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Movie Star Soldiers (and Others)

Spanish-American War • • stars in World War I • • stars in World War II • • the Korean Conflict • • the VietNam War • • after VietNam

books on the subject • • films & TV • • links

A couple of weblog postings showed up that list movie stars (mostly) who served in World War II (mostly). At first it looked like something for expanding the F.M.P.U. (First Motion Picture Unit) Page, but the list is too long for that and so has been coded to its own page here,
with sections for World War I (we won) and World War II (we won again) and for the Korea Conflict (a tie) and the VietNam War (we lost).

War [& Anti-War] Film Festival Pages at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

U.S. Military History Page at Spirit of America Bookstore

Working Minds / Worry About / War & Peace Page

The  Spanish-American  War
There were no movies yet to produce stars, but these several celebrities served during 1898-1901 and later gained various forms of renown.

writer Stephen Crane [1871-1900]

Alabama Congressman Richmond P. Hobson [1870-1937]

novelist Peter B. Kyne [1880-1957]

newspaper publisher Harrison Gray Otis [1837-1917] of the Los Angeles Times

Gen. John J. 'Black Jack' Pershing [1860-1948]
served as an Army officer in the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

Col. Teddy Roosevelt [1858-1919] led the Rough Riders in Cuba

Lt. Andrew Rowan [1857-1943], who delivered the 'Message to Garcia'

writer Damon Runyon [1884-1946]

poet Carl Sandburg [1878-1967] was stationed in Puerto Rico

actor Lewis Stone [1879-1953]
served as an Army officer in the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

Stars  (and Others)  in  World  War  I

"Famous, 1914-1918" [2008] by Richard Van Emden & Victor Piuk Tells the stories and locates the events with photos and maps, for twenty still-remembered individuals who fought in the Great War: actor Nigel Bruce, serial killer John Reginald Christie, Winston Churchill (future Prime Minister), Peter Llewelyn Davies (model for 'Peter Pan'), Alfred Thompson (Lord) Denning, Army doctor Alexander Fleming (discoverer of penicillin), author C.S. Lewis, Harold Macmillan (future Prime Minister), mountaineer George Mallory, A.A. Milne (creator of Winnie the Pooh), Bernard Law Montgomery (future general officer), sculptor Henry Moore, Ned Parfett, writer J.B. Priestley, actor Basil Rathbone, John Reith (future head of B.B.C.), actor Arnold Ridley, author R.C. Sherriff, J.R.R. Tolkien, author Dennis Wheatley, and composer Ralph Vaughan Williams Pen and Sword 9½x6¼ hardcover [11/2008] for $60.00 watch author interview/promo video [4:55] at YouTube

actor Humphrey Bogart [1899-1957]
Enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Spring 1918; served on the USS Leviathan ferrying American troops back from Europe.

actor Walter Brennan [1894-74]
Served as a private with the 101st Field Artillery Regiment in France during World War I.

British actor Nigel Bruce [1895-1953]
Served in France from 1914 as a lieutenant in the 10th Service Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry and the Honourable Artillery Company;
severely wounded at Cambrai in 1915, with eleven bullets in his left leg; spent most of the remainder of the war in a wheelchair.

Frank Capra [1897-1991]
{ Frank Capra gets an entry here in the World War I Section as well as in the World War II Section below. }
Frank Capra was a student at Throop College in Pasadena, California (which later became CalTech) in April 1917 when Congress declared war against Germany; he tried to enlist in the U.S. Army, but discovered that he was not a U.S. citizen, and so was allowed to join the Coastal Artillery; he became a supply officer for the student soldiers of Throop's R.O.T.C. program. He graduated from Throop in September 1918 and was inducted into the U.S. Army in October, and shipped out to the Presidio at San Francisco; the armistice ending the fighting of World War I was declared in the following month; he became ill with the Spanish influenza that claimed 20 million lives worldwide; he was discharged from the Army in December and recuperated at his brother Ben's home in Los Angeles. {Frank Capra became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1920.}

Winston Churchill [1874-1965]
Left Harrow School in 1893; graduated from the Royal Military College at Sandhurst in December 1894, eighth out of a class of 150; commissioned as a cornet (second lieutenant) in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars; became a journalist for the extra income; travelled to Cuba, India (fighting in the Second Anglo-Afghan War and the Siege of Malakand), Egypt, Sudan (the Battle of Omdurman); resigned from the Army in May 1899.

Spent eight months in South Africa, first as a journalist (captured and escaped), then commissioned in the South African Light Horse (among the first troops to enter liberated Pretoria); resigned from the regular Army in 1900; joined the Imperial Yeomanry in 1902; promoted to major in 1905.

Held several public & political offices from 1900 to 1915, when he lost an election to Parliament; rejoined the British Army in 1915 and was appointed lieutenant-colonel and commander of the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers on 1 January 1916, which soon was stationed at Ploegsteert, Belgium on the Western Front; transferred to the Territorial Reserves in 1916; retired in 1924 at age 50.

Churchill also served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice: from May 1940 to July 1945 and from October 1951 to April 1955.

British actor Ronald Colman [1891-1958]
Seriously wounded by shrapnel to the ankle during World War I, leaving him with a permanent limp.

Peter Llewelyn Davies [1897-1960]
J.M. Barrie's model for 'Peter Pan'; received a commission as a signal officer, served in France during World War I
and spent time in the trenches, and was awarded the Military Cross.

studio head Walt Disney [1901-66]
Tried to enlist at age 16, rejected as under age; joined the Red Cross and served in post-Armistice France as an ambulance driver.

Alfred Thompson (Baron) Denning [1899-1999]
Enlisted in August 1917; temporarily commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Engineers; unit sent to France in March 1918
to stop the German advance on Paris; held their section of the line for three months while under continuous shell fire.

Army doctor Alexander Fleming [1881-1955]
Served as a captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps in battlefield hospitals at the Western Front in France
until 1918; later discoverer of penicillin (winning a Nobel Prize).

American author Ernest Hemingway [1899-1961]
Served as an ambulance driver in Italy during World War I; he was seriously wounded in 1918 and returned home.

Scottish actor John Laurie [1897-1980]
Served with the Honourable Artillery Company during World War I; found fame and public affection as
the dour Scotsman Pvt. James Fraser in the British sitcom "Dad's Army" [1968–77].

author C.S. Lewis [1898-1963]
Enlisted in the British Army in 1917; commissioned into the Third Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry and sent to the Somme Valley
in France where he experienced trench warfare; wounded by badly-aimed British shell in April 1918 and recovered by October; assigned to duty
in Andover, England and demobilised in December 1918.

