Director Howard Hawks "Sergeant York" depicts the life of the greatest American hero of the First World War -- called at the time "the war to end all wars." Well, through hindsight, we now know that it was followed a scant twenty years later with a second World War, and it was in this dire time that Hollywood released "Sergeant York", guaranteed to strike a patriotic chord with all Americans.
Gary Cooper stars as Alvin York, a poor Mountaineer from Appalachia. The film is full of sparkling episodes, such as when a city-slicker salesman asks an older man, sitting by the cracker barrel in the general store, how he got into the valley, he says "We wuz born here." Walter Brennan, possibly America's greatest supporting actor, ably plays "Rozier Pile", the valley's storekeeper, postman, draft board representative, and, oh yes, the minister. At times reminiscent of "Tobacco Road", every hillbilly cliche in the book is thrown in, but it all fits, somehow.
York's one claim to fame is his shooting. He claimed to know how to shoot before he was weaned. Gary Cooper is able to seamlessly slip into the homespun dialog and character of York, and it is a tribute to his monumental acting ability. He looked like he lived his entire life in bib overalls. This is his finest film.
Nobody knows the actual details of York's upbringing, but the film makes great and touching use of his almost deprived background, with family values and old-time religion, and feeling they were doing quite well. It boggles my imagination to think that today a man of York's lifestyle would be pitied and offered welfare. How times change!
York really comes into his own in the Army, where, on October 8, 1918, at the Argonne Offensive, he had his date with destiny. In a Samsonic display of heroism above and beyond the call of duty, York single-handedly dispatched 28 Germans with 28 shots from his US Enfield rifle and Colt 45 automatic pistol, knocked out 35 machine guns, and captured 132 prisoners. Corporal (later Sergeant) York was later decorated with the Medal of Honor and Distinguished Service Cross by General Pershing, himself.
The end of the movie is touching, as York declines to profit by his heroism, turning down endorsements by the score from commercial concerns. York returns to his beloved home, where he gets the girl, and a house and farm donated by the grateful state of Tennessee.
Also watch "To Hell and Back" to see the exploits of Audie Murphy, the greatest American hero of the Second World War.
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