This week’s mystery movie was the 1944 film “The Sullivans” or “The Fighting Sullivans,” with Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle, Edward Ryan, Trudy Marshall, John Campbell, James Cardwell, John Alvin, George Offerman Jr., Roy Roberts and Ward Bond.
Screenplay by Mary C. McCall Jr. Story by Edward Doherty and Jules Schermer.
Musical direction by Alfred Newman. Music by Cyril J. Mockridge. Photographed by Lucien Andriot. Art direction by James Basevi and Leland Fuller. Set decorations by Thomas Little and Fred J. Rode. Edited by Louis Loeffler. Costumes by Rene Hubert. Makeup by Guy Pearce. Photographic effects by Fred Sersen. Sound by George Leverett and Harry M. Leonard.
Associate producer Robert T. Kane. Produced by Sam Jaffe. Directed by Lloyd Bacon.
“The Fighting Sullivans” is available on DVD or streaming from Amazon. Also on YouTube.
According to the 25-year database of movies on TCM, “The Fighting Sullivans” last appeared on the channel in 2017.
I rarely run a “theme” movie, but decided on “The Fighting Sullivans” for Memorial Day, though only a bit of the film takes place during the war. The movie is based on the true story of five brothers who insisted on serving in the Navy together, all of them dying when their ship, the Juneau, was sunk in 1942.
It’s a weeper. The father (Thomas Mitchell) is a freight conductor on the Illinois Central and his sons have a routine of climbing a water tank to wave as he passes by. In the final scenes, the train slowly passes the water tank – the same shot as we saw before – but this time they aren’t there. Not a dry eye in the theater.
I’ll bet even the New York Times praised it.
Well, he sort of liked it. Because Bosley Crowther can never let himself like a movie too much.
Saying (Feb. 10, 1944):
The real-life story of the Sullivans — the five brothers of Waterloo, Iowa, who were lost altogether in the sinking of the American light cruiser Juneau — is a deeply touching story because of the personal sacrifice it represents. It is a story of typical Americans, with love of home and love of family at its core. And it is in this spirit of simplicity, of devotion and sentiment that Twentieth Century-Fox has told the story of the boys and their family life in a film, plainly titled “The Sullivans,” which came to the Roxy yesterday.
One might, if one chose, make the comment that the producers, in fashioning this film, have played rather heavily upon the obvious and have adorned their film freely with cliches. They have presented the Sullivan brothers, from boyhood until their tragic deaths, much in the manner that other youngsters have been presented in so-called family films. They have galloped and romped these small-town striplings through the familiar pranks of boyhood, and they have shown them as young men not dissimilar to other jovial young men of the screen.
…Altogether, we can recommend “The Sullivans” as a fond and satisfying American film.
For Monday, we have a mystery lad.
Update: This is Bobby Driscoll.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery girl. Back of the Head Guy will appear Friday.
Update: This is Thomas Mitchell (Back of the Head Guy) and Nancy June Robinson.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery lad), Bob Hansen (Monday’s mystery lad) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery lad).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Anne Baxter.
And we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Trudy Marshall.
Brain Trust roll call: Jenny M. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery girl and Back of the Head Guy), Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery girl), Mike Hawks (mystery movie, Monday’s mystery lad and Tuesday’s mystery girl), Patrick (mystery movie and all mystery guests) and Allie Francis (Monday’s mystery lad).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have quite a few mystery guests. Here’s the first one….
Update: This is John Campbell.
… and here’s another one….
Update: This is Edward Ryan.
… and here’s three more mystery gents…
Update: This is James Cardwell, left, George Offerman Jr., center, and John Alvin.
… and finally…..
Update: This is Ward Bond.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Jenny M. (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Gary (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Alexa (mystery movie), Allie Oop (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Blackwing Jenny (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1), Thom and Megan (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1) and Benito (Wednesday’s mystery woman No. 1).
For Friday, we have this mystery woman.
Update: This is Selena Royle.
Also, a mysterious water tank.
And finally, we have this mysterious gent. He does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Thomas Mitchell.
Brain Trust roll call: Sylvia E. (mystery movie and all mystery guests), Tucson Barbara (Thursday’s mystery brothers and mysterious Navy recruiter), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mysterious brothers and mysterious Navy recruiter), Funky PhD (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious Navy recruiter), David Inman (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious Navy recruiter), Ed Casey (mystery movie), Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery brothers and mysterious Navy recruiter), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mysterious brothers and mysterious Navy recruiter), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie), Gary (mystery movie), Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery brothers and mysterious Navy recruiter), Richard Wegescheide (mystery movie), L.C. (mystery movie and mystery cast), Thom and Megan (mystery movie, Thursday’s mysterious Navy recruiter) and Benito (mystery movie and Thursday’s mysterious Navy recruiter).
ladailymirror.com 
Bobby Driscoll in THE FIGHTING SULLIVANS (1944),
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This might be Bobby Driscoll, but I don’t know the movie.