(future Prime Minister) Harold Macmillan [1894-1986]
Enlisted for active service in the Grenadier Guards and fought on the front lines in France; wounded three times, his hip wound took four years to heal completely. (Joined his family's publishing house in 1920; entered politics in 1940; Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from January 1957 to October 1963.)

British actor Herbert Marshall [1890-1966]
Served in the London Scottish Regiment; shot in the right knee by a sniper at Arras, France in 1915; several operations ended
with amputation below the hip; learned to walk so that people did not realize his injury; pain increased later in life.

cowboy star Tim McCoy [1891-1978]
served in both World War I and II

sculptor Henry Spencer Moore [1898-96]
Volunteered for Army service and was the youngest man in the Prince of Wales's Own Civil Service Rifles regiment; injured in 1917 in a gas attack
at Bourlon Wood during the Battle of Cambrai; after recovering in hospital, he saw out the remainder of the war as a physical training instructor.

writer John Boynton 'J.B.' Priestley [1894-1984]
Enlisted in the 10th Battalion, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in September 1914; posted to France as a lance-corporal in August 1915; badly wounded in June 1916 when he was buried alive by a trench-mortar, spending many months in military hospitals and convalescence; commissioned as an officer in the Devonshire Regiment in January 1918, and posted back to France late summer 1918 where he suffered from the effects of poison gas, and then supervised German prisoners-of-war, before being demobilized in early 1919.

British actor Claude Rains [1889-1967]
Served in the London Scottish Regiment; survived a gas attack that left him nearly blind in one eye for the rest of his life;
by the end of the war, he had risen from the rank of private to that of captain.

British actor Basil Rathbone [1892-1967]
Called up to the London Scottish Regiment in 1915; received a commission as a lieutenant in the 2/10th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment and served as an intelligence officer; upon his brother's death in battle, he quit reconnaissance night missions and spied on the enemy in full daylight (more dangerous but better results); received the Military Cross and the rank of captain.

(future head of B.B.C.) John Reith [1889-1971]
Reith was a part-time soldier in the 1st Lancashire Rifle Volunteers and later the 5th Scottish Rifles before moving from Glasgow to London in 1914; he was posted to France where he was struck in the cheek by a bullet in October 1915, then promoted to lieutenant and transferred to the Royal Engineers; he spent the next two years in the United States, supervising armament contracts; he was promoted to captain in 1917, before being transferred to the Royal Marine Engineers as a major in 1918; he returned to the Royal Engineers as a captain in 1919; he resigned his Territorial Army commission in 1921.

Reith was hired in 1922 as the general manager for an as-yet unformed British Broadcasting Company;
he left his position as director-general at the B.B.C. in 1938 and entered politics in 1940.

Reith took a commission (circa 1942) as a lieutenant of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve (R.N.V.R.) on the staff of the Rear-Admiral Coastal Services; in 1943, he was promoted to captain (RNVR), and appointed Director of the Combined Operations Material Department at the Admiralty, a post he held until early 1945.

author-actor Arnold Ridley [1896-1984]
volunteered for British Army service in August 1914 but was rejected due to a toe injury; enlisted as a private in the Somerset Light Infantry in 1915 and saw active service in France, sustaining several serious injuries: his left hand was left virtually useless by wounds sustained on the Somme, his legs were riddled with shrapnel, he was bayonetted in the groin, and the legacy of a blow to the head by a German soldier's rifle butt left him prone to blackouts; he was medically discharged from the Army with the rank of lance corporal.

Ridley had a successful career as a playwright between the wars. He rejoined the Army in 1939 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in October 1939;
he served with the British Expeditionary Force in France during the 'Phoney War' and escaped in May 1940 during the Battle of Boulogne on the grossly-overcrowded
destroyer HMS Vimera, the last British ship to escape from the harbor; shortly afterwards, he was discharged on health grounds. He relinquished his commission
as a captain in June 1940 and joined the Home Guard at his home town of Caterham; he also joined E.N.S.A. (British equivalent of the U.S.O.) with whom
he toured the country.

Ridley became a household name after he was cast as Pvt. Charles Godfrey, the gentle platoon medic in the British sitcom "Dad's Army" [1968–77].

author Robert Cedric 'R.C.' Sherriff [1896-1975]
Served as a captain in the 9th Battalion of the East Surrey Regiment at Vimy and at Loos; severely wounded at
Passchendaele near Ypres in 1917; awarded the Military Cross.

actor Lewis Stone [1879-1953]
served as an Army officer in the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

J.R.R. Tolkien [1892-1973]
Signed up for the Army and was commissioned a second lieutenant; trained for 11 months, was allowed to marry, then sent to France in June 1916; saw combat at the Somme, but suffered trench foot and eventually trench fever, at which point he was sent home to England, where he bounced between hospital recovery and garrison duties; while in Staffordshire, he began writing ("The Book of Lost Tales") and was promoted to lieutenant.

(future U.S. President) Harry S. Truman [1884-1972]
Enlisted during World War I at age 34 (lying about his eyesight); served in France as a battery commander, and participated in at least two battles
in which his leadership played a crucial role; his battery did not lose a man.

author Dennis Wheatley [1897-1977]
Commissioned as second lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery; served in France with the City of London Brigade and the 36th (Ulster) Division; after service in Flanders, on the Ypres Salient, and in France at Cambrai and St. Quentin, he was gassed in a chlorine attack at Passchendaele and invalided. During the Second World War, Wheatley was a member of the London Controlling Section and other posts for the War Office; he was given a commission directly into the Joint Planning Staff as Wing Commander, RAFVR and took part in advance planning for the Normandy invasions; awarded the U.S. Bronze Star in 1946 for his part in the war effort.

composer Ralph Vaughan Williams [1872-1958]
Enlisted at age 41 as a private in the Royal Army Medical Corps; after a gruelling time as a stretcher bearer in France and in Salonika, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery in December 1917; prolonged exposure to gunfire began a process of hearing loss which eventually caused severe deafness in old age; in 1918, he was appointed Director of Music, First Army.

Stars  (and Others)  in  World  War  II
U.S.A.A.F. First Motion Picture Unit (F.M.P.U.) Page
Britain's Royal Air Force Film Production Unit

actor Don Adams [1923-2005]
Enlisted in the U.S. Marines at age 16 by lying about his age; wounded on Guadalcanal and later hospitalized for more than a year
with blackwater fever, a particularly nasty form of malaria; later served as a Marine drill instructor.

actor Eddie Albert [1906-2005]
Worked with Army Intelligence prior to the war, photographing German U-boats in Mexico; later enlisted in the U.S. Navy and then was commissioned
as an officer in the Naval Reserves. He is most noted for piloting a landing craft during the invasion of Tarawa in the Pacific; awarded the Bronze Star
for Valor for rescuing 30 marines that were stranded on a coral reef – while under enemy fire.

