The D.I. (1957)

Director:

Jack Webb

Writer:

James Lee Barrett (writer)

Release Date:

28 March 1958 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Nobody knew he had a girl--not even the girl!

Plot:

Technical Sergeant Jim Moore is one of the toughest Drill Instructors on Parris Island. But he's got a thorn in his side: Pvt...

Plot Keywords:

Acronym In Title | Drill Instructor | Basic Training | Boot Camp | Marine Corps US

Cast

Jack Webb	...	Sgt. Jim Moore
Don Dubbins	...	Pvt. Owens
Jackie Loughery	...	Annie
Lin McCarthy	...	Capt. Anderson
Monica Lewis	...	Burt (as Matt Davis)
Virginia Gregg	...	Mrs. Owens
Jeannie Beacham	...	Hostess
Lou Tobin	...	Bartender at Cotton Club
Earle Hodgins	...	Guard
Jeanne Baird	...	Mother at Woman's Store
Barbara Pepper	...	Woman
Melody Gale	...	Little Girl at Woman's Store
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William E. Smith	...	Pvt. Douglas McKinley
John T. Ahern	...	Pvt. Casto (uncredited)
John R. Brown	...	Himself (uncredited)
George D. Bryan	...	Himself (uncredited)
Michael K. Gebbia	...	Himself (uncredited)
Charles M. Golden	...	Pvt. Labarsky (uncredited)
Joseph C. Holmes	...	Pvt. Madison (uncredited)
Joey	...	Sgt. Drill Instructor (uncredited)
Louis R. Lazarko	...	Himself TSGT. (uncredited)
Charles A. Love	...	Pvt. Hillbilly (uncredited)
George Oliviere	...	Himself (uncredited)
Peter J. O'Neill	...	Pvt. Rodriguez (uncredited)
Paul E. Prutzman	...	Sgt. Braver (uncredited)
Thomas E. Richards	...	Himself (uncredited)
Dick Ryan	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Gordon L. Seiple	...	Pvt. Carver (uncredited)
George W. Thornton II	...	Himself (uncredited)
Patton A. Wasson	...	Himself (uncredited)
James C. Willma	...	Himself (uncredited)
Douglas E. Wilson	...	Pvt. Franklin (uncredited)
Laurence C. Windsor Jr.	...	Pvt. Severeign (uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Webb

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
James Lee Barrett		writer

Produced by
Jack Webb	....	producer

Original Music by
David Buttolph

Cinematography by
Edward Colman

Film Editing by
Robert M. Leeds

Art Direction by
Feild M. Gray		(as Feild Gray)
Gibson Holley

Production Companies

• Mark VII Ltd.

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1973) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

The Drill Instructor (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Company:

Mark VII Ltd.

Trivia:

Many real-life Marines are extras in the movie.

Quotes:

TSgt Moore: [shouting] If your brains were made of dynamite you couldn't blow your nose!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "JAG: Boot (#1.10)" (1996)

Jack Webb's most entertaining theatrical feature

Why is it Jack Webb gets no respect as a director? This film puts to death the myth that Webb was a one-trick ("Dragnet") pony. Marines then and now call "The D.I." the most accurate portrayal of boot camp training ever put on celluloid. It's also a marvelous character study, with gripping performances by both Webb and Don Dubbins. What makes it even more amazing is:

1) Only three of the men in this film were professional actors; Webb, Dubbins and Lin McCarthy, and Dubbins had been a Marine. All the others were actual Marines, and Webb elicted memorable performances from most of them.

2) It was shot in a breathtaking 23 days in March of 1957.

3) To make the summer release date requested by Warner Bros., Webb edited as he shot. By the time principal photography wrapped, he had two reels cut and scored.

Yet, Webb is laughed at as an actor, and dismissed as a director? See this film and ask yourself, WHY???

FACTOID: The film was based on a KRAFT TELEVISION THEATER presentation called "Murder of a Sand Flea." Lin McCarthy played the same role in both productions.