Sands of Iwo Jima
1949 · Movie · Approved · 100 min · ★ 6.4 · 88% critics
A tough Marine sergeant is feared and resented by his recruits as he pushes them through harsh discipline. But once they reach the beaches, the men start to understand the reasoning behind his rigid methods, as they prepare for brutal fighting in the Pacific.
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Details
- Years
- 1949
- Release date
- 1950-01-01
- Language
- English
- Rated
- Approved
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Critic score
- 88/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.4/10 (170 votes)
- Box office
- $7,803,339
- Budget
- $1,000,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this spirited WWII war drama if you want gritty Pacific action and a stern mentor turning a squad into a team; Not for you if you dislike flag-waving stories, heavy melodrama, or overly harsh training sequences, like Flying Leathernecks or A Walk in the Sun.
Pros: intense combat realism; Wayne’s steely leadership; inspiring military spirit | Cons: brutal training may offend; lots of melodrama; can feel cliché
Themes
- world war ii
- marine corps
- marine
- sergeant
- u.s. marine
- iwo jima
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1950 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · 1950 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Story · 1950 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actor · 1950 · nominated
Cast & crew
John Wayne
as Sgt. John M. Stryker
John Agar
as PFC Peter T. 'Pete' Conway
Adele Mara
as Allison Bromley
Forrest Tucker
as PFC Al J. Thomas
Wally Cassell
as PFC Benny A. Regazzi
James Brown
as PFC Charlie Bass
Richard Webb
as PFC Dan 'Handsome' Shipley
Arthur Franz
as Cpl. Robert C. Dunne / Narrator
Julie Bishop
as Mary
James Holden
as PFC 'Farmer' Soames
Directed by Allan Dwan