A Guy Named Joe

on the set of  "A Guy Named Joe"

Release date 12.24.1943

"...anybody who's a right chap is a guy named Joe."

Pete Sandridge (Spencer Tracy) is a chance taking American bomber pilot stationed in England during WW II. His skills as a flyer are only matched by his daredevil attitude, much to the chagrin of his girl-friend Dorinda Durston (Irene), herself a cargo flyer. After an especially dangerous mission Colonel 'Nails' Kilpatrick (James Gleason) decides to transfer Pete and his best buddy Al (Ward Bond) to a relatively safe reconnaissance in Scotland. While visiting, Dorinda has the hunch that Pete's "number is up" and tries to persuade him to take a teaching position in the United States. At last Pete agrees but only on condition that she'll take a desk job too. But the next dangerous mission ends with Pete's death.

at last Pete (Spencer Tracy) agrees...

He finds himself in after-life with a new order on his hands. The General (Lionel Barrymore), a long dead pioneering flyer, gives him the assignment to help young Ted Randall (Van Johnson). Subconciously guided by Pete, Ted turns out to be quite an aviator himself, and gains poise both on and off the airfield. At last Ted and his heavenly guardian are transferred to the Pacific where Al and Dorinda enter the picture again.

Ted (Van Johnson) and his heavenly guardian...

Dorinda is still shattered by Pete's death and tries to get over it by throwing herself into her work. Old friend Al urges her to go on with her life again and invites her to the officer's club. Dorinda meets Ted and little by little their relationship deepens. She even accepts Ted's proposal which leaves Pete conflicted about his mission.

Pete is not amused...

But he isn't the only one of two minds. Dorinda isn't sure about her feelings for Ted. Is she still in love with Pete? Will she ever be able to really love somebody else? She breaks off the engagement and when she learns that Ted was assigned to a very dangerous mission takes over herself. Guessing the target from her experience as a flyer in this region, she leaves the airbase to destroy the Japanese ammunition dump. But she is not alone. Safely guarded by Pete Dorinda is successful and survives, and before they return to the airbase Pete tells her that he is leaving her heart and setting her free for Ted.

Triangle with love couple in the distance...

I have really mixed feelings about this film; I see what people probably like about it and understand why it was a huge box office hit in 1944 but yet don't like it very much myself.
It's this kind of genre mix. Is this a fantasy, a love story, a war film, an aviator picture? Or is the war the mere setting for the love story?
Considering the historical background and watching "A Guy Named Joe" as part of the war effort the corny music - with the one exception of Irene's in its simplicity very beautiful and touching rendition of "I'll get by" -   and the at times pathetic dialogue are tolerable but not for a mere fantasy. Additionally, the fact that neither war films nor movies on aviation are my favorite genres isn't helpful either.

Filming in the pre-computer era... 

The end irritated me completely. If the general bottom line of this film is that we have to live with loss - not only in wartimes but of course particularly aiming at a wartime audience - and got to move on and live with the inevetiable parting, isn't it strange that Pete sets Dorinda "free" in the end? Shouldn't it be the other way round? Aren't the living the ones who ought to move on? Do even the poor guardian angels have to fight jealousy and to work on their self-improvement as human beings? And, for heaven's sake, why do they have to improve as human beings when they are already heavenly guardians? I know, I know this film was not meant for that kind of "cerebral tearing apart."
To put it in a nutshell, the story of  "A Guy Named Joe" doesn't really work for me.

An absolute glamor free publicity for "A Guy Named Joe"

However, there is a lot on the positive side. Spencer Tracy's and Irene's onetime co-work proved difficult; decades later those problems caused the following remark by Irene: "...Spence was rude, brusque and even made a pass at me. Me!" (interview with James Bawden)
Nonetheless these two pros created an appealing love couple. It's not the Dunne/Grant - Dunne/Boyer chemistry but beautiful enough to watch.

Dorinda and Pete

Anyway, in general there is nothing to complain about. Equipped with the high production standards of a MGM show off production, "A Guy Named Joe" offers all at this studio available virtuosity. Tracy's old buddy Victor Fleming occupied the director's seat, and the supporting cast glitters with names like Esther Williams - in her fourth screen appearance - Lionel Barrymore and Ward Bond as sidekick Al. Van Johnson, in his first major screen role, holds his own against screen veterans Dunne and Tracy, but naturally the duo Dunne-Tracy is way more interesting than the pairing of Irene with Johnson.

Dorinda and Ted

Irene accepted second billing for this production and this reflects partly her status. It's more a Spencer Tracy film with Irene Dunne as leading lady than a downright Irene Dunne film. I didn't count their respective screen time but assume that Tracy would win. Nonetheless is Dorinda an interesting female character who stands her ground in a world of males and obviously is a first class flyer. Pete is a typical Spencer Tracy part - the tough guy with the heart of gold - but it's a rather complex character and Tracy gets the chance to show some sublety.
His performance is more than matched by Irene. Especially outstanding are the scenes when she "subconsciously" listens to Pete and in the last five minutes - reduced to facial expressions - she provides a master piece of screen acting. Typical for La Dunne this difficult scene looks effortless and easy.

This is my 32th review...

and I'm still...

 very impressed by Irene Dunne! 

(Spencer Tracy is quite impressive in this scene,too) 

 How smoothly she floats over the age gap between her and Johnson - he was 18 years her junior - is one of the  other Dunne miracles. I already mentioned her lovely version of "I'll get by" and listening to Irene I know once again why one great regret of mine when it comes to her career is the fact that she didn't film another musical in the fourties.
The upshot: I highly recommend a film that's simply not my cup of tea!

Farewell!