“THE FILMS OF AUDIE MURPHY”, by Bob Larkins and Boyd Magers, Forewords by David Strattonand Michael Pate. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers: first published in 2004 by McFarland,
reprinted in 2004; 232 pages, sc; $39.95. See: www.mcfarlandpub.com.
Nearly half of all the imported foreign films in America during the 1933-1942 years were fromNazi Germany. Poorly disguised, these propaganda films were produced by Germany’s topstudios and featured pro-German and Nazi actors, directors, and technicians. The featurelength film story lines were replete with overt and covert anti-Jewish imagery and themes.Despite using cinema to justify Nazi ascendancy, viewers, and film critics from such prominentpublications as the New York Times, Variety, and Washington Post, Chicago Times continuallyoverlooked the films’ anti-Semitic messages.Author Harry Waldman presents us with the complete history of German films in America.Summaries, descriptions, and discussions of these 500 films serve to examine the major filmmakers and distributors who kept the German film industry alive during the rule of Hitler and
his Third Reich. Joseph Goebbels is scrutinized. Rare seen photographs are used throughout.
As for “Behind the Scenes of ‘They Were Expendable’ “, bibliophiles and their younger cinephilebrothers and sisters are overjoyed author Lou Sabini discovered a batch of hitherto unknownproduction photographs taken in 1945 by U.S Navy photographer Nick Scutti during the filmingof the classic Pacific war feature. It was directed by legendary John Ford, starring John Wayneand Robert Montgomery. Scutti’s hitherto unpublished collection of fully captioned photosprovides us with a unique chronicle of the 30-day location shoot, revealing details of themaking of the film, and, in some instances, includes the disapproving statements by MGMpublicity and remarks by Ford himself. Sabini thoughtfully includes brief biographical sketchesof the movie stars and the actual men the story is based upon.As for “The Films of Audie Murphy”, Bob Larkins and Boyd Magers present Audie’s fans, andCongressional Medal of Honor buffs, with the handsome reference they’ve been yearning for – –a warts-tell-all, the good, bad, and sad, including Audie’s fair share of personal failures andsuccesses, and his shocking, unexpected, tragic death from a plane crash.The co-authors proudly trace Audie’s life in a biography that ranges from his birth to his threeyears in the army, focusing upon how he won every possible combat medal the Americanmilitary has to offer. From his Hollywood debut at James Cagney’s invitation to his finaldramatic decline, all aspects of his personal tragedies are explored with no details convenientlyscratched or ignored, i.e., Audie gambling his fortunes away; surprising everyone withunexpected, uncalled for violent outbursts and episodes, etc. Each of the 49 film entries for theactor is cogently summarized, with critical reviews, comments, and anecdotes added, includingthose of fellow actors and film crews. Audie Murphy was a good man, always kind and
conscientious, a heroic man, who deserved a better life, and this book eloquently tells why.
