William Wellman, Ernie Pyle and "The Story of G.I. Joe"

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In the summer of 1945, as the war in Europe came to an end, American forces continued to battle across the Pacific. On the home front, the possibility of a full-scale invasion of the Japanese home islands loomed heavily on the minds of millions. That June, The Story of G.I. Joe premiered in theaters, starring Robert Mitchum and Burgess Meredith, and featuring actual veterans from the Sicily, Italy, and North African campaigns.

Based on the collected dispatches of beloved war correspondent Ernie Pyle, the film drew from his books Here Is Your War and Brave Men. Pyle and producer Lester Cowan (note: I mistakenly refer to him as "Jerome" in this episode) had one director in mind: William A. Wellman. But at first, Wellman wanted nothing to do with the project.

Why would a decorated World War I fighter pilot and acclaimed Hollywood director — the man behind Wings, the first film to win Best Picture, and A Star is Born — turn down the chance to tell the story of America’s infantrymen? And what ultimately changed his mind?

This episode dives into that story — one of ego, war trauma, professional disappointment, and a surprising emotional reckoning. Drawing from Wellman’s raw and riveting 1974 autobiography A Short Time for Insanity, I’ll recount in Wellman’s own words how he came to direct one of the most emotionally resonant war films of the era.

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