Desi Arnaz [1917-86]
Drafted circa 1942; an injured knee got him classifed for limited duty; assigned to the U.S.O. program at a military hospital in the San Fernando Valley.

actor James Arness [1923-2001]
Most famous for playing Matt Dillon on "Gunsmoke"; wanted to be an aviator, but his six foot seven height prevented that; enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a rifleman with the 3rd Infantry; wounded at Anzio, Italy and medically discharged; his wounds caused chronic pain for the rest of his life.

actress Bea Arthur [1922-2009]
served in the U.S. Marines during World War II.

actor-director Richard Attenborough [1923-2014]
Noted for directing "A Bridge Too Far" [1977] and "Gandhi" [1983]; served in the Royal Air Force during World War II; after initial pilot training, he was seconded to the newly formed R.A.F. Film Unit at Pinewood Studios; volunteered to fly with the Film Unit and after further training (where he sustained permanent ear damage), he qualified as a sergeant and flew on several missions over Europe filming from the rear gunner's position.

singing cowboy actor Gene Autry [1907-98]
Enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942, promoted to Tech Sergeant; his private pilot license got him transferred to Air Transport Command with the rank
of flight officer; flew supplies across 'The Hump' from India to China, which was very hazardous duty due to the weather and terrain; he flew the C-109,
a cargo version of the B-24 designed to haul fuel.

actor Lew Ayres [1908-96]
Star of the 1930 film adaptation of "All Quiet On The Western Front" and the original "Dr. Kildare"; publicly announced in 1942 that he was a pacifist and would not bear arms, prompting outrage and a boycott of his films; he eventually served as a medic, treating hundreds of soldiers, and was discharged with three battle stars on his Pacific service ribbon, having gone ashore on Hollandia, Leyte, and Luzon.

Robert William 'Bob' Barker [b. 1923]
Famous for many years as host of the TV game show 'The Price Is Right'; joined the U.S. Navy from college and trained
to fly F-4Us, but the war ended and he did not see combat.

singer Harry Belafonte [b. 1927]
Served in the U.S. Navy during WWII.

singer Tony Bennett [b. 1926]
Served in the 63rd Infantry Division in WWII and saw heavy combat in France and Germany.

actor James Best [1926-2015]
Most famous for playing Roscoe B. Coltrane on TV's "Dukes of Hazzard"; he was a B-17 gunner during WWII.

German actor Hans Christian Blech [1915–93] /nm0088083/
Obtained the famous scars on his face from wounds received while a German soldier on the Russian Front during WWII.

Ernest Borgnine [1917-2012]
Best remembered from the 1960s TV show "McHale's Navy"; Borgnine enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1935 and did a stint on a minesweeper;
his tour was up in 1941 but he re-enlisted after Pearl Harbor and served on a sub-hunter PY-12 during in the South Pacific.

British filmmaker John Edward Boulting [1913-85]
Served in World War II as commander of the R.A.F. Film Unit at Pinewood Studios; had the rank of flight lieutenant.

actor Neville Brand [1892-1985]
Joined the Illinois Army National Guard in October 1939 as a private in the 129th Infantry Regiment; enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman corporal in March 1941; saw action with the 331st Infantry Regiment of the 83rd Infantry (the Thunderbolt Division) in the Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central European campaigns.

actor Charles Bronson [1921-2003]
Famous for playing tough guys in the movies, Bronson was a tough guy in real life too. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 and served
as a gunner on B-29s. He flew 25 missions from Guam and was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in battle.

Mel Brooks [b. 1926]
Before becoming one of the funniest people to ever live, Mel Brooks was clearing German mines
as a combat engineer with the 78th Infantry Division during World War II.

Frank Capra [1897-1991]
{ Frank Capra served in the U.S. Army in California [1917-18] - see the World War I Section above - as well as in the U.S. Army Signal Corps during World War II. }

"The Capra Touch: A Study of the Director's Hollywood Classics and War Documentaries, 1934-1945" [2011] by Matthew C. Gunter Mcfarland & Co. pb [8/2011] for $45.00

            

"Why We Fight" documentary series [1943-45]

Educational documentary films produced for showing to new recruits and also released to theaters. Produced & co-directed by Frank Capra [1897-1991] and co-directed by Anatole Litvak [1902-74] & Anthony Veiller [1903-65] for the U.S. Army Signal Corps; the "Prelude To War" segment won a Best Documentary Oscar for the U.S. Army; listed in National Film Registry (2000) Periscope Film LLC Blu-ray set [7/2014] 2 disks for $34.95 Shout! Factory/Timeless Media DVD boxed set [3/2007] 2 disks for $8.99 Gaiam Americas DVD boxed set [2/2009] 4 disks - out of prodn/used Goodtimes DVD boxed set [3/2001] 4 disks - out of prodn/used Questar b&w VHS boxed set [4/2002] 3 tapes for $28.45 Rhino b&w VHS boxed set [8/98] 7 tapes for $37.98

more info on Magic Lantern's "Why We Fight" Documentary Series [1943-45] Page

actor Art Carney [1918-2003]
Famous for playing Ed Norton on "The Honeymooners"; Carney was drafted into the Army during WWII and sent to France as an infantryman in August of 1944
(during the breakout from Normandy); wounded in his leg by shrapnel, he was sent home to recover and walked with a limp for the rest of his life.

Johnny Carson [1925-2005]
Joined the Navy in 1943 and was ultimately commissioned as an ensign; served on the battleship USS Pennsylvania as a communications officer;
on his way to take part in the invasion of Japan when the war ended.

writer & director Sidney Aaron 'Paddy' Chayefsky [1923-81]
served with the 104th Infantry Division in the European Theatre; he was wounded, near Aachen, Germany, reportedly by a land mine. While recovering from his injuries in the Army Hospital near Cirencester, England, he wrote the book and lyrics to a musical comedy "No T.O. For Love", which was first produced in 1945 by the Special Services Unit; the show toured European Army bases for two years and launched Chayefsky into a career in theater and film.

John Leslie 'Jackie' Coogan [1914-84]
joined the Army as a medic just prior to World War II and later transferred to the glider corps because he had a pilot's license. Coogan landed troops behind Japanese lines in Burma. At one point he was in a glider the crashed. The Japanese killed all survivors except for Coogan, who was hidden under a pile of bodies.

British comic Tommy Cooper [1921-84]
called up in 1940 as a trooper in the Royal Horse Guards, served with Montgomery's Desert Rats in Egypt.

Tony Curtis [nee Bernard Schwartz 1925-2010]
enlisted in the Navy after Pearl Harbor. He served on a submarine tender, the USS Proteus. The Proteus spent several months in Japan
on occupation duty after the surrender so presumably he was there with it.

