Biography: John J. Pershing
WW I battle: explosions, ground advances, trenches, doughboys, etc.
DO NOT USE Introduction.
WW I: AEF soldiers marching (doughboys taken from several angles). CU of John Pershing
LS of rolling countryside of Misourri. Farm fields.
DO NOT USE Stills of Pershing as a boy. Stills of the Pershing family.
Various shots of Midwester farm. Horse pulling a plow.
GV West Point Military Academy, the campus and buildings. Cadets practice horseback riding. Tight LS's of cadets learning in a classroom, studying and doing experiments in science class.
DO NOT USE Still of Pershing as a young cadet at West Point.
CU of marching band. West Point Military Academy, Graduation day.
Tight LS's of a cavalry brigade riding through untamed frontier (Old West landscape).
DO NOT USE Stills of Pershing as a young officer.
Cadets learning to fire a cannon.
DO NOT USE Stills of Pershing as a young officer.
1898: the sinking of the USS Maine and the start of the Spanish American War (includes good footage of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders).
DO NOT USE Stills of Pershing as an officer. Still of Helen Francis Warren, Pershing's first wife.
Theodore Roosevelt speaking to crowd. Troops marching. Mores shots of Teddy Rosevelt. CU of John Pershing.
DO NOT USE Still of Pershing and other officers. Still of the Pershing family (John, his wife and their children).
CU of John Pershing sitting in a chair, rubbing his chin.
Punitive Expedition into Mexico. (aka Pancho Villa Expedition, aka Mexican Expedition) John Pershing posing for the camera with his men; tight LS of them riding around on horseback; tight LS of Pancho and his men hanging around at their camp, etc). US cavalrymen campaigning through Mexico and US Southwest in search of Pancho and his men.
MS of Woodrow Wilson sitting at a desk and signing papers. The declaration of War and America's entrance. Montage of enlisted men at boot camp (lots of wide and tight LS's of training exercises, many of which are rather dated and ridiculous looking). Tight and wide LS's doughboys boarding trains bound for the front lines, a huge send-off, includes an excellent MS of a large crowd waving small American flags, followed by tight LS's of the soldiers boarding ships and setting sail for the front.
Montage of WW I battle scenes, including heavy artillery being fired. American troops arriving in Europe. Foch and Pershing in meetings. Field training scenes: preparing doughboys for trench and gas warfare (Good MS of three soldiers donning gas masks while in a trench). WWI Artillery barrage and battle montage
WWI Artillery barrage and battle / trenchwarefare montage. Troops marching through war damaged cities. CU of Foch. Pershing addresses the troops. Troops preparing to move, marching. Battle scenes. Recreations of battle for San Miguel passageway (seems to be a Hollywood recreation).
WWI The war ends. excellent celebration montage: soldiers dancing, drinking, waving their hats, singing and clowning around a piano. President Wilson and Pershing, in MS, talk happily to each other while watching their troops, in Europe. Pershing says goodbye to Foch and other officers. Pershing is named General of the Armies: MS's of him celebrating and playing around with soldiers on a steamboat headed for home. General Pershing returns home to wild fanfare. Montage of him leading the troops down a boulevard for a grand parade (lots of confetti, straw hat waving, celebration, marching soldiers, etc.).
Pershing retires from military duty, travels the world, gets well received in Europe (includes nice wide LS of military cemetery, lots of white cross markers).
Pershing with a nurse, he lends his name to charitable causes. CU of Pershing talking to the camera about TB (includes real audio). Tight LS of Pershing surrounded by reporters and cameraman; he waves his cane at them, taunts them away (doesn't like posing for the intrusive press). MS of Pershing talking against WW II (for neutrailty?) but assures the audience that US is ready to fight (real audio).
Wide MS of Franklin Roosevelt and Pershing meeting in the Oval Office. He receives an award from Roosevelt.
Montage of Pershing's funeral and the procession through Washington DC. tight LS's of Eisenhower and Omar Bradley in attendance. CU of bust of Pershing.
DO NOT USE End Remarks and credits.