timeless cliche about the spoiled rich boy who is given the rough treatment by a sergeant who wants to turn him into a tough marine. Naturally the over confident military brat becomes a hero in time to rescue his sergeant during a mine sweeping operation--and in time to ensure a happy ending for his romance with nurse O'Hara.

JOHN PAYNE is at his best as the cocky young marine, his left eyebrow getting its usual workout as he seeks to outmanouver everyone in his path. He also gets to show off his splendid physique in the scene where hot-tempered O'Hara plays a dirty trick on him. RANDOLPH SCOTT is excellent as the drill sergeant and others in the cast are up to par--including NANCY KELLY in a rather thankless assignment as "the other woman".

MAUREEN O'HARA is stunning in technicolor but, as usual, has virtually little to do aside from looking gorgeous in a number of close-ups. Her role is typical of the many innocuous cardboard heroines she had to play in the '40s.

Summing up: Nice marine recruitment film, if a bit obvious in its patriotism.

After watching this movie, I now know where the "Officer and a Gentleman" screen writers probably got their idea for the character Sgt. Foley. Randolph Scott was the Sgt. Foley of the 1940s. This movie was made during World War Two, but it spares us the jingoistic propaganda associated with most war movies of that era and offers interesting and likable characters, especially Maureen O'Hara as a Navy nurse and John Payne as the recruit. While watching this movie I thought of Richard Gere and how he would have fit in well in this movie. The similarities between this movie and "Officer" must be more than just coincidental. "Officer" was more intense but this movie did not need to rely on such theatrics to maintain audience interest because the star of this movie was the USMC itself.