Johnny Got His Gun (1971)

Director:

Dalton Trumbo

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (novel)
Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 August 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

The most shattering experience you'll ever live.

Plot:

Joe, a young American soldier, is hit by a mortar shell on the last day of World War I. He lies in a hospital bed in a fate worse than death...

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Memory | Soldier | Eyes | Dream

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Don 'Red' Barry	...	Jody Simmons (as Donald Barry)
Timothy Bottoms	...	Joe Bonham
Craig Bovia	...	Little Guy
Peter Brocco	...	Ancient Prelate
Judy Howard Chaikin	...	Bakery Girl
Kendell Clarke	...	Hospital Offical
Eric Christmas	...	Corporal Timlon
Dalton Trumbo	...	Orator (as Robert Cole)
Maurice Dallimore	...	British Colonel
Robert Easton	...	Third Doctor
Kathy Fields	...	Kareen
Larry Fleischman	...	Russ
Eduard Franz	...	Col. / Gen. Tillery
Anthony Geary	...	Redhead (as Tony Geary)
Ed Gilbert	...	Priest (as Edmund Gilbert)

Also Known As:

Dalton Trumbo's Johnny Got His Gun (USA) (complete title)
Johnny s'en va-t-en guerre (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]
E Deram-lhe Uma Espingarda... (Portugal) [pt]
E Johnny prese il fucile (Italy) [it]
Johnny Vai à Guerra (Brazil) [pt]
Johnny cogió su fusil (Spain) [es]
Johnny poszedl na wojne (Poland) [pl]
Johnny zieht in den Krieg (West Germany) [de]
O Johnny pire t' oplo tou (Greece) (reissue title) [el]
O Johnny pire to oplo tou (Greece) [el]
Sotilaspoika (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | USA:R (original rating) | Norway:18

Company:

World Entertainment

Trivia:

The "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" at the end of the film means, "It is sweet and proper to die for one's country."

Quotes:

Joe: Inside me I'm screaming, nobody pays any attention. If I had arms, I could kill myself. If I had legs, I could run away. If I had a voice, I could talk and be some kind of company for myself. I could yell for help, but nobody would help me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Last Picture Show: A Look Back (1999) (V)

Turned Me Into a Pacifist

I became an instant pacifist when I saw this movie at the age of 16. Prior to this, I had been a supporter of the war in Vietnam, and had fully intended to enlist when I was old enough. My father, a veteran of WW2 and Korea, took me to see this movie when it was first released, to help cure me of my delusion about the glory of war. He was very successful in that undertaking. While I haven't seen the movie in 34 years, I cannot deny it had a major influence on my life. I'll never forget the horror I felt in seeing that poor soldier trapped in his mind. I would strongly recommend telling anyone who is pro-war to see this movie. You may help turn on others to the horrors of war.