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General discussion

Good Movie on TV Tonite "Patton"

Feb 29, 2004 7:27AM PST

For those that get AMC (American Movie Classics} 8PM EST. Gen. George S. Patton. (Old Blood & Guts)

Patton was from the Hamilton-Wenham area here in Mass.
Theres a monument in honor of him with one of his Sherman tanks next to the Polo grounds. Beautiful Horse Stables and well groomed Polo Grounds over there.

George

Discussion is locked

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Re:Good Movie on TV Tonite
Feb 29, 2004 1:04PM PST

Hi, Geirge.

A great film indeed. My favorite lines were the opening sppech ("your job as a soldier isn't to die for your country. It's to make that other poor sonuvabitch die for his country." And the other was during one of his victories in North Africa: "Rommel, you magnificnt b@stard, I read your book!"

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Re:Re:Good Movie on TV Tonite
Feb 29, 2004 10:54PM PST

Yes, those are a couple of my favorites too. One other is at the end when they wanted Patton & the Russian General to drink to each other. I watch the movie every time it shows up. He was one great General and every man under his command respected him. A true GIs General.

George

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Re:Re:Re:Good Movie on TV Tonite
Feb 29, 2004 11:23PM PST

AIR both Eisenhower and Truman thought Patton was a bit full of himself and more interested in personal glory than anything else, but yes, it's a great movie.

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Re:Re:Re:Re:Good Movie on TV Tonite
Mar 1, 2004 4:00AM PST

Well, yes, I believe the movie did sort of indicate that General Bradley had to step inbetween to smooth things over on occasion. AIR Gen Patton even invisioned himself as being a reincarnated warrior from the past destined to lead battles to victory.

Another General that Patton had respect for and history reports was also a great military General, despite being on the wrong side, was General Rommel. He disliked the Corporal Hitler, and was murdered by him.

Talk about a General full of himself and more interested in glory, the History Channel on TV, including those documentaries made by British and OZ filmakers, paint British Field Marshal Montgomery as just that. He always had a photographer follow him everywhere he went, and insisted on being in the newspaper for everything. His one victory in battle that was in Africa went to his head and ego. Gen Patton & Ike had a lot of trouble with him and Monty was very upset that he of all people was not to be the Supreme Allied Commander for the invasion of Europe. There was a time (so shown on the History TV channel) that Patton said the SOB was a hinderance which Ike agreed and went to President Roosevelt strongly showing how impossible it was to work with Monty and asking that he be relieved and given homeland duty. Pres Roosevelt agreed and went to Winston Churchill who also agreed, but said he couldn't relieve/reassign because Monty had the British public, with all his personal press, convinced that he was a great hero General.

JR

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Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Good Movie on TV Tonite
Mar 1, 2004 6:15AM PST

Hello John,

I've always been a great fan of the General myself and to quote General Patton:

"You can't run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn't fight it's way out of a piss-soaked paper bag."

"Sometimes I just, By God, get carried away with my own eloquence."

My FIL was a tank commander and heard the origional speech almost 60yrs ago,he assures me that it was definitely "R" rated Happy

FIL received a commendation from The General,he and his 'driver' were captured and spent time in 3 different nazi prison camps,Nuremberg being the last one.They escaped from The Nuremberg POW camp by doing what they 'had to do',FIL was put in command of an anti tank unit after his escape.FIL currently serves as commander of POWs for the VFW in NJ.

Anywho,before putting Patton's Speech on my website: tonytryke.com,I had FIL review the version I used which I got from this link: http://www.pattonhq.com/speech.html FIL certifies everything at this link as authentic-LOL! I think the link is a damn good read by itself.

If you want to read a good book about Patton,click here: http://www.pattonuncovered.com/html/preview.html

Later,Tony

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Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Hi Tony
Mar 1, 2004 9:53AM PST

I would like to thank you for the links on Gen. Patton that you have posted here. Its a good feeling to know that there many others out there beside myself that appreciate what a great warrior this man was.

George

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Thanks Tony, good links......(nt)
Mar 1, 2004 10:35AM PST

.

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Re: Generals full of themselves...
Mar 1, 2004 12:33PM PST

Hi, JR.

And then there was MacArthur... Even has a cameo appearance (as a character under another name) in 1948's "Kiss Me, Kate!"

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Re:Re: Generals full of themselves...
Mar 1, 2004 2:14PM PST

Gee, I wish you wouldn't have mentioned him.
On one hand, I liked....
On the other hand, I disliked....

In retrospect Pres Truman did have to fire him.
N/C
N/C
I did like his speech at West Point...the closing...

"In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.
Today marks my final roll call with you. But I want you to know that when I cross the river, my last conscious thoughts will be of the Corps, and the Corps, and the Corps.
I bid you farewell."

Also his speech to Congress...closing..

"...old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
And like the old soldier of that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Good-by."

I watched those speeches on the new fangled snowy black and white TV in 1951 while in the USAF and they were tear jerkers.

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Gee George....
Feb 29, 2004 1:15PM PST
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Re:Hi John
Feb 29, 2004 10:59PM PST

Thats my man "old blood & guts" (your blood and my guts) I love that last line in the speech.

George

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Re:Good Movie on TV Tonite
Feb 29, 2004 11:50PM PST

Hi, George,

It sounds like a very appropriate memorial to him!

IMO, the movie ranks among the all-time greats. We saw it as a family first-run, have it on tape, and collected several books about him.

A complex man, and a hero.

Angeline
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

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A couple of trivia comments.....
Mar 1, 2004 11:59AM PST

It's been awhile since I saw the movie, which has to be one of the greatest performances by a character actor ever.

A couple of quotes (weak memory) when Patton was talking to Bedel Smith, ie ....give me the OK and I'll get us a war with them, and make it look like they started it..

Another when Patton was taking some heat from Bradley and being reminded that Ike gave Patton another chance, and Patton's reply...you can accuse me of many things, but ingratitude is not one of them. If a true quote, this showed a depth of character of the man.

Hollywood added it's bit to the film when they staged the English/American Band scene with Montgomery entering Messina, Sicily. I can't believe that really happened.

Also, the film omitted/ignored a big loss Patton's forces suffered in a battle during his run to relieve the troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.

But it was, and remains, a great bio-historical film.