Un nommé Joe

As many viewers I saw "Always", actually several times, before I even learned about "A Guy Named Joe." It is factual that the later film was a remake of the earlier one, but being in more modern times a significant story difference was depicted. I have no reason to compare the two against each other, for each one is a fine film on its own.

Set in WW II England, "A Guy Named Joe" gets its title from a comment made by one of the British children waiting to talk to Pete after one of his bombing runs over Germany. He told one of the other children, "that's what all American soldiers are called, guys named Joe." There was no actual character named Joe in the film.

I had never seen Spencer Tracy in his prime, and he was quite a handsome actor. Now I understand why he was so popular. He plays Pete, the pilot who takes unapproved chances to get difficult jobs done. In "Always", Dryfuss as Pete does the same for putting out forest fires. In both films Pete dies during a heroic mission and in heaven is sent to help a novice pilot, who ends up romancing his old girlfriend, Drinda.

I understand that at least one viewer who was in WW II thinks this is not a very good or realistic film. Maybe not, but it is still entertaining, and for me interesting to see a film made the year before I was born. Worth seeking out, for anyone who also enjoyed "Always" to see where it came from. Two different films from two different times, both excellent.

A jingost and agreeable tale about the angel of a dead WWII pilot guiding another young one . ¨A Guy Named Joe¨ stars Spencer Tracy and Irene Dunne, it was one of MGM's top grossers for 1944. A gal named Dorinda loved a guy named Joe. They couldn't hear him. They couldn't see him. But he was there when they needed him... Even after he was gone. It deals with a likeable WWII pilot (Spencer Tracy) in love for the beautiful Dorinda (Irene Dunne) . One day he is killed , as he finds himself returning as an invisible ghost who's presence is barely felt giving advice to his successor. As he is guiding another young pilot (Van Johnson) throughout aerial battles and also helping him to romance his girl , who's still devoted to hiis memory . Pete then finds that his successor is also falling in love with her . A guy - a gal - a pal - It's Swell!

Thi is an exhilarating, heart-satisfying emotional experience - you will long remember .A patriotic , sentimental Hollywood fantasy dealing with the spirit of a recently deceased expert pilot mentors a newer pilot while watching him fall in love with the girlfriend that he left behind . This classy film was remade as ¨Always¨ (1989) by Steven Spielberg . A clip from that film was featured in Poltergeist (1982), which was co-written by director Steven Spielberg. In ¨Always¨ Pete's angel's name is Hap , an early military aviation pioneer, trained at the Wright Brother's flying school, and the only five star general of the US Air Force, was "Hap" Arnold ; in the film this movie was based on , ¨A guy named Joe¨ (1943), Joe's angel was also a former pilot, this makes Hap's name more than a coincidence , originally, the character was supposed to be male . Spencer Tracy's sincerity is major asset as an airman who, after getting killed , looks after the fortunes of his fellows . The secondary cast of MGM reliables includes notorious stars such as : Van Johnson, Ward Bond, James Gleason, Lionel Barrymore , Barry Nelson , Henry O'Neill , Don DeFore , Addison Richards , and a very young Esther Williams without swimming pool in sight.

The motion picture was well directed by Victor Fleming . Victor worked for the Hollywood's main Majors , as in Paramount , Fleming's first major successes were Lord Jim (1925) , The Blind Goddess (1926) and Abie's Irish Rose (1928) , all of them Silent Pictures . The following year, he brought Clara Bow to fame in Mantrap, filmed the now-lost Spanish-American War epic The Rough Riders, and in 1927 he was Emil Jannings' first American director with The Way of All Flesh. Fleming's first all-sound film, The Virginian, established Gary Cooper's laconic character. At MGM, Fleming vaulted Clark Gable to stardom with Red Dust (1932) and began a string of fast-paced hits with Bombshell (1933), Treasure Island (1934), Reckless (1935) , Captains Courageous (1937) , A Star Is Born (1937) co-directed with William A Wellman and Test Pilot (1938). He also remade a large portion of The Great Waltz (1938) after the studio fired original director Julien Duvivier. Fleming took over The Wizard of Oz from Richard Thorpe in October 1938, but before he ended that picture, was asked to take over David Selznick's troubled production of Gone With the Wind from George Cukor. In the following decade, all Fleming's last pictures were big office hits and with the greatest stars , such as : Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) with Spencer Tracy , Lana Turner , Joan of Arc (1948) with Ingrid Bergman , José Ferrer , Guy Named Joe (1943) , Adventure (1945) with Clark Gable , Greer Garson, Joan Blondell , among others.

This is one of the best love stories ever. It isn't a war story, war simply happens to be the setting. And I don't see how a movie can prevent nations from winning a war. The whole fact that Spencer Tracy's character loves Irene Dunne's so much that he will watch her marry another man is the most amazing testimony of love. I don't know how you can watch one of the final scenes; in which Tracy and Dunne are in the plane and he says that their love is too good to make her unhappy; and still call "A Guy Named Joe," a silly movie. Again, the war was simply a setting, because war in itself isn't very interesting, it is the human experience in war which creates a story.

The Fact that Spielberg enjoyed and admired it so much that he remade it also says a little for the film.

This is one of those old-fashioned, nice stories with generally nice people, some good lessons to be learned and some touching scenes. You just have to go with the fantasy-type theologies, in this story dead people coming back as angels-you-can see.

Irene Dunne never looked better, although the soft-focus lens helped her looks. She isn't beautiful but she's wholesomely pretty, and thus appealing. Spencer Tracy gives his normal strong performance but I liked supporting actor Ward Bond in here better. Tracy gives an excellent short speech at the end of this film.

The special-effects in the aviator-war scenes were not good but, hey, this film was made about 65 years ago. You could tell the planes were model airplanes on several shots.

Note: this film was re-made by Steven Spielberg 40 years later under the title "Always." That was a nice film, too, but I think I'd still take this version.

Some reviewers have complained that certain parts of the movie are unbelievable--agreed. However, "A Guy Named Joe" isn't a documentary. It's a riff on the nature of love and loss.

I've seen many Spencer Tracey movies, but none in which he is so subtle, charming, and heartbreaking. I won't give away his final line at the end, but it is a very simple line, delivered simply. But in his understated way, he encapsulates the most complex of human emotions.

Irene Dunne, a truly fine actress, is at her best here. Yes, her style does take a little getting used to for modern audiences, but she, too, has some incredibly difficult work to do in this film, and she meets the task impressively. And Van Johnson, whom I've never really given much thought, turns in a fine performance here, early in his career.

It is obvious that these three actors had a healthy rapport together. The lines of communication had to have been wide open for them to have turned in such gentle, subtly nuanced performances.

I can't say enough about this film. It may sound corny, but if you have ever loved anyone, and if you have ever lost anyone, you will immediately recognize the characters in this film. It's also worth mentioning that the screenplay contains some of the most beautiful poetic language I've ever heard in a movie. If you've never seen "A Guy Named Joe," I strongly recommend it; it will do your heart good.