Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

My Review

“Sands of Iwo Jima” is an epic war film following a squad of U. S. Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima in World War II. Director Allan Dwan (“Brewster’s Millions” 1945) struck an excellent balance between personal drama of the soldiers to authentic battle scenes from actual combat footage. A reenactment of the raising of the American flag on Mount Suribachi was especially dramatic. The excellent screenplay was written by Harry Brown and James Edward Grant.

John Wayne is the star of the show as the tough but fair Sgt. John Stryker. This role cemented Wayne’s position as a major superstar in Hollywood. Co-stars include John Agar, Forrest Tucker, Richard Jaeckel, Martin Milner, Wally Cassell, Adele Mara, William Self, and John McGuire. “Sands of Iwo Jima” was the fourth highest grossing film of 1949 for Republic Pictures.

This black-and-white film with a 109 minute running time received four Oscar nods – Best Actor (Wayne), Best Story (Harry Brown), Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Recording. It was filmed at numerous locations around Southern California, including Camp Pendleton, Leo Carrillo State Beach, Catalina Island, and Republic Pictures studios in Hollywood.