Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Director:

Dalton Trumbo

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 August 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The most shattering experience you'll ever live.

Plot:

Joe, a young American soldier, is hit by a mortar shell on the last day of World War I. He lies in a hospital bed in a fate worse than death...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Memory | Eyes | Hospital | Soldier

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Sun. Dec. 13

10:00 PM

TCM

Cast

Don 'Red' Barry	...	Jody Simmons (as Donald Barry)
Timothy Bottoms	...	Joe Bonham
Craig Bovia	...	Little Guy
Peter Brocco	...	Ancient Prelate
Judy Howard Chaikin	...	Bakery Girl
Kendell Clarke	...	Hospital Offical
Eric Christmas	...	Corporal Timlon
Dalton Trumbo	...	Orator (as Robert Cole)
Maurice Dallimore	...	British Colonel
Robert Easton	...	Third Doctor
Kathy Fields	...	Kareen
Larry Fleischman	...	Russ
Eduard Franz	...	Col. / Gen. Tillery
Anthony Geary	...	Redhead (as Tony Geary)
Ed Gilbert	...	Priest (as Edmund Gilbert)

Also Known As:

Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | USA:R (original rating) | Norway:18

Company:

World Entertainment

Trivia:

The "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" at the end of the film means, "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country."

Quotes:

[last lines]
Joe: S.O.S. Help me.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Metallica: The Videos 1989-2004 (2006) (V)

...this just and holy war for everlasting peace...or so says the Pope

Man is going to have his war even if it kills him. This was a brilliant depiction of how we humans allow ourselves to be hoodwinked into buying into the loathsome futility of world combat, all in the name of patriotism, flag rallying, and keeping the home fires burning. Johnny couldn't wait to go off to the front lines; felt it was his duty, you see. Preserving democracy and all that rubbish. He felt this way because he was fed the party line at an early age. Get them early and they will never leave the fold, right? Poor Johnny didn't realize that there may be other forces at work behind the scenes; organizations that don't mind it a bit if he becomes a quadriplegic living a nightmare existence. This is not a war movie, rather a harsh look at the results of man's most insane undertaking.