General George Patton on the War on Terror
George Patton gives a
motivational speech Alert Readers Stan Honour and Sidney Bostian send this YouTube link to what General George Patton might have to say on our global war on terror, if Patton were alive today.
Eye witnesses to Patton’s original speech tell us that the talk is consistent with his introductory remarks to his new troops in World War ll.
The speech was powerful in real life.
And so powerful in the script that the director Franklin J. Schaffner had to take unusual steps not to offend lead actor George C. Scott, who was actually a bit squeamish about the violence and language of war-fighting.
The speech scene appears first in the movie. But Schaffner shot the scene at the end of the movie’s production. Schaffner felt that if the speech was completed first, in sequence, that the volatile George C. Scott would not finish.
Finishing and sitting through the nearly three hour film was a concern about movie-goers too. When Your Business Blogger viewed the movie in a theater in 1970, there was an intermission to break up the 170 minute film.
And it was memorable…This is what made the movie so good,
Men, all this stuff you’ve heard about America not wanting to fight, wanting to stay out of the war, is a lot of horse dung. Americans traditionally love to fight.
All real Americans love the sting of battle. When you were kids, you all admired the champion marble shooter, the fastest runner, big league ball players, the toughest boxers. Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser. Americans play to win all the time. I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost, and will never lose a war… because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.
Patton was refering to Real Americans, of course.
Not liberal Democrats, who, as is well known, do not hate anything.
Thank you (foot)notes:
My favorite quote from Patton on teamwork, The bilious bastards who came up with that stuff about individuality know as much about battle as they do about fornicating. Which is why the liberal Army of One marketing campaign was nonsense.
My favorite quote from Patton on management training, In about fifteen minutes, we’re going to start turning these boys into fanatics – razors. They’ll lose their fear of the Germans. I only hope to God they never lose their fear of me. Not a problem for the manager as sociopath.
Of course K-Lo has it at the Corner: Patton on the War on Terror [Crude Language Warning] [Kathryn Jean Lopez]
Directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner
Writing credits
Ladislas Farago (book “Patton: Ordeal and Triumph”)
Omar N. Bradley (book “A Soldier’s Story”)
Francis Ford Coppola (screen story) and
Edmund H. North (screen story)
Francis Ford Coppola (screenplay) and
Edmund H. North (screenplay)
Cast (in credits order) verified as complete
George C. Scott … Gen. George S. Patton Jr.
Karl Malden … Gen. Omar N. Bradley
Stephen Young … Capt. Chester B. Hansen
Michael Strong … Brig. Gen. Hobart Carver
Carey Loftin … Gen. Bradley’s driver (as Cary Loftin)
Albert Dumortier … Moroccan Minister
Frank Latimore … Lt. Col. Henry Davenport
Morgan Paull … Capt. Richard N. Jenson
Karl Michael Vogler … Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
Bill Hickman … Gen. Patton’s driver
Pat Zurica … 1st Lt. Alexander Stiller (as Patrick J. Zurica)
James Edwards … Sgt. William George Meeks
Lawrence Dobkin … Col. Gaston Bell
David Bauer … Lt. Gen. Harry Buford
John Barrie … Air Vice-Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham
Richard Münch … Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl (as Richard Muench)
Siegfried Rauch … Capt. Oskar Steiger
Michael Bates … Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery
Paul Stevens … Lt. Col. Charles R. Codman
Gerald Flood … Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder
Jack Gwillim … Gen. Sir Harold Alexander
Ed Binns … Maj. Gen. Walter Bedell Smith (as Edward Binns)
Peter Barkworth … Col. John Welkin
Lionel Murton … Third Army chaplain
David Healy … Clergyman
Sandy Kevin … Correspondent
Douglas Wilmer … Maj. Gen. Francis de Guingand
John Doucette … Maj. Gen. Lucian K. Truscott
Tim Considine … Soldier who gets slapped
Abraxas Aaran … Willy
Clint Ritchie … Tank captain
Alan MacNaughton … British briefing officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Brandon Brady … Lt. Young (uncredited)
Charles Dennis … Soldier (uncredited)
Paul Frees … Voice (uncredited)
Hellmut Lange … Maj. Dorian von Haarenwege (uncredited)
Harry Morgan … Senator (uncredited)
Bruce Rhodewalt … Cynical wounded soldier (uncredited)
Produced by
Frank Caffey …. associate producer
Frank McCarthy …. producer
Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematography by
Fred J. Koenekamp (as Fred Koenekamp)
Film Editing by
Hugh S. Fowler (as Hugh Fowler)
Art Direction by
Urie McCleary
Gil Parrondo
Set Decoration by
Antonio Mateos
Pierre-Louis Thévenet (as Pierre-Louis Thevenet)
Makeup Department
Del Acevedo …. makeup artist
Daniel C. Striepeke …. makeup supervisor (as Dan Striepeke)
Production Management
Francisco Day …. unit production manager
Eduardo García Maroto …. unit production manager (as Eduardo G. Maroto)
Tadeo Villalba …. unit production manager
Francisco Ariza …. production manager (uncredited)
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eli Dunn …. assistant director
José López Rodero …. assistant director (as Jose Lopez Rodero)
Michael D. Moore …. second unit director (as Michael Moore)
Art Department
Jose Luis Del Barco …. storyboard artist
Julián Martín …. painter (uncredited)
Dennis J. Parrish …. property master (uncredited)
Jack Senter …. assistant supervising art director (uncredited)
Sound Department
Don J. Bassman …. sound production (as Don Bassman)
James Corcoran …. sound supervisor
Theodore Soderberg …. sound re-recordist (as Ted Soderberg)
Murray Spivack …. sound re-recordist
Douglas O. Williams …. sound re-recordist (as Douglas Williams)
Special Effects by
L.B. Abbott …. special photographic effects
Art Cruickshank …. special photographic effects
Alex Weldon …. mechanical effects
Stunts
Joe Canutt …. action coordinator
Joe Canutt …. stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Stefano Capriati …. stunt double (uncredited)
Bill Hickman …. stunts (uncredited)
Kim Kahana …. stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin …. stunts (uncredited)
Camera and Electrical Department
Cecilio Paniagua …. camera operator: second unit
Clifford Stine …. camera operator: second unit
Mike Benson …. assistant camera (uncredited)
Transportation Department
Julio Sempere …. military vehicles coordinator (uncredited)
Other crew
Omar N. Bradley …. senior military advisor (as General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, USA)
Paul D. Harkins …. technical advisor (as General Paul D. Harkins, USA, Ret.)
Glover S. Johns Jr. …. technical advisor (as Colonel Glover S. Johns Jr., USA, Ret.)
Arthur Morton …. orchestrator
Luis Martín Pozuelo …. miltary advisor: Spain (as Lieutenant Colonel Luis Martín Pozuelo)
Richard Vetter …. process consultant
Carl Williams …. process consultant
Ralph M. Leo …. production accountant (uncredited)
Julio Sempere …. military equipment supervisor (uncredited)
Julio Sempere …. army supervisor (uncredited)
SSg E-6 US Army 1964 -1968
Today more than ever we need men like General Patton,who are not worried about being politically correct. Men who are proud of America and are tired of supporting other countries who cotinually burn our flag and hate us. God Bless America and the men with enough backbone to defend America.
Andre’ S. Guionnaud Sr.