Raiford Chatman 'Ossie' Davis [1917-2005]
Davis served in the then-segregated US Army from 1942 to 1945. He spent most of his time as a surgical technician in an Army hospital in Liberia.

Canadian actor James Doohan [1925-2005]
Star Trek's 'Scotty' stormed the beaches at Normandy with the 3rd Canadian Infantry. On the same day he shot two German snipers, he was badly wounded
by friendly fire. He later went to pilot training and flew light aircraft as an artillery observer.

Kirk Douglas [nee Issur Danielovitch; b. 1916]
enlisted in the US Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor. He originally tried to get into the Army Air Corps but didn't pass their psychological screening (presumably he was too sane). He served on anti-submarine patrols in the Pacific - presumably a destroyer. He suffered internal injuries when a depth charge exploded too close to his ship. He was medically discharged in 1944 and was apparently haunted by his wartime experience for years after.

writer Dominick Dunne [1925-2009]
served in the U.S Army during WWII; he earned a Bronze Star for 'saving another soldier' during the Battle of the Bulge.

Charles Durning [1923-2012]
Most sources maintain that he landed at Normandy as part of the initial invasion, was wounded several times, fought in the Battle of the Bulge and narrowly escaped that massacre at Malmedy. There are those out there who claim his record was exaggerated. I'm not sure how credible they are. His official record shows him having been awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the French Legion of Honor. They don't give those out for nothin'

dancer-actor Christian Ludolf 'Buddy' Ebsen, Jr. [1908-2003]
We all knew him as Jed Clampett but Buddy Ebsen served on a Coast Guard frigate during WWII. He attained the rank of Lieutenant (O-3), which is equivalent to a Captain in the Army or Air Force.

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. [1909-2000]
As an officer in the US Naval Reserve he worked as a liaison to the British commandos. He was so impressed with the British commando tactics that he proposed something similar for the U.S. Navy. This was the start of the Navy's "Beach Jumpers". His list of decorations includes the Legion of Merit and the Silver Star. Oh, and the British made him a Knight.

actor Henry Fonda [1905-82]
enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942 and served as a Quartermaster on a Destroyer. There's not a lot of information concerning his service but his ship, the USS Satterlee performed escort duty in the Atlantic and supported the Normandy invasion. Fonda ultimately received a commission and finished the war as an intelligence officer.

Glenn Ford [1916-2006]
interrupted his career and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in December 1942; he broadcast a radio program from Camp Pendleton in California and received a medical discharge in December 1944. In 1958, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve and worked as a public affairs officer; in 1967 he took a crew to VietNam to scout locations for a training film; he received several medals, including the Navy Commendation Medal and retired in the 1970s at the rank of captain.

director John Ford [1894-1973]
was a Commander (O-5) in the US Naval Reserve during World War II. He filmed documentaries for the Navy and headed up the photography unit of the O.S.S. (predecessor of the C.I.A.). He was wounded while filming at the Battle of Midway and also went ashore with the Normandy invasion. He returned to service during the Korean War and retired as a Rear Admiral.

French screen legend Jean Gabin [1904-76]
Served in the French military after World War I; he turned down many offers from Hollywood until the Germans occupied France, whence he fled to America; he left Hollywood in 1943 and volunteered for de Gaulle's Free French Forces at age 39, seeing action in North Africa and Europe as commander of an M10 tank destroyer; he was among the troops parading into a liberated Paris and was awarded the Mιdaille Militaire and a Croix de Guerre.

actor Clark Gable [1901-60]
was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal for his wartime service.

"Combat America" [U.S.A.A.F. Sept 1944]

62-minute Technicolor documentary made by then-Lieutenant Clark Gable featuring the men of the U.S.A.A.F. 351st Bombardment Group between combat missions over Germany from an R.A.F. base in England. Post-production was done by Gable on assignment at F.M.P.U. / Fort Roach. Produced, directed & narrated by and starring 1Lt. Clark Gable; cameos by Gen. 'Hap' Arnold & Bob Hope Alpha Video 102-min. DVD [6/2009] for $7.98 Periscope Film 110-min. Deluxe Edition DVD [4/2007] for $24.99 Good Times Video b&w DVD [5/2001] out of prodn/used full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia hour-long online version at YouTube

John Glenn [1921-2016]
Joined the U.S. Navy in March 1942; after advanced flight training, he accepted a Marine Corps commission and flew 59 combat missions in the South Pacific, then flew patrol missions in North China. In Korea, he flew F-9F 'Panther' jet interceptors in 63 combat missions; on a second tour in Korea, he logged 27 combat missions in the F-86F 'Sabre' jet and shot down three MiG-15s. Glenn joined N.AS.A. as one of the first seven astronauts in 1959 and became the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard Friendship 7 on 20 February 1962. Glenn retired from the Marines (and N.A.S.A.) as a Colonel in 1965 and went on to a career in politics.

Olympic athlete and sports announcer Marty Glickman [1917-2001]
served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1941-45.

"The Goon Show" BBC Home Service radio programme [1951-60]
main cast members all served in the British military during World War II.

Sir Terence Alan 'Spike' Milligan, KBE [1918-2002]
Served with the 56th Heavy Regiment Royal Artillery in Sussex, North Africa, and Italy; after being wounded at Monte Cassino,
he was assigned to entertain the troops (he played multiple musical instruments).

actor Peter Sellers, CBE [1925-80]
was a member of the Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA), which entertained troops and factory workers; joined the Royal Air Force in 1943, hoping to become a pilot (prevented by bad eyesight); auditioned for Squadron Leader Ralph Reader's 'R.A.F. Gang Show' entertainment troupe and toured the U.K. then India, Ceylon, and Burma, then Germany and France after the war; demobilized in 1946.

