# The movie Patton



## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

It was on cable tv today. I watched it start to finish, for only the 2nd time in my life. I first saw it in a movie theater back in 1970 when it came out. That was when I was 15 yrs. old and living in Spokane, WA.

I had gone to see it with two of my good friends. We rode our bicycles about 12 miles one way on a warm sunny Saturday afternoon. 

In my opinion, it was one of the greatest movies ever produced. It really hit home with me in many ways. It was pretty much my sole inspiration to join the military 4 yrs. later. 

I have watched it in bits and pieces every now and then. I never seemed to find the time or make the effort to watch it start to finish. Today I did, for only the 2nd time as I mentioned above. It brought back a lot of good and bad memories. 

One of those good friends that I had gone to see the movie with, turned out to be one of my best friends. We ended up being like brothers. 18 yrs. later (1988) and while he was living in Alaska, he was killed in a m/c accident. That hit me very hard. 

Anyways, like I said, that movie was my inspiration to join the military. I think I would have joined regardless, but it more or less just confirmed what I was thinking. I don't know that much about Gen. Patton and kind of thought that he was a horse's ass at times, but I did understand / admire his conviction, motivation and drive. 

Truth be told, I'm a bit misty eyed right now. I suppose that I can write that off as to getting older and hanging on to fond and not so fond memories as best I can. The older I get, the more I reflect and review those memories and make sure that I refresh them in my mind so that I can replay them down the road.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Speaking as an experienced amateur actor, I gotta say that George C. Scott did one Hell of a good job in _Patton_.
He did the job so well that I cannot, for the life of me, remember any other actor in that film.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

One line from the movie that still rings true today. " the civilian government should be in charge of the military but they always leave us with another war to fight." I saw it in 1975 for the first time and loved it.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

I saw it when it was released and just watched it again several weeks ago (I have the DVD). I also read Bill O'Reilly's, "Killing Patton". Good research and a lot of detail in that book.


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## hud35500 (May 8, 2010)

Should be interesting to see who they cast as Patton when the movie version of Killing Patton comes out. What actor could play that role?


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## budrock56 (Feb 2, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Speaking as an experienced amateur actor, I gotta say that George C. Scott did one Hell of a good job in _Patton_.
> He did the job so well that I cannot, for the life of me, remember any other actor in that film.


Only one I can remember besides Scott is Karl Malden who played General Bradley.


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

budrock56 said:


> Only one I can remember besides Scott is Karl Malden who played General Bradley.


I remember other faces in the movie, but the names that go with those faces, not so much.

I do remember Karl Malden though. Always liked him and his acting ability.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Beside Scott and Malden there are no other notable actors in the movie....
Patton (1970) - IMDb

One of the best military minds ever.....
George S. Patton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

...Well, Harry Morgan (Colonel Potter, of TV's M.A.S.H.) was in it.
And so was Hellmut Lange, an excellent (if misused) German actor.
(I looked the cast up.)

But, yes, no particular stars.
Even George C. Scott was on the edge of unknown, at the time.


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## shootbrownelk (May 18, 2014)

Tim Considine (spelling?) the oldest son on "My Three Sons" fame, was the "Shell-Shock" private in the Infirmary tent that George C. Scott slapped and belittled and threatened to shoot. I spotted Malden right off.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

shootbrownelk said:


> Tim Considine (spelling?) the oldest son on "My Three Sons" fame, was the "Shell-Shock" private in the Infirmary tent that George C. Scott slapped and belittled and threatened to shoot. I spotted Malden right off.


Patton slapped two soldiers at different times. One of them was on a game show in the mid-50's called, "What's My Line". I saw that show. It surprised me that this soldier would appear on a national TV program since he was the target of a famous general's angst.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

Cait43 said:


> Beside Scott and Malden there are no other notable actors in the movie....
> Patton (1970) - IMDb
> 
> One of the best military minds ever.....
> George S. Patton - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I would bet most people don't know that one of Patton's mentors and heroes when he was young was Col. John Singleton Mosby, who is also one of my childhood heroes. Mosby possessed one of the finest military minds during the War Between the States and was very instrumental in Patton's later tactics as an adult and a commanding officer.

Mosby operated all over the area in which I live. He is buried 12 miles from my home. A truly great man. His exploits are legendary in this area. In fact, the entire area around here is known as The Mosby Heritage Area.


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## Scorpion8 (Jan 29, 2011)

Love _Patton_ and always watch it too. That movie was made back in a time when they used less creative license and stayed truer to the original story or book, or actual subject's life. I always liked his belief in re-incarnation.


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## BigCityChief (Jan 2, 2013)

I love the movie and never tire of watching it.


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## Spike12 (Dec 10, 2008)

After watching _Patton_ I was very impressed by the _character of the movie_. But one has to remember that those who make movies do so _to make money_. Scott is about as opposite from the real Patton as you can get.

There is a book about him during the same period written by his wife and daughter, _Was as I Knew It_. They wrote it from his letters after his death. That give Patton much more depth.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

One of my favorite uncles served under Patton, beginning with the North Africa campaign, through Sicily and the Normandy hedgerows, 'relief' of Bastogne, and all the way into Germany. He rarely ever talked about those experiences to anyone who had not served in WWII, and never watched war movies. But his son (my cousin) did talk him into going to see _Patton_ and while he didn't think the movie was very realistic, he did say that George C. Scott nailed his portrayal of Patton pretty well. He personally witnessed the scene where Patton was directing tank traffic and heard one of his 'apology' speeches, when Ike ordered him to travel to all the units that served under him and apologize for slapping the soldier. He didn't 'love' Patton, but he was proud of him and his service under him.

I gathered that he was maybe one of those guys you 'love to hate,' if you served under him.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

One of my favorites! Also one of Scott's best works, in my opinion.


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Never seen it.


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## GCBHM (Mar 24, 2014)

TAPnRACK said:


> Never seen it.


You're no daisy. You're no daisy at all!


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## paratrooper (Feb 1, 2012)

TAPnRACK said:


> Never seen it.


Never seen it?

I'm thinking you need to hit the deck and knock out 10 for us. :smt1099


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## TAPnRACK (Jan 30, 2013)

Apparently, lol. 

I've seen plenty of war films... my favorites are Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, We Were Soldier's Once, Hamburger Hill and The Big Red One.

It's now on my radar... I shall report my review soon.


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## Spike12 (Dec 10, 2008)

If you want to see a really good movie: Tears of the Sun. It's in my top 3.


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## Cait43 (Apr 4, 2013)

Tears of the Sun trailer.... Looks good.....


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