IMDb RATING
6.5/10
5.1K
YOUR RATING
Biopic of General Douglas MacArthur covering his war exploits during WW2 and the Korean War.Biopic of General Douglas MacArthur covering his war exploits during WW2 and the Korean War.Biopic of General Douglas MacArthur covering his war exploits during WW2 and the Korean War.
- Awards
- 2 nominations
Russell Johnson
- Admiral King
- (as Russell D. Johnson)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt the start of filming, Gregory Peck disliked General Douglas MacArthur. After filming he changed his mind, understanding the challenges MacArthur had faced. He also stated he believed President Harry S. Truman was wrong to relieve MacArthur of his command in Korea in April 1951.
- GoofsIn the opening scene of the bombardment of the 1950 amphibious landing at Inchon, an air strike is depicted where clearly the silhouette of an F4 Phantom is shown, an aircraft that didn't enter service until 1960.
- Quotes
[Responding to restrictive attack orders]
General Douglas MacArthur: In all my fifty years of military service, I have never learned how to bomb HALF a bridge!
- Alternate versionsThe UK DVD issue omits the sequence where MacArthur meets Emperor Hirohito, but instead, adds to the ending. The film now ends with MacArthur and his wife watch a TV transmission of the presidential inauguration of Eisenhower MacArthur's comment: "He will turn out fine. He was the best clerk that ever served under me"), followed by the end of MacArthur's farewell speech at West Point. The subsequent credits starts to roll slightly earlier than previously.
Featured review
Dangerous Demagogue Or Military Genius - Or Both?
Gregory Peck's brilliant portrayal of Douglas MacArthur from the Battle of Corregidor in the Philippines at the start of the Pacific War largely through to his removal as UN Commander during the Korean War offers reason to believe all three of the above possibilities. Certainly the most controversial American General of the Second World War (and possibly ever) MacArthur is presented here as a man of massive contradictions. He claims that soldiers above all yearn for peace, yet he obviously glories in war; he consistently denies any political ambitions, yet almost everything he does is deliberately used to boost himself as a presidential candidate; he obviously believes that soldiers under his command have to follow his orders to the letter, yet he himself deliberately defies orders from the President of the United States; he shows great respect for other cultures (particularly in the Philippines and Japan) and yet is completely out of touch with his own country. All these things are held in balance throughout this movie, and in the end the viewer is left to draw his or her own conclusions about the man, although one is left with no doubt that MacArthur sincerely and passionately loved his country, and especially the Army he devoted his life to.
Peck's performance was, as I said, brilliant - to the point, actually, of overshadowing virtually everyone else in the film (which is perhaps appropriate, given who he was portraying!) with the possible exception of Ed Flanders. I though he offered a compelling look at Harry Truman and his attitude to MacArthur: sarcastic (repeatedly referring to MacArthur as "His Majesty,") angry, frustrated and finally completely fed up with this General who simply won't respect his authority as President. Marj Dusay was also intriguing as MacArthur's wife Jean, devoted to her husband (whom she herself referred to as "General," although their relationship seems to have been a happy enough one.) I very much enjoyed this movie, although perhaps would have liked to have learned a little more about MacArthur's early life. I have always chuckled at MacArthur's reaction to Eisenhower being elected President ("He'll make a fine President - he was the best damn clerk I ever had" - which seems to sum up what MacArthur thought the role of the President should be, especially to his military commanders during wartime.) Well worth watching. 8/10
Peck's performance was, as I said, brilliant - to the point, actually, of overshadowing virtually everyone else in the film (which is perhaps appropriate, given who he was portraying!) with the possible exception of Ed Flanders. I though he offered a compelling look at Harry Truman and his attitude to MacArthur: sarcastic (repeatedly referring to MacArthur as "His Majesty,") angry, frustrated and finally completely fed up with this General who simply won't respect his authority as President. Marj Dusay was also intriguing as MacArthur's wife Jean, devoted to her husband (whom she herself referred to as "General," although their relationship seems to have been a happy enough one.) I very much enjoyed this movie, although perhaps would have liked to have learned a little more about MacArthur's early life. I have always chuckled at MacArthur's reaction to Eisenhower being elected President ("He'll make a fine President - he was the best damn clerk I ever had" - which seems to sum up what MacArthur thought the role of the President should be, especially to his military commanders during wartime.) Well worth watching. 8/10
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- sddavis63
- Apr 1, 2007
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- MacArthur - Held des Pazifik
- Filming locations
- Navy Yard, Bremerton, Washington, USA(scenes on USS Missouri)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $9,000,000 (estimated)
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