Welsh comedian Sir Harry Donald Secombe, CBE [1921-2001]
Joined the Territorial Army (equivalent of American Reserve units) in 1938; served as a Lance Bombardier in the Royal Artillery during World War II in North Africa (where he and Spike Milligan first met), Sicily, and Italy; demobilized in 1945.

comedian Michael Bentine, CBE [1922-1996]
Volunteered/called up for service in the R.A.F., transferred to R.A.F. Intelligence and MI-9; took part in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

Canadian actor Lorne Greene [1915-87]
apparently served in the Royal Canadian Air Force with the rank of Flying Officer (1st Lieutenant).

singer-songwriter Woodie Guthrie [1912-67]
was a Merchant Seaman in the North Atlantic from June 1943 to 1945; two of his ships were hit by German torpedoes. The World War I-era destroyer
USS Reuben James was the first U.S. ship torpedoed by German U-boats in World War II, on 31 October 1941. Woody Guthrie's 1942 song
"The Sinking of The Reuben James" arose because he personally knew several of the men aboard.

actor Frederick Hubbard 'Fred' Gwynne [1926-93]
enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a radio operator on a submarine chaser.

actor Gene Hackman [b. 1930]
enlisted in the Marines at age 16 and served as a field radio operator in China.

author Alex Haley [1921-92]
creator of "Roots" and the biography of Malcolm X; served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1939 to 1959.

actor Sterling Hayden [nee Sterling Relyea Walter 1916-86]
General Ripper himself actually left his acting career just as it was getting started and enlisted in the Marines under an assumed name. He must have shown promise during basic training because they immediately sent him to Officer Candidate School. After being commissioned he served with the OSS, which later became the C.I.A. He parachuted behind enemy lines and worked with partisans (guerrilla fighters) in Yugoslavia. Sounds dangerous? It was. He was awarded the Silver Star for gallantry.

actor Charleton Carter Heston [1923-2008]
Prior to getting started in Hollywood, Heston enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944-47. He served as a radio operator
and gunner on B-25s in the Aleutian Islands but never saw actual combat.

director George Roy Hill [1921-2002]
Noted for "Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid" [1969] and "The Sting" [1973]; served in the U.S. Marine Corps as a cargo pilot in the South Pacific
during World War II; later, in the Korean War, he served for 18 months as night fighter pilot with the rank of major.

comedian Bob Hope [1903-2003] did U.S.O. tours in three wars.

author & charlatan L. Ron (for Lafayette Ronald) Hubbard [1911-86]
served in the Marine Corps Reserve and U.S. Navy in World War II; commanded two small ships, but was removed from each
as 'unfit for command'; founded the Scientology religion scam in 1952

actor Rock Hudson [1925-85]
Served in the Pacific as an aircraft mechanic in the U.S. Navy, circa 1943-45.

actor-comedian Danny Kaye [1913-87] did U.S.O. tours in three wars.

actor Brian Keith [1921-97]
served with the Marines as a rear gunner on SBD Dauntless dive bombers during WWII, flying ground attack missions
at Rabaul and other Japanese-held islands in the Pacific.

actor Jackson DeForrest Kelley [1920-99]
Served in the U.S.A.A.F. First Motion Picture Unit during World War II.

Joseph Patrick 'Joe' Kennedy, Jr. [1915-44]
The eldest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. [1888–1969] and Rose Fitzgerald [1890–1995]; brother of later President John Kennedy; served as
a U.S. Navy lieutenant and land-based patrol bomber pilot; killed in action during a training flight in England; posthumously awarded the Navy Cross.

Everyone knows about John F. Kennedy [1917-63] and PT-109.

The Kennedy Clan Page at Spirit of America Bookstore

comic book artist Jack Kirby [1917-94]
creator of 'Captain America' and most of the Silver Age Marvel lineup; nearly lost his feet to frostbite in Italy during World War II.

actor Ted Knight [nee Tadeusz Wladyslaw Konopka 1923-86]
dropped out of high school in Connecticut to enlist in the U.S. Army in World War II; he was a member of A Company,
296th Combat Engineer Battalion, earning five battle stars while serving in the European Theatre.

British actor Sir Christopher Lee [1922-2015]
tried to be an R.A.F. pilot, but had eye trouble, then kicked around Africa and the Middle East during the War
looking for a way to serve before joining British Intelligence.

Levy-Gardner-Laven Productions, Inc. [est. 1951]
Three members of the U.S.A.A.F. First Motion Picture Unit during World War II decided to form a production company together, which they did in 1951;
they produced a wide range of feature films and TV series, including "The Rifleman" [1958], "The Detectives" [1959], and "The Big Valley" [1965];
their last production credit was in 1982; the company (now heirs) maintains an office in Beverly Hills, California, along with several websites.
official {placeholder} website • entry at Wikipedia

actor-producer Arthur Gardner [1910-2014]: credits at IMDb

producer-director Arnold Laven [1922-2009]: credits at IMDb

writer-producer Jules V. Levy [1923-2003]: credits at IMDb

actress Carole Lombard [1908-42]
was killed on 16 January 1942 in the crash of a private airplane, returning from a tour selling war bonds; she is counted as
the first American female casualty of the war. (Husband Clark Gable [1901-60] was devestated by the loss.)

British actor (Daniel) Patrick Macnee [1922-2015]
Enlisted in the Britain's Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman in 1942; was commissioned a Sub-Lieutenant in 1943 and became a navigator on motor torpedo boats in the English Channel and North Sea; refused to carry a handgun in "The Avengers" TV show because of his wartime experiences, which is why he fought with an umbrella and Mrs. Peel was a martial arts expert.

Lee Marvin [1924-87]
served with the 4th Marine Division in the Pacific; was wounded in action during the invasion of Saipan in July 1944.

Walter Matthau [1920-2000]
served as a radioman-gunner on B-24s in the European theater.

editorial cartoonist Bill Mauldin [1921-2003]
Served with the 45th Infantry Division, including the invasion of Italy, and was wounded in the shoulder from a German mortar near Monte Cassino, Italy in September 1943; character 'Willie' was on the cover of TIME Magazine for 18 June 1945; Sgt. Bill Mauldin (at the age of 23) won the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1945; he won the Pulitzer Prize again in 1959 (as 'William H. (Bill) Mauldin'); Mauldin himself was on the cover of TIME Magazine on 21 July 1961.

cowboy star Tim McCoy [1891-1978]
served in both World War I and II

U.S. Senator George McGovern [1922-2012]
Served with the 455th Bomb Group, 15th Air Force based at San Giovanni, in the boot of Italy and flew 35 missions over German-occupied Europe
in B-24 'Liberator' bombers; served as Congressman from South Dakota, 1957-60, served as Senator from South Dakota, 1963-1980;
Democratic candidate for U.S. President in 1972, lost to incumbent Richard M. Nixon [1913-94].

