MovieChat Forums > Sands of Iwo Jima (1950) Discussion > Pocket Book reference?

Pocket Book reference?

posted 16 years ago by hthomass
6 replies | jump to latest

ok, I just paused it on the part within the movie where the marines are moving out on iwo jima. it cuts to the scene where the fresh recruit gets shot, falls face first, rolled over, then pans to the hip(breast?) pocket containing the book, "Our Hearts Were Young and Gay".

What is our cinema friends telling us here? I am missing the reasoning why this needed to be added?

So I did what any one does with a wireless internet connection and laptop computer, and googled it.
First to hits: IMDB and Wikipedia.

I read up on both, finding the publication date being 1942, 7yrs prior to this movie, Sands of Iwo Jima. The plot seems to be about two girls traveling to Europe in the 1920's and the triumphs and folly's of traveling.

I could guess and make assumptions about why this scene is in the movie, or I could ask the users of IMDB.

For what purpose is the scene including a shot of the book, "Our hearts were young and gay"?

-hs

[–] redrocker85 16 years ago

I'm not positive but I just took it as a reference to his youth. Just a dramatic statement about young men killed in war, etc.

Anyone know who that actor was? He looks familiar but I missed the character's name.

Ah, nevermind...it just came to me...he was the Adam-12 guy.

[–] hunterjlc 16 years ago

As redrocker85 said,

'I'm not positive but I just took it as a reference to his youth. Just a dramatic statement about young men killed in war, etc".

I agree, I don't think there was any deeper meaning.

[–] jsosbe0 16 years ago

Martin Milner from Adam 12

[–] vawlkee_2000 13 years ago

The term "gay" didn't have homosexual inferences until the late 60's - early 70's.
Back then it was just another term for "happy" or "joyous".

[–] pgharett-676-553123 10 years ago

I've heard of that movie, but don't remember watching it. I believe Gail Russell was in it. Coincidentally, she co-starred with Duke in Angel and the Badman a few years before Sands came out.

[–] OIF-Retread 9 years ago

It was a best-selling book at the time of the battle. The irony is that it is about the care-free and light-hearted adventures of two young girls out to see the world, and having fun; something that Milner's 17-year-old character should be doing at his young age.

Instead he is shot dead for, as another character says, "real estate".

"I'll do the masterminding around here." -Sgt. Stryker, "Sands of Iwo Jima"