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Could be George Winslow,
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A good guess. But alas, he wasn’t born when our mystery movie was filmed.
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Bobby Driscoll in “The Fighting Sullivans”
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Brandon De Wilde?
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An interesting guess. But alas, he was too young to be in our mystery movie.
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Bobby Driscoll, Thomas. Mitchell and Nancy June Robinson in The Fighting Sullivans.
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Thomas Mitchell, Mary Jane Robinson.
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Nancy June Robinson as young Gen Sullivan
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Bobby Driscoll and Nancy June Robinson in THE FIGHTING SULLIVAN’S.
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Bobby Driscoll, Thomas Mitchell and Nancy June Robinson in The Fighting Sullivans from 1944.
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Bobby Driscoll?
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THE FIGHTING SULLIVANS. Bobby Driscoll Monday, Thomas Mitchell as BOTH guy Tuesday and Nancy June Robinson, Anne Baxter, and Trudy Marshall today. I should have gone with my first thought Monday.
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“The (Fighting) Sullivans”
Bobby Driscoll, Nancy June Robinson, Anne Baxter, Trudy Marshall
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Anne Baxter; Trudy Marshall.
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Anne Baxter and Trudy Marshall receive the terrible news.
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Anne Baxter and Trudy Marshall.
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Anne Baxter and Trudy Marshall.
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The first certainly looks like Anne Baxter.
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The Fighting Sullivans
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Anne Baxter?
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Sunday Dinner For a Soldier
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An excellent guess. But alas, I’m afraid not.
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Is the boy George Winslow? Of course Anne Baxter is one of today’s actresses. Gotta be Fox!
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Our first mystery guest is Anne Baxter.
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Ann Baxter does not approve of these goings on today
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Seeing Ward Bond today, I’m going with a guess I had on Wednesday for woman #1. She looks like a very young Anne Baxter to me. And Ms Baxter and Mr Bond both appeared in “The Fighting Sullivans” 1944. Your salute to Memorial Day.
If that’s not correct, back to the drawing board for me.
If that’s right, wasn’t this family’s story the inspiration for saving “Private Ryan”?
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Edward Ryan, John Campbell, James Cardwell, George Offernan, Jr., John Alvin, Ward Bond
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John Campbell; Eddie Ryan; James Cardwell, George Offerman, Jr. John Alvin; Ward Bond.
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For Thursday, Ward Bond in The Fighting Sulllivans.
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Ward Bond today, and I’m guessing this is “The Fighting Sullivans.”
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the movie is the fighting Sulivans
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George Offerman, Edward Ryan, James Cardwell, John Campbell, John Alvin, and Ward Bond today.
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John Alvin, Edward Ryan, John Campbell, James Cardwell, George Offerman Jr. and Ward Bond.
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Taking a flyer on The Fighting O’Sullivans.
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In consideration of the healthy farm boys I’m guessing this is The Flying Sullivans.
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On Thursday, hoping they are: John Campbell, Edward Ryan, James Cardwell, George Offerman Jr., John Alvin and Ward Bond.
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Fighting Sullivans
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The Fighting Sullivans 1944
Monday – Bobby Driscoll
Tuesday – BOTHG – Thomas Mitchell and (just going by IMDb) Nancy June Robinson (I think as the young version of Trudy Marshall)
Weds – Anne Baxter and Trudy Marshall
Thurs – I think it’s all the brothers, so: John Campbell, Edward Ryan, James Cardwell, George Offerman Jr. and John Alvin
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sorry – going by TCM’s cast list for Nancy June Robinson, not IMDb
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And as mentioned earlier – Ward Bond for Thursday, too.
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The Fighting Sullivans (1944) Bobby Driscoll, Anne Baxter, Thomas Mitchell, Selena Royle, Trudy Marshall, Ward Bond…
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Our movie is The Fighting Sullivans, with Ward Bond as our last guest.
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Ward Bond today, guessing its THE FIGHTING SULLIVANS 1944
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Selena Royle; Thomas Mitchell.
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Selena Royle and Thomas Mitchell
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Selena Royle and Thomas Mitchell.
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Friday – Selena Royle; Thomas Mitchell
Looking forward to the breakdown on Saturday to find out more about the water tank.
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Selena Royle and Thomas Mitchell.
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