In less than two months we’ve lost three of the stars of “Battleground” (1949). In December, Van Johnson was taken from us, last month it was Ricardo Montalban, and now James Whitmore. In the William Wellman classic, Whitmore plays Sgt. Kinnie, the battle hardened leader of a small group of soldiers lost and confused in the midst of the Battle of the Bulge. Because of frostbite, Kinnie limps through most of the film as he leads the men through increasingly difficult times right up to that dreaded moment where bayonets are necessary because the ammunition’s run out.
Whitmore’s superb in the role, was nominated for an Oscar as a supporting actor (he won the Golden Globe), and launched a sixty year career that would include memorable turns in “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950), “Kiss Me Kate” (1953), “Them!” (1954), “Planet of the Apes” (1968), “Tora! Tora! Tora!” (1970), “Chato’s Land” (1972), “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994), numerous television appearances and two successful one man stage shows as Will Rogers and Harry Truman.
But the closing scene of “Battleground” is how I’ll always remember him.
After endless days of hell, Kinnie and the other survivors are finally out of danger and set to be relieved by fresh troops. Hungry, exhausted, and shaken to the core, they’re a ragtag bunch dreaming only of a hot meal and clean sheets. Kinnie understands, though, that his men have one more mission: to put on a brave face and show their replacements a fighting spirit.
Here’s the unforgettable result:
[youtube nDQvYE8sbc8 nolink]
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James Whitmore served his country in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and died at the age of 87.
May he rest in peace.
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