The Sullivans (1944)

Director:

Lloyd Bacon

Writers:

Edward Doherty (story)
Mary C. McCall Jr. (writer)

Release Date:

3 February 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | War

Tagline:

The Guts and Glory of the Fighting Navy!!

Plot:

The lives of a close-knit group of brothers growing up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression...

Plot Keywords:

Iowa | Navy | Sibling Rivalry | WWII | Irish American

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Anne Baxter	...	Katherine Mary Sullivan
Thomas Mitchell	...	Mr. Thomas F. Sullivan
Selena Royle	...	Mrs. Alleta Sullivan
Edward Ryan	...	Albert Leo 'Al' Sullivan
Trudy Marshall	...	Genevieve 'Gen' Sullivan
John Campbell	...	Francis Henry 'Frank' Sullivan
James Cardwell	...	George Thomas Sullivan
John Alvin	...	Madison Abel 'Matt' Sullivan
George Offerman Jr.	...	Joesph Eugene 'Joe' Sullivan
Roy Roberts	...	Father Francis
Ward Bond	...	Lt. Cmdr. Robinson

Also Known As:

The Fighting Sullivans (International: English title) (DVD box title) (USA) (reissue title)

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl | USA:Approved (certificate #9650) | USA:PG (DVD/VHS release)

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

As a direct result of the five Sullivan brothers fatalities, the United States War Department developed and initiated the Sole Survivor Policy. It is a myth that following the five Sullivan brothers deaths, the US Government enacted the "Sullivan Act", an act made to prevent siblings serving together on the same boat. At the time of the Second World War, the US Navy did have a policy of separating siblings. This policy was not enforced by the book though.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the end of the movie, George (the oldest Sullivan brother) was in Sick Bay when the remaining four brothers go to rescue him. In reality, George and Al were the only Sullivan brothers to survive the sinking of USS Juneau. Al drowned the next day and George succumbed 4-5 days later to dementia, when he shed his uniform and swam off in search of his brothers.

Movie Connections:

Edited into All This and World War II (1976)

Soundtrack:

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1st Movement, Allegro)

A touching tribute to the 5 Sullivan brothers who lost their lives together in WWII.

The Sullivan brothers grew up together in a small town in Iowa. They would eventually join the Navy after Pearl Harbor was attacked and would be killed in action. The story is a true one and heart wrenching to say the least. Thomas Mitchell is perfectly cast as the father. A very young Bobby Driscoll plays little Al, the youngest of the 5 Sullivan boys. Anne Baxter and Ward Bond were magnificent. Get yourself a box of Kleenex for this one folks. It will stay with you for a long time.