The Fighting Sullivans
The Fighting Sullivans is a 1944 American biographical war film directed by Lloyd Bacon and produced by 20th Century Fox, dramatizing the real-life story of five brothers from Waterloo, Iowa—George Thomas Sullivan, Francis Henry Sullivan, Joseph Eugene Sullivan, Madison Abel Sullivan, and Albert Leo Sullivan—who enlisted together in the U.S. Navy following the attack on Pearl Harbor and were all killed in action on November 13, 1942, when the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52) was torpedoed and sunk by Japanese submarines during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.[1][2] The film, originally released as The Sullivans, stars Thomas Mitchell as their father Thomas, Anne Baxter as their sister Genevieve, and Bobby Driscoll in early roles portraying the brothers as children, emphasizing their close-knit Irish-American family upbringing during the Great Depression, their determination to serve as a unit despite naval reluctance, and the profound grief of their parents upon receiving the casualty telegrams.[3][4] Produced amid World War II with cooperation from the U.S. Navy and the Office of War Information, it served as a morale-boosting propaganda piece to honor familial sacrifice and encourage enlistment, leading to the Navy's post-incident policy prohibiting family members from serving on the same vessel, a directive formalized in the "Sullivan Rule" and upheld in subsequent conflicts.[1][4] The brothers' tragedy, the largest single-family combat loss in U.S. military history, inspired multiple naval vessels named USS The Sullivans, including a Fletcher-class destroyer (DD-537) commissioned in 1943 and a modern Arleigh Burke-class destroyer (DDG-68), while the film itself received critical acclaim for its emotional authenticity and contributed to wartime bond drives and recruitment efforts.[1][2]Historical Background
The Sullivan Brothers' Early Lives
The five Sullivan brothers—George Thomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugene, Madison Abel (known as "Matt"), and Albert Leo (known as "Bud")—were born in Waterloo, Iowa, to Thomas F. Sullivan, a railroad freight handler of Irish descent, and his wife Alleta M. Abel Sullivan, in a working-class family adhering to Roman Catholicism.[5][6] George was born on December 14, 1914; Francis on February 18, 1916; Joseph on August 28, 1920; Madison on November 8, 1922; and Albert on July 16, 1923.[7][8] The family, which included a surviving sister, Genevieve, resided at 98 Adams Street and attended St. Joseph's and later St. Mary's Catholic Church, reflecting their Irish-American heritage and community ties.[6][9] Growing up amid the economic privations of the Great Depression, the brothers navigated family hardships that demanded early contributions to household stability, with Thomas working irregular shifts as a conductor and Alleta managing the home.[10] Older siblings George and Francis briefly served in the peacetime Navy in the 1930s before returning to civilian work, while others, including Joseph, Madison, and Albert, took jobs at the local Rath Packing Company or similar facilities after minimal formal education, as some left high school to support the family.[9][11] These experiences instilled practical resilience, with contemporaries recalling the brothers as typical Depression-era youths—physically active, prone to schoolyard and street scuffles, and reliant on each other amid limited parental oversight due to work demands.[12][13] The siblings' inseparability, forged through shared chores, play, and survival necessities in Waterloo's industrial environment, underscored a familial cohesion rooted in mutual dependence rather than exceptionalism, as evidenced by local accounts of their unremarkable yet bonded upbringing.[14][12] This dynamic, unadorned by overt ideological influences, reflected broader patterns of working-class endurance during the era's unemployment and scarcity, without documented early indicators of militaristic fervor.[15]Enlistment and Service
The five Sullivan brothers—George (born December 14, 1914), Francis (born February 18, 1916), Joseph (born August 28, 1918), Madison (born November 8, 1919), and Albert (born July 8, 1922)—from Waterloo, Iowa, enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve (Class V-6) on January 3, 1942, at the Naval Recruiting Station in Des Moines, for a two-year term, explicitly requesting assignment as a unit.[16] Their enlistment was spurred by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the desire to avenge the death of family friend Seaman First Class William V. Ball, killed aboard USS Arizona during the assault.[1] George and Francis, the eldest, had completed prior four-year enlistments from May 11, 1937, to 1941, serving on destroyers including USS Hovey (DD-208), USS Melville (AD-2), and USS Dunlap (DD-384), which informed their recommitment amid heightened national calls for voluntary service in response to Axis aggression.[16] [1] The Navy approved their joint service request, reflecting early-war policies prioritizing enlistee unity over emerging risk assessments for family groupings, though this later prompted stricter sibling separation directives by mid-1942.[1] Upon enlistment, the brothers transferred immediately to the Naval Training Station at Great Lakes, Illinois, for basic indoctrination, completing a month-long regimen focused on seamanship and gunnery fundamentals.[16] On February 3, 1942, they reported to the receiving ship in New York for assignment to USS Juneau (CL-52), an Atlanta-class light cruiser designed for antiaircraft defense, joining her pre-commissioning crew.[16] The ship commissioned on February 14, 1942, at New York Navy Yard under Captain Lyman K. Swenson, with the Sullivans aboard for initial outfitting and drills.