Veteran representation and Hollywood.

Once a Marine always a Marine. Not as lean, still as mean, always a Marine.

TO help clear some of this up for some of you, actors like John Wayne made what where known as propaganda movies during WW II. One of his most famous movies was the Flying Tigers and The Fighting Seabees. I being a Seabee really looked up to movies like this. Wayne and other actors wanted to give the people at home something to cheer about and attempt to bring up moral. With the said my point is that Rambo and the likes are nothing more then Hollywood soldiers.

John Wayne also applied for the naval academy but was turned away so it's not his fault he didn't serve he tried was turned away and did something else with his life which was inspire a shit ton of people in a rough time and still today

There are two stories about Duke: the first is that he tired to enlist, but the movie studio rigged it so he would be exempted from service under code 2A (more important to the war effort doing what he was doing). The second is that he dodged using the excuse of contributing to the war effor as an actor.

No fantasy here SSG Pete Fleming, it was right after I got back from Vietnam and "The Rock", that is what we called Okinawa back then.

LCpl James Craft, hope I didn't offend, it was intended as a joke but perhaps not a good one...

SSG Pete Fleming, I thought the comment was QUITE humorous. Sorry PFC James Craft, it was at your expense, but you did set up the good SSG perfectly for a witty jab.

SrA Ben Barton, I'm outta thumbs but, thanks

My problem isn't with how they portray us in the movies but how they act and feel about us in real life. Many people look up to actors as idols and follow their examples in real life.

Pisses me off also...BUT THIS IS A FAMILY SITE SO I WILL KEEP MY THOUGHTS TO MYSELF LEST I DISRESPECT A BROTHER OR SISTER MILITARY MEMBER...

SSgt (Join to see), not sure why I was thrown into this august group. All I did was talk about 'recovering Marines'. BTW, Cpl (Join to see), you should be coming up on your 10 year chip!

Hollywood folks think they do more than any Soldier !!

COL Randall C. PFC Kenneth Koepke Kenneth made me do it. sorry! Seriously just trying to be inclusive and you made some great points. wala!

PFC Kenneth Koepke I just saw your post... funny thing, nobody new I was making movies at the time of my enlistment. I was approached when they said they needed a badass to play a small part in some sci-fi movie...

It struck me funny with his tatoo as I don't recall any reference in the movie as to him being a Marine. I think half the time movies don't even listen to the technical supervisors.

One of the problems with films is that you have two main concerns. One is character development. This is where the writers and directors try to give you the background so you can empathize with the character. The other is the plot sequence. It is a delicate balance between the two because you only have so much time to create the character for the audience. It is possible that they may have had more background development but could have scrapped it due to it making the plot over bloated. A good writer will try to figure out to incorporate the characters past if it is relevant. But then there maybe other reasons why it was not done. It could be that the budget ran out to add more detail. Or it could be simply that the director just wanted to make him a former military but just did not find a subplot to fit the film. Its hard to say, each director has their artistic vision how they feel the film should be carried out. Sometimes the vision is gopod and sometimes they are blind as a bat. I never seen the film you referenced, but it sounds like it did not have a real military subplot. It most likely would not have had a military tech adviser.

Speaking of that subject of directors listening to tech advisers, it all depends on if they are trying to portray the character accurately. The movie I was consulting on, my director probably took about 90% of what I advised them on and went with it. There were a few things in the script that I thought was cheesy, but the director had his vision and wanted those points to remain.

One more thing about technical advising. A TA can not speak on any parts of the script that deal with real world combat procedures that may compromise how we do things. In the movie I helped with there will some things that will be wrong and left in there on purpose because my hands were tied.

Cpl Kirk Sain, I understand your point but there is the other side... They are actors just doing a job. Like you and I. They don't get cops to play cops or aliens to play aliens.. they get actors. For a better explanation we'd have to find my other post on this tread.