Ed McMahon [1923-2009]
Enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after Pearl Harbor; received flight training in Dallas and Pensacola; served two years as a flight instructor; received orders to the Pacific fleet, but the orders were cancelled when Japan surrendered. Stayed in the Reserves and was recalled to active duty in Korea, where he flew 85 combat missions, earning six Air Medals. Retired from the Reserves in 1966 with the rank of colonel.

actor Steve McQueen [1930-80]
Served in the U.S. Marine Corps in an armored tank unit, 1947-1950.

actor (Oliver) Burgess Meredith [1907-97]
served in the Army Air Corps and achieved the rank of Captain (O-3) in unknown staff position; he was discharged in 1944
so that he could work on war documentaries.

orchestra leader (Alton) Glenn Miller [1904-MIA 1944]
at the peak of his success and overage when the war broke out, he nevertheless got himself assigned to the Army Air Corps, serving
as an entertainer; his plane disappeared over the English Channel in December 1944.

actor Robert Montgomery [1904-81]
Although a major star in Hollywood, he joined the U.S. Navy during World War II and rose to the rank of lieutenant commander;
he served on the destroyer USS Barton, which was part of the D-Day invasion on 6 June 1944.

actor Wayne Morris [1914-59]
While filming "Flight Angels" [1940], Morris became interested in flying and became a licensed pilot; he joined the Naval Reserve and became a Navy flier in 1942, leaving his film career behind for the duration of the war; he flew the F-6F 'Hellcat' off the aircraft carrier USS Essex for 57 missions and seven kills, qualifying him as an ace; he was awarded four Distinguished Flying Crosses and two Air Medals.

Audie Leon Murphy [1925-71]
Audie Murphy stood a mere 5 foot 5 inches and weighed maybe 130 pounds, so he was turned away by the Marines for being too small; he enlisted in the Army
and became the most-highly-decorated soldier in U.S. history. Medals? - one of everything plus a couple of extras, most notably the Medal of Honor,
Distinguished Service Cross, and two Silver Stars.

baseball legend Stanley Frank 'Stan' Musial [1920-2013] was in the Navy.

actor Paul Newman [1925-2008]
Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; dropped from the V-12 Pilot Training Program due to color-blindness; trained as a
radioman-gunner; saw combat in the South Pacific in Avengers and other torpedo bombers.

actor David Niven [1910-83]
was re-commissioned as a lieutenant in the British Army's Rifle Brigade in February 1940 and was assigned to a motor training battalion; but he wanted something more exciting and transferred into the Commandos. He was assigned to a training base at Inverailort House in the Western Highlands and commanded A Squadron, GHQ Liaison Regiment, better known as 'Phantom'. He also served with Britain's Army Film Unit.

actor Warren Mercer Oates [1928-82]
served as a Marine on an aircraft carrier during World War II.

TV pioneer Jack Paar [1918-2004]
Drafted into the Army in 1943; stationed in the Pacific, worked as an emcee of U.S.O. shows.

actor Jack Palance [nee Volodymyr Palahniuk 1919-2006]
served in the Air Corps during WWII and at least trained on B-24s.

TV host Bert Parks [1914-92]

British actor Donald Pleasance [1919-95]
was a pacifist and initially claimed conscientious objector status. He changed his mind at some point and took a commission in the Royal Air Force. One source says it was because he noted that German bombs hitting London didn't distinguish between pacifists and non-pacifists. He served as a crew member on Lancaster bombers, was shot down after 60 missions in August of 1944, and spent almost 3 years as a P.O.W. at Stalag Luft 1 in Germany.

actor Tyrone Power [1914-58]
flew the Curtiss R5C as a Marine aviator during WWII, flying supplies into (and wounded out of) Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

journalist Ernest Taylor 'Ernie' Pyle [1900-45]
His newspaper columns were vastly popular, sent from the Home Front, and from England, North Africa, Italy, and Normandy on D-Day; he won
the Pulitzer Prize for Journalism in 1944; he was reporting on the Battle for Okinawa in 1945 when he was killed by Japanese gunfire.

actress Martha Raye [1916-94]
joined Bob Hope on many of his U.S.O. tours

actor Gene Raymond [1908-98]
served in both World War II and Vietnam

actor Ronald Reagan [1911-2004]
was the adjutant {never commander - he lied} at U.S.A.A.F. First Motion Picture Unit in Culver City, California; promoted to first lieutenant in January 1943 and assigned to
the Provisional Task Force Show Unit of 'This Is The Army' at Burbank, California; he returned to 'FMPU' and was promoted to captain in July 1943.

comic Don Rickles [b. 1926]
Enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served in the Pacific on the USS Cyrene as a seaman first class during World War II; he was honorably discharged in 1946.

studio head Hal Roach, Sr. [1892-1992]
loaned his unused movie studio in Culver City, California to the Army Air Corps for a dollar; U.S.A.A.F.'s First Motion Picture Unit made training and propaganda films, and became known as 'Fort Roach'; the deal was very good for Roach, as he benefitted from all the improvements made to the property by the Army.
Hal Senior was given a courtesy commission during World War II.

"A History of The Hal Roach Studios" [2005] by Richard Lewis Ward S.I.U. Press 9x6 pb [8/2006] for $16.88 S.I.U. Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [3/2005] out of print/used Magic Lantern's Studios Pages / Hal Roach Studios [1914-63] section

studio head Hal Roach, Jr. [1918-72]
Hal Junior was given a courtesy commission during World War II.

country singer Marty Robbins [1925-82]
left a troubled home at 17 during World War II to serve in the U.S. Navy as an LCT coxswain; he was stationed in the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific Ocean.

'Star Trek' creator Eugene Wesley 'Gene' Roddenberry [1921-91]
signed up for the Army Air Corps prior to Pearl Harbor. He piloted B-17s in the Pacific logging 89 combat missions by his own estimate; he crashed one B-17 that
ran off the runway due to brake failure. After returning from the Pacific he served the Army as a crash investigator; ironically he was a passenger on a military flight
that crashed and he managed to pull several people to safety.

cartoonist Charles M. Schulz [1922-2000]
Creator of the "Peanuts" daily cartoon strip; drafted into the U.S. Army in 1943; served as a staff sergeant with the 20th Armored Division in Europe,
as a squad leader on a .50 caliber machine gun team; saw combat only at the very end of the war; he later said that the proudest day of his life
was when he received his Combat Infantry Badge.

actor George C. Scott [1927-99]
enlisted in the Marines towards the end of WWII, but the war ended before he could see combat, which upset him greatly.