[3] USS Juneau's early operations emphasized Atlantic convoy protection and hemispheric security before Pacific transit. Departing New York on March 22, 1942, she conducted shakedown exercises to Gravesend Bay and Chesapeake Bay through April, countering U-boat threats as part of Task Group 27.1.[3] From May 5–14, the cruiser patrolled off Martinique and Guadeloupe to blockade potential Vichy French naval escapes, then in June joined Task Force 22 for escort duties, including convoy AS-4 to Brazil from July 16–28.[3] Transiting the Panama Canal on August 19, Juneau reached the Pacific, joining Task Force 18 near Tongatapu on September 10 and screening carriers in Task Force 61 operations around the Solomon Islands from mid-September to late October, providing antiaircraft cover during initial Guadalcanal landings.[3] By November 8, she departed Nouméa, New Caledonia, with Task Force 67 for reinforcement runs to the Guadalcanal area.[3] Service records document the brothers' rapid integration: by May 3, 1942, Joseph, Madison, and Albert advanced to Seaman Second Class, Francis to Coxswain, and George to Gunner's Mate Second Class, roles aligning with Juneau's gun crews amid family-driven cohesion that underscored wartime enlistment patterns of loyalty over individualized risk.[16]Sinking of the USS Juneau
The USS Juneau, an Atlanta-class light cruiser, participated in the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal as part of Task Force 67 on the night of November 12–13, 1942, tasked with intercepting a Japanese bombardment force targeting Henderson Field.[17] Amid the chaotic surface engagement, characterized by poor visibility, radar limitations, and point-blank gunnery, the Juneau sustained a torpedo hit to its port side, likely from the Japanese destroyer Amatsukaze.[18] This strike detonated the cruiser's magazines, causing a massive explosion that broke the ship in half and sent it to the ocean floor in 20 to 42 seconds.[19] Of the approximately 700 crew members aboard, including the five Sullivan brothers—George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, and Albert—around 115 survived the initial sinking and found themselves adrift in the waters off Guadalcanal.[18] None of the Sullivans were among the confirmed initial survivors, though survivor accounts suggest at least two may have reached the water before succumbing shortly thereafter.[20] The rapid descent left most personnel with little opportunity to abandon ship, contributing to the high immediate fatality rate from blast trauma, drowning, or entrapment.[19] The survivors faced a grueling eight-day ordeal, dispersed in small groups without lifeboats, food, or fresh water, exposed to relentless equatorial sun, hypothermia at night, and saltwater immersion leading to severe dehydration and delirium.[18] Shark attacks compounded the attrition, with multiple reports of predations on injured or weakened men, further reducing numbers through blood loss and panic-induced separation.[18] Rescue efforts were delayed by the task force's dispersal following the battle, ongoing Japanese submarine threats, and initial assumptions of total loss given the explosion's violence; only ten men were ultimately recovered alive on November 20, 1942, by a passing vessel after being spotted by patrolling aircraft.[18] The U.S. Navy withheld confirmation of the Juneau's loss from the Sullivan family until January 12, 1943, prioritizing operational secrecy around the Guadalcanal campaign's tactical details amid fears of intelligence leaks to Japan.[2] This delay stemmed from the chaotic post-battle reporting chain, where survivor sightings were not immediately correlated with the missing cruiser, and higher command focused on securing the strategic objectives over individual search operations.[18]Film Production
Development and Financing
20th Century Fox acquired the rights to the Sullivan brothers' story in 1943, amid widespread national publicity following the November 1942 sinking of the USS Juneau, which claimed the lives of all five brothers. Producer Sol M. Wurtzel spearheaded the project, capitalizing on the narrative's potential to highlight themes of family unity and patriotic sacrifice during wartime. The screenplay was penned by Mary C. McCall Jr., adapting the original story by Edward Doherty and Jules Schermer, with an emphasis on the brothers' close-knit upbringing and shared commitment to service as a means of fostering public morale.[21][22] The production secured cooperation from the U.S. Navy Department, which provided technical advisors to ensure authentic depictions of naval life and procedures, while the Sullivan family offered personal insights to inform the script's familial dynamics. Placed under the supervision of the Office of War Information's Bureau of Motion Pictures, the film navigated approval processes designed to align with government goals for boosting civilian resolve and recruitment, without succumbing to direct censorship that might compromise dramatic integrity.[22][23] Financing reflected wartime economic pressures, including material rationing and labor shortages, with an estimated budget of around $1 million allocated by Fox for this mid-tier prestige project intended to serve propagandistic ends alongside commercial viability. This sum supported efficient studio-based shooting but constrained lavish sets or effects, prioritizing narrative impact over spectacle to maximize return on limited resources.[21]Casting and Principal Photography