But I think you get what I'm saying. How could we make historic films? None of the Spartans are alive (actually they all died in battle) Did you like Saving Private Ryan? The Die Hard series? Aliens? You must either separate yourself and enjoy the movie for what it is or just watch something else... But not westerns they aren't any real cowboys either...

I don't know if I agree with all of it. I think as long as the actor is playing the military seriously and they are delivering their lines properly to look convincing is what matters to me. The Principal cast I worked with were very concerned about getting military persona right for their roles and doing a good job.

I do agree with certain actors that have made smug remarks about the military or veterans should not play those roles of people they find contempt towards.

I agree that actors are just actors, however I'm referring to character. The trend of actors today lack character. Outside of the living below, there just aren't many actors today that are not morally bankrupt. Seeing a great film cast with actors that openly advocate anti-Constitutional ideology really makes my skin crawl. The oath I took still means something to me.

Humphrey Bogart: Sailor, U.S. Navy
Ronald Reagan: Captain, U.S. Army
Jimmy Stewart: Brigadier General, U.S. Army
Clark Gable: Major, U.S. Army Air Corps
Henry Fonda: Quartermaster, U.S. Navy
Paul Newman: Radioman/Gunner, U.S. Navy
Kirk Douglas: Lieutenant, U.S. Navy
George C. Scott: Guard/Instructor, U.S. Marines
Gene Hackman: Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps
Steve McQueen: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps
Clint Eastwood: Swimming Instructor, U.S. Army
James Earl Jones: First Lieutenant, U.S. Army
Harvey Keitel: U.S. Marine Corps
Elvis Presley: Private, U.S. Army
Dennis Franz: Airborne Division, U.S. Army
Rob Riggle: Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve

Chuck Norris, U.S. Air Force... Who saw that coming?? :)

You know how accurate the internet is, but I "read" he was already doing such a good job of PR for the Marines in movies, they dropped his level so he'd be a lot farther down the list. It's so hard anymore to get the real stories as there is so much BS. I guess the actors themselves are the only ones who really know and many arnt going to say. I did however hear he did have some medical problem but not in conjunction with enlistment.

America's entry into World War II resulted in a deluge of support for the war effort from all sectors of society, and Hollywood was no exception. Wayne was exempted from service due to his age (34 at the time of Pearl Harbor) and family status, classified as 3-A (family deferment, he had 4 kids).

He repeatedly wrote John Ford saying he wanted to enlist, on one occasion inquiring whether he could get into Ford's military unit, but consistently kept postponing it until after "he finished just one or two pictures".

In 1944, Wayne received a 2-A classification, "deferred in support of [the] national interest." A month later the Selective Service decided to revoke many previous deferments and reclassified him 1-A. Wayne did not attempt to prevent his reclassification as 1-A (draft eligible). But Wayne's studio (Republic Studios) but was emphatically resistant to losing him; Herbert J. Yates, President of Republic, threatened Wayne with a lawsuit if he walked away from his contract and Republic Pictures intervened in the Selective Service process, requesting Wayne's further deferment. They appealed and got his 2-A status reinstated until after the war ended. Or so the story goes…

The medical could have been gotten around, particularly for celebrities if they REALLY wanted to. Clark Gable didn't have a tooth in his head (he wore full upper and lower dentures, which is a medical disqualifier), but the finagled his way into OCS and ultimately into the USAAF.

Where there is a will there is a way.

I've done quite a bit of "Googling" but I have yet to hear that. All I've come across is that his records have been closely guarded and he left for overseas when his number was up. Bell's palsy would explain the speech and droopy face though. A valid deferral reason.

Nicely said. I fully agree!

Birth complications with forceps severing a nerve is what the wiki states... it must be true.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_Stallone

His mother has stated in interviews I have seen on T.V. that he was very sick as a child having some complication, possibly palsy.

Another internet site links the severed nerve at birth with the palsy

http://chatterbusy.blogspot.com/2012/10/sylvester-stallone-bells-palsy.html

Again Internets is FACT! (snicker)