'Twilight Zone' creator Rodman Edward 'Rod' Serling [1924-95]
was trained as an Army paratrooper and served in the Pacific during WWII. He apparently wasn't a very good soldier or maybe had an 'attitude' because he was still a private after three years in service. At one point he was transferred to the demolitions platoon, which was known as the 'Death Squad' for the high casualty rate. He didn't lack bravery, however. He was wounded a total of three times during combat in the Philippines.

actor-singer Harry Dean Stanton [b. 1926]
Served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific as a cook aboard an LST ship during the Battle of Okinawa.

director George Stevens [1904-75]
Served as Lt. Colonel in the U.S.A.A.F. First Motion Picture Unit during World War II.

actor James Maitland 'Jimmy' Stewart [1908-97]
was initially turned away from the Army for being underweight; with the help of a Hollywood fitness trainer he was able to 'bulk up' just enough to be accepted. Since he already had a pilot's license and a college degree he was able to gain a commission in the Army Air Corps. Since he was already a famous actor, he was posted stateside as an instructor pilot on B-17s rather than being sent into combat. Stewart lobbied heavily for a transfer to a combat unit, and was sent to England as Squadron Commander of a B-24 unit. After the war, he served with the U.S. Air Force Reserve; he was promoted to brigadier general in 1959 and retired in 1968.
IMDb listing • entry at Wikipedia

"Mission: Jimmy Stewart and The Fight for Europe" [2016] by Robert Matzen, Foreword by Leonard Maltin Kindle Edition from GoodKnight Books [10/2016] for $10.99 Paladin Commns 9x6 hardcover [10/2016] for $28.95

actor Lewis Stone [1879-1953]
served as an Army officer in the Spanish-American War and World Wars I and II.

actor Larry Storch [b. 1923]
of "F-Troop" and "The Love Boat" fame; served on the submarine tender USS Proteus at the same time as actor Tony Curtis.

Frank Sutton [1923-74]
best known for 'Sgt. Vince Carter' role on "Gomer Pyle USMC"; could not pass the Marine Corps physical during WWII and ended up serving in the Army;
he distinguished himself by taking part in 14 assault landings, including Leyte, Luzon, Bataan, and Corregidor.

Australian actor Charles William 'Bud' Tingwell [1923-2009]
Joined the R.A.A.F. in 1941, given flight training in Canada; flew 75 combat missions as a photographic
reconnaissance pilot in North Africa, over Sicily, and in the Dutch East Indies.

writer-actor Sir Peter Ustinov [1921-2004]
'posed' as David Niven's batman when they worked together in Britain's Army Film Unit because Ustinov, a script writer who'd been a successful
playwright before the war, was enlisted rank and could only associate with Niven, an LTC, by being his personal aide.

Clarence Leroy 'Lee' Van Cleef, Jr. [1925-89]
enlisted in the Navy in 1942 at the age of 17 and served as a sonar operator on a sub chaser and later on a minesweeper (his minesweeper at one point
was stationed in the Black Sea and operated out of a Soviet naval base in the Crimea).

author Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. [1922-2007]
his book "Slaughterhouse Five" is based on his experiences as a P.O.W. in Germany.

studio head Jack L. Warner [1892-1978]
'Jack L.' was given a courtesy commission during World War II.

actor John Wayne [1907-79]
Did not serve in the military; while much controversy surrounds his circumstances, Wayne did not attempt to enlist during World War II.

baseball legend Theodore Samuel 'Ted' Williams [1918-2002]
Could easily have gotten out of serving but he interrupted his career twice for his country - in WWII and in Korea - to serve as a Marine fighter pilot.

actor William Windom [1923-2012]
served in the U.S. Army in World War II as a paratrooper with 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.

funny man Jonathan Winters [1925-2013]
Quit high school during his senior year to join the Marine Corps and served as a gunner on the aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard in the South Pacific.

British comic actor Sir Norman Joseph Wisdom, OBE [1915-2010]
Served in the British Army from 1930 to 1945 in India, London, and Cheltenham; started entertaining at N.A.A.F.I. (equivalent to America's U.S.O.) events in 1940.

Chuck Yeager [b. 1923]
enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Air Forces and worked as an aircraft mechanic; in September 1942 he entered pilot training and upon graduation
was promoted to the rank of flight officer; he served as a P-51 fighter pilot and was shot down behind enemy lines.

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. [1918-2014]
served in the U.S. Army for five years; was awarded the Purple Heart for a leg wound received during the Battle of Hόrtgen Forest (Sept-Dec 1944).

Stars  (and Others)  in  the  Korean  Conflict  Era

actor Alan Alda [b. 1936]
cast member of the "M*A*S*H*" TV series; was a member of R.O.T.C. in college and after graduation served for a year
at Fort Benning {circa 1958}, and then six months in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Herb Alpert [b. 1935]
spent three years in the U.S. Army Band in the 1950s and played 'Taps' at sometimes 18 veteran's funerals in a day.

Clint Eastwood [b. 1930]
Drafted in 1951, mostly served as swimming pool lifeguard at Fort Ord in California.

actor Jamie Farr [b. 1934]
The only cast member of the "M*A*S*H*" TV series who served overseas in the military; he enlisted in the U.S. Army
in 1955 and served for two years in Japan and Korea.

actor Michael Joseph 'Mike' Farrell, Jr. [b. 1939]
cast member of the "M*A*S*H*" TV series; served in the U.S. Marine Corps before he became an actor.

Morgan Freeman [b. 1937]
Enlisted in U.S.A.F in 1955, served as radar repairman.

Chuck Norris [b. 1940]
Enlisted in U.S.A.F in 1958, served as an Air Policeman in South Korea and California.

actor Wayne Rogers [b. 1933]
cast member of the "M*A*S*H*" TV series; served in the U.S. Navy before he became an actor.

actor (Edgar) McLean Stevenson, Jr. [1927-1996]
cast member of the "M*A*S*H*" TV series; served in the U.S. Navy before he became an actor.

Stars  (and Others)  in  the  VietNam  War

actor Ronald Lee Ermey [b. 1944]
fought in the Vietnam War; he served as a drill instructor at San Diego in 1965-67 and appeared as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman
in Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" [1987].

actor Dennis Franz [b. 1944] served in the Airborne in VietNam.

actor Gene Raymond [1908-98]
served in both World War II and Vietnam

painter & TV host Robert Norman 'Bob' Ross [1942-95]
served 20 years in the Air Force (mostly in Alaska) and retired as a Master Sergeant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Ross

Pat Sajak [b. 1946] was a DJ in VietNam.

writer-director Oliver Stone [b. 1946] served in VietNam.

