References to contemporary films & actors in THE PACIFIC (2010)
HISTORICAL CONTEXT/SOURCES ↓
For Whom the Bell Tolls is a 1943 American war film starring Gary Cooper and Ingrid Bergman. Based on the 1940 novel of the same name by Ernest Hemingway, the film is about an American International Brigades volunteer who is fighting in the Spanish Civil War against the fascists (Wikipedia).
Virginia Grey was an American actress who appeared in over 100 films and several radio and television shows from the 1930s to the early 1980s (Wikipedia). Grey was one of the celebrities who joined John Basilone on his war bond tour in 1943 (Wikipedia). She is portrayed by Anna Torv in The Pacific.
Betty Hutton was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She was one of Paramount Pictures' most valuable stars, appearing primarily in musicals. She was noted for her energetic performance style (Wikipedia). In late 1944 and early 1945, Hutton toured with the United Service Organization to the Western Pacific, visiting Guam, Saipan, Tinian, the Marshall Islands, the Gilbert Islands, and Iwo Jima. She said of the tour, "Nothing else, no other feeling in the world, could possibly compare with how I felt inside bringing joy to those young men. Everyone would gather close as we exchanged hugs and kisses. Most often, I would sing a few bars from one of my songs, or one they might request. It was difficult for those boys to believe a popular movie entertainer would crawl down into a hole to perform just for them. It wasn't crazy to me at all. I wouldn't have exchanged the precious minutes I had with those guys for anything. I did it as much for me as I did for them, but who actually received the most from the exchange is anyone's guess" (Betty Hutton Estate).
The Andrews Sisters were an American singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: LaVerne, Maxene, and Patricia (Patty). The sisters appeared in 17 Hollywood films (Wikipedia, The Great American Songbook). In the years just before and during World War II, the Andrews Sisters were at the height of their popularity, and the group still tends to be associated in the public's mind with the war years. They had numerous hit records during these years, some of which had service or military-related themes, including "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Three Little Sisters", and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (with Anyone Else but Me)" (Wikipedia). The song Chuckler is singing in the brig, "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", is about two young lovers who pledge their fidelity while one of them is away serving in the war.
The Hollywood Canteen operated at 1451 North Cahuenga Boulevard in the Los Angeles, California, neighborhood of Hollywood between October 3, 1942, and November 22, 1945, as a club offering food, dancing, and entertainment for enlisted men and women, who were usually on their way overseas during World War II. Even though the majority of visitors were US servicemen, the canteen was open to allied countries as well as women in all branches of service. Their tickets for admission were just their uniforms, and everything at the canteen was free of charge. The canteen also did not segregate its attendees— integrated socialization and mixed dancing were permitted. Most of the staff at the club were volunteers, a majority of whom were movie stars. The canteen was co-founded by actors Bette Davis and John Garfield (Wikipedia). Side note: John Garfield was also one of the celebrities who joined John Basilone on his war bond tour (Wikipedia, Raritan Online).
(You can view some photographs taken during the club's operation here [via Historic Hollywood Photographs])
Rita Hayworth was an American actress and dancer. She is one of the most renowned actresses of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and was the second top pin-up girl for GIs during World War II, after Betty Grable (Wikipedia).
Side note: While her most famous film, Gilda (1946), was in release, it was widely reported that an atomic bomb that was scheduled to be tested at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean's Marshall Islands would bear an image of Hayworth, a reference to her "bombshell" status (Wikimedia Commons). Although the gesture was intended as a compliment, Hayworth was reportedly deeply offended at the sentiment.
Betty Grable was an American actress, dancer, model, and singer. Throughout her career, Grable was a celebrated sex symbol. Her bathing-suit poster made her the top pin-up girl of World War II. The photo was later included in Life magazine's project "100 Photographs That Changed the World" (Wikipedia).
Below are Rita Hayworth's most famous pin-up and Betty Grable's famous pin-up:
The photo of Betty Grable in H Company's tent appeared in the August 1942 issue of Esquire magazine:
(You can take a look at the magazine here [via the Internet Archive])
