''Force of Arms'' (reissued under the title ''A Girl for Joe'') is a 1951 romantic war drama film set in the Italian theater of World War II. It reteamed

William Holden William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 – November 12, 1981) was an American actor, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film ''Stalag 17'' (1953) ...

and Nancy Olson in the third of their four movies together (''

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in ...

'', ''

Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...

'', and '' Submarine Command'' being the others), all released in 1950 or 1951. An American infantryman on leave and a

Women's Army Corps The Women's Army Corps (WAC) was the women's branch of the United States Army. It was created as an auxiliary unit, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15 May 1942 and converted to an active duty status in the Army of the United States ...

(WAC) officer fall in love.

Plot

After hard fighting in the Battle of San Pietro, the infantrymen of the American 36th Infantry Division are given five days of much needed rest. Sergeant Joe "Pete" Peterson meets WAC Lieutenant Eleanor "Ellie" MacKa in a cemetery. However, his attempts to become better acquainted are brushed off. Later, Pete's friend and commanding officer, Major Blackford, tells him he has been given a

battlefield commission A battlefield promotion (or field promotion) is an advancement in military rank that occurs while deployed in combat. A standard field promotion is advancement from current rank to the next higher rank; a "jump-step" promotion allows the recipient ...

and is now a second lieutenant. When Sergeant McFee becomes upset because he has not received a letter from his wife in a long time, Pete takes him to the post office to investigate and finds Ellie working there. This time, Ellie offers to buy Pete a drink in celebration of his promotion. Although he agrees, she still tries to keep things from becoming serious, revealing that she almost married another soldier, except he was killed, and does not want to risk falling in love again. However, when the division's leave is cut short, she cannot stay away. Pete gets her to agree to marry him on his next leave. Blackford assigns Pete and his platoon to take out a German roadblock. Pete spots two deadly German 88 guns commanding the road on which American tanks are advancing. However, when one of his men urges him to attack the guns, Pete rejects the idea; with Ellie on his mind, he has become overcautious. The 88s knock out the lead American tank, from which Blackford is directing the attack. The major is killed. Pete himself is wounded by an artillery barrage and wakes up in a hospital. Blaming himself for his friend's death (even though he knows he could not have reached the guns in time anyway), Pete sinks into a depression, unwilling to see anyone. A visit from Ellie brings him out of it. Pete tells her that he has been given a three-day leave before being sent back to the United States, safely out of combat. Together out in the countryside, they get married. However, Pete's guilt makes him decide to rejoin his unit. Ellie does not try to stop him. Afterward, she discovers she is pregnant, which means she will have to leave the army. Pete is hit when he reconnoiters ahead, and his men are ordered to retreat, leaving him behind. Unwilling to believe her husband is dead, Ellie searches everywhere for him without success. When Rome is liberated, she finally finds him; he had been taken prisoner, but was freed when the Germans retreated.

Cast

as Sergeant/Lieutenant Joe "Pete" Peterson * Nancy Olson as Lieutenant Eleanor MacKay *

Frank Lovejoy Frank Andrew Lovejoy Jr. (March 28, 1912 – October 2, 1962) was an American actor in radio, film, and television. He is perhaps best remembered for appearing in the film noir '' The Hitch-Hiker'' and for starring in the radio drama '' Night Beat ...

as Major Blackford *

Gene Evans Eugene Barton Evans (July 11, 1922 – April 1, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, television films, and feature films between 1947 and 1989. Background Evans was born in Holbrook, Arizona and raised i ...

as Sergeant Smiley "Mac" McFee * Dick Wesson as Kleiner, one of Pete's men *

Paul Picerni Horacio Paul Picerni (December 1, 1922 – January 12, 2011) was an American actor in film and television, perhaps best known today in the role of Federal Agent Lee Hobson, second-in-command to Robert Stack's Eliot Ness, in the ABC hit televisi ...

as Sheridan *

Katherine Warren Katherine Warren (July 12, 1905 – July 17, 1965) was an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles in the 1949 film ''All the King's Men'', the 1951 film '' The Prowler'', and the 1954 film ''The Caine Mutiny''. Ca ...

as Major Waldron, Eleanor's commander * Ross Ford as Hooker *

Ron Hagerthy Ronald F. Hagerthy (born March 9, 1932) is an American actor on television and in films. Early years Hagerthy was born in Aberdeen, South Dakota, but moved to Glendale, California, before he started school. He attended Glendale City College and ...

as Minto

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Force Of Arms 1950s war drama films American romantic drama films American war drama films 1950s English-language films American black-and-white films Films directed by Michael Curtiz Films scored by Max Steiner Italian Campaign of World War II films Warner Bros. films 1951 romantic drama films 1951 films Films set in 1943 Films set in 1944 1950s American films