Thomas Mitchell was cast as the Sullivan family patriarch, Thomas F. Sullivan Sr., leveraging his established reputation as a character actor known for portraying relatable everyman figures, as seen in prior roles that emphasized familial authority and resilience.[23] Anne Baxter, then 20 years old and rising from supporting parts, portrayed Katherine Mary Sullivan, the wife of brother Albert, selected to convey youthful domesticity amid wartime separation.[23] Selena Royle played the mother, Alleta Sullivan, drawing on her experience in maternal roles to underscore themes of maternal fortitude without relying on marquee stardom.[22] The five Sullivan brothers were depicted across their lifespan using ten different actors total, with distinct performers for childhood and adulthood stages to authentically capture growth from Iowa boys to naval servicemen, minimizing reliance on a single star to highlight collective sibling dynamics.[23] Only the actor portraying the youngest brother as a child pursued a sustained film career afterward, reflecting the production's emphasis on fresh, non-professional-like portrayals for the brothers to evoke ordinary American heroism rather than polished celebrity appeal.[23] Supporting roles, including Ward Bond as a naval officer, filled out the ensemble with seasoned but non-headlining talent suited to the film's biographical restraint.[24] Principal photography occurred primarily at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, utilizing soundstages for interior family scenes set in Waterloo, Iowa, to maintain controlled authenticity amid wartime constraints.[25] Naval sequences incorporated stock footage from U.S. Navy archives to depict shipboard life and combat without extensive custom shoots, a practical choice given resource limitations.[22] Production wrapped in late 1943, delayed by actor shortages as many performers enlisted, alongside broader material scarcities like film stock and props rationed for the war effort.[23] No on-location filming in Iowa is documented, prioritizing studio efficiency to expedite release for morale-boosting propaganda value.[22]Direction and Technical Aspects
Lloyd Bacon directed The Fighting Sullivans with a straightforward approach emphasizing an episodic structure for the brothers' early lives and training, transitioning to a concentrated climax in the film's final third depicting their naval service and the Battle of Guadalcanal.[26] This narrative progression relied on rapid cuts and montage-like sequences to convey the passage of time and key events, such as boot camp drills and combat preparations, aligning with wartime cinema's efficient storytelling to evoke patriotism without elaborate stylistic flourishes.[26] The film was shot in black-and-white 35mm with a 1.37:1 aspect ratio, adhering to standard Hollywood technical practices of the era for dramatic emphasis on realism and emotional resonance rather than visual spectacle.[27] Its runtime totals 112 minutes, structured to suit family viewing during World War II, with monaural sound mixing via the Western Electric Recording system to integrate dialogue, effects, and an underscoring score that amplified scenes of brotherhood and loss.[27][28] Technical production focused on practical fidelity to 1940s constraints, employing location shooting for Midwestern settings and studio recreations for shipboard and battle sequences to maintain authenticity within budgetary limits typical of propaganda-inflected biopics.[29] Naval action was rendered through scaled models and composited footage, common for simulating sea engagements without access to active warships amid wartime priorities.[30]Narrative and Characters
Plot Summary
The film depicts the close-knit Sullivan family in Waterloo, Iowa, amid the economic hardships of the Great Depression, where parents Tom and Alleta raise their five sons—George, Frank, Joe, Matt, and Albert—in a modest home filled with love and discipline.[31] The brothers grow up inseparable, engaging in boyhood adventures such as playing baseball, boxing matches, and neighborhood escapades, while sharing chores and mutual protection against bullies, fostering unbreakable bonds through shared laughter and minor rebellions like sneaking out or defending each other in scraps.[25] As they mature into young men, each develops personal interests and romances: George courts a local girl, Frank pursues mechanics, and the others navigate jobs and flirtations, all while the family endures financial strains through Tom's railroad work and Alleta's homemaking. The narrative shifts following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, igniting the brothers' patriotic fervor; united in resolve, they enlist in the U.S. Navy en masse, insisting on serving together aboard the same vessel despite naval policies discouraging family groupings, a request ultimately granted due to their determination.[23] Undergoing rigorous boot camp training, the siblings thrive on teamwork, excelling in drills and forming lasting shipboard friendships with fellow recruits through pranks, storytelling, and collective hardships that reinforce their fraternal unity. Assigned to the USS Juneau, a light cruiser, the brothers deploy to the Pacific, contributing to crew morale with their high spirits amid the tedium and tensions of naval routine during the Guadalcanal campaign. The storyline builds to a climactic battle where the ship endures intense combat, only to be struck by torpedoes and sunk, claiming the lives of all five brothers as they remain side by side in heroic defiance. Framed by vignettes of the parents' daily life and prayers for their sons' safe return, the plot concludes with Tom and Alleta receiving the tragic news, their grief tempered by profound national pride and renewed commitment to the war effort, symbolized by the American flag waving resiliently.[31][25]Key Cast Members
Thomas Mitchell portrayed Thomas F. Sullivan, the father and patriarch of the family.[23][25] Selena Royle played Alleta Sullivan, the mother who nurtures the brothers through their upbringing.[23][25] The five Sullivan brothers—George, Frank, Joe, Matt, and Al—were each depicted across different life stages by multiple actors, with the principal adult portrayals as follows:| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| James Cardwell | George Thomas Sullivan |
| John Campbell | Francis "Frank" Sullivan |
| George Offerman Jr. | Joseph "Joe" Sullivan |
| John Alvin | Madison "Matt" Sullivan |
| Edward Ryan | Albert "Al" Sullivan |