Stars  (and Others)  in  Wars  After  VietNam

criminal/musician/actor Tracy Lauren Marrow, known as Ice-T [b. 1958]
joined the Army in 1976, served in the infantry in Hawai'i

sports star & war hero Pat Tillman [1976-2004]

Books  on  the  Subject

	"Hollywood Goes To War: How Politics, Profits & Propaganda Shaped World War II Movies" [1988] by Clayton R. Koppes & Gregory D. Black Univ CA Press 9x6 pb [9/90] for $24.95 I.B. Tauris hardcover [8/2000] out of print/rare I.B. Tauris hardcover [1/88] out of print/used see also Magic Lantern's Propaganda Film Festival Page
	"Stars In Blue: Movie Actors In America's Sea Services" [1997] by James E. Wise & Anne Collier Rehill U.S. Naval Institute Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [9/97] for $28.45
	"Stars In The Corps: Movie Actors In The United States Marines" [1999] by James E. Wise & Anne Collier Rehill U.S. Naval Institute Press 9½x6½ hardcover [8/99] for $29.95
	"Stars In Khaki: Movie Actors In The Army & The Air Services" [2000] by James E. Wise & Paul Wilderson U.S. Naval Institute Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [10/2000] for $22.76
	"International Stars At War" [2002] by James E. Wise & Scott Baron U.S. Naval Institute Press 9¼x6¼ hardcover [8/2002] for $29.95

Films  &  Television

War [& Anti-War] Film Festival Pages at Magic Lantern

"Hollywood In Uniform" documentary short
[Columbia Pictures Aug 1943]
Screen Snapshots Series 23, #1; 10-minute b&w short produced & directed by Ralph Staub; narrated by Art Baker;
featuring Eddie Albert, Desi Arnaz, Gene Autry, Jackie Cooper, Glenn Ford, Clark Gable, Van Heflin, Alan Ladd,
George Montgomery, Wayne Morris, John Payne, Tyrone Power, Ronald Reagan, Charles 'Buddy' Rogers,
Robert Stack, James Stewart & Rudy Vallee; Oscar nomination for Best Short Subject; one print exists at
U.C.L.A. Film & TV Archive • full credits at IMDb

"Hollywood Canteen" [Warner bros. Dec 1944]

Two soldiers on sick leave visit the Hollywood Canteen three nights running before returning to the front. Written & directed by Delmer Daves; starring Dane Clark, Robert Hutton, Joan Leslie, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis & John Garfield; with cameos by The Andrews Sisters, Jack Benny, Humphrey Bogart, Joe E. Brown, Eddie Cantor, Kitty Carlisle, Jack Carson, Helmut Dantine, Faye Emerson, Sydney Greenstreet, Alan Hale, Paul Henreid, Peter Lorre, Ida Lupino, Dennis Morgan, Eleanor Parker, Roy Rogers & Trigger, S.Z. Sakall, Zachary Scott, Alexis Smith, Barbara Stanwyck, Jane Wyman, Jimmy Dorsey & Orchestra, Carmen Cavallaro & Orchestra, and The Sons of The Pioneers band full credits at IMDb • movie entry at Wikipedia Warner Home Video b&w DVD [12/2008] for $34.95 M.G.M./Warner b&w VHS [9/98] for $24.99 available for much less on the 3-disk "Homefront Collection" DVD Box Set [2008] Warner Home Video b&w DVD set [11/2008] 3 disks for $15.81

"Showbiz Goes To War" documentary feature film [indep 1982]

"A star-studded salute to our boys at war!" 90-minute documentary co-directed by Norman & Gail Gibson Sedawie; hosted by David Steinberg; archive footage featuring Bud Abbott, Dana Andrews, Fred Astaire, Lucille Ball, Robert Benchley, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Mel Blanc, Humphrey Bogart, Joe E. Brown, James Cagney, Gary Cooper, Lou Costello, Bing Crosby, Linda Darnell, Bette Davis, Jimmy Durante, Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Betty Grable, Cary Grant, Alan Hale, Rita Hayworth, Adolf Hitler, Bob Hope, Betty Hutton, Harry James, Van Johnson, Al Jolson, Danny Kaye, Gene Kelly, Hedy Lamarr, Carole Lombard, Harpo Marx, Louis B. Mayer, Robert Mitchum, Harry Morgan, Margaret O'Brien, Tyrone Power, Martha Raye, Ronald Reagan, Mickey Rooney, Jane Russell, Ann Sheridan, Phil Silvers, Frank Sinatra, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Lana Turner, and John Wayne Focus Films color/b&w DVD [2/2001] out of prodn/used Warner Home Video Late-Show color/b&w VHS [1998] for $47.89 full credits at IMDb

"Going Hollywood: The War Years" documentary feature [Castle Hill 1988] Co-produced & directed by Julian Schlossberg; hosted by Van Johnson Shanachie color DVD [6/2004] for $17.99 Warner color VHS [4/94] out of prodn/used full credits from IMDb

"Hollywood Goes To War" DVD Box Set [2007]

Mill Creek Ent. DVD set [5/2007] 4 disks for $12.99 includes Frank Capra's "Why We Fight" series; "Attack! The Battle For New Britain" [U.S.O.W.I./ R.K.O. June 1944] produced by Frank Capra; "The Battle of San Pietro" [US Army 1945] written, directed & narrated by John Huston; "Combat America" [USAAF-FMPU 1943] produced by Clark Gable; Oscar-winner "December 7th" [1943] documen-tary co-directed by John Ford & Gregg Toland; "The Memphis Belle" [Paramount 1944]; "Mein Kampf, My Crimes" [Britain Sept 1940]; "Report From The Aleutians" [US Army 1943] written, directed & narrated by John Huston; "The Stilwell Road" [1945] narrated by Ronald Reagan; "Submarine Warfare" [not on IMDb]; "This Is The Army" [Warner Bros. Aug 1943] Irving Berlin musical directed by Michael Curtiz, starring George Murphy & Ronald Reagan; "Thunderbolt" [USAAF-FMPU short 1947] co-directed by John Sturges & William Wyler; "The True Glory" [U.S.O.W.I./Paramount Oct 1945]; "Tunisian Victory" [US Army March 1944]; and Oscar-winner "With The Marines At Tarawa" [USMC/Universal March 1944]

"Hollywood Goes To War" DVD Box Set [2011]

National Archives & Topics Ent. DVD set [11/2011] 18 disks for $53.99 contains 46 films from the National Archives covering World War II, Korea & VietNam, featuring seven Academy Award winners; Hollywood actors include Lucille Ball, Lloyd Bridges, Clark Gable, Katherine Hepburn, Paul Newman, Ronald Reagan, Ginger Rogers, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne & Orson Welles; directors include John Ford & William Wyler; featured rare films include "Let There Be Light" [1946] by John Huston, "December 7th" [1943] directed by John Ford, and "This Is Korea!" [1951] directed by John Ford

L i n k s
Magic Lantern's F.M.P.U. (First Motion Picture Unit) Page
'actors who served in the U.S. military' list at Internet Movie Database
Magic Lantern's War [& Anti-War] Film Festival Pages
U.S. Military History Page at Spirit of America Bookstore
Working Minds / Worry About / War & Peace Page

here on the Movie Star Soldiers Page at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

top of page • stars in World War I • stars in World War II • the Korean Conflict • the VietNam War • the Middle East •

books on the subject • films & TV • links

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SUGGESTIONS: Anyone who knows of any other star or actor or politician that ought to be listed on this page please suggest that person by sending a suggestion email with details.

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