Professor Elam

Yesterday one of you indicated that you had not seen the movie Patton.   Wait no longer it is on AMC tonite Thursday  11/30 at 7 PM.  Make plenty of popcorn as it runs near three hours, 180 absorbing minutes.

You can read some reviews on the hyperlink. Some actors get the role of a lifetime and this was just that for George C. Scott.  The opening speech to Army he would command in the race to Berlin alone would have made the movie memorable, but it is much more than that.  I have been reading Omar Bradley’ Soldier’s Story, who was very well portrayed by Karl Malden in the film. Bradley  remarks, Patton was an excellent tank commander who never learned how to command himself. Bradley was the technical source for the movie and the first scene in Africa is drawn right from his book.  Francis Coppola co wrote the script.  Jerry Goldsmith’s Patton March theme music quickly became a staple of football marching bands. A modern movie in every sense, great photography, great battle scenes using the Yugoslav Army, it’s all here.  A true biographical study of someone who believed in reincarnation and destiny. Yet as a German lieutenant muses in the film, without a war to fight, Patton will be without a mission or purpose. 

Patton was unable to keep his mouth shut and managed to get fired two or hree times in the same war. He is a controversial figure to this day –  A must see.

DLE