Pawsome Pet Pictures: Joan Leslie.

Personal Quote: On making Man in the Saddle (1951)" Randolph Scott was a joy to work with, elegant, such a gentleman, and so devastatingly good looking. A charmer with beautiful eyes. I compare him to Gary Cooper, but Cooper had more versatility. Randy was so at ease on the set".

The Male Animal (1942).

The Male Animal (1942). Cast: Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie. The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Elliott Nugent. The screenplay was written by Stephen Morehouse Avery, Julius J. Epstein, and Philip G. Epstein, based on Nugent and Thurber's play. The film was also directed by Elliott Nugent.



This very charming story begins during homecoming weekend at Midwestern University, when English professor Tommy Turner and his wife Ellen host a cocktail party for Dean Frederick Damon and his wife Blanche, Ed Keller and his wife Myrtle and former football hero Joe Ferguson.

Damon, stops by during dinner to tell them that student Michael Barnes, has written an editorial calling the trustees fascists and reporting that Tommy is the only professor in favor of freedom of speech. Michael, also mentions that the following Monday during class, Tommy will read a letter by Bartolomeo Vanzetti, an anarchist executed for murder along with his associate, Nicola Sacco, in 1927. Damon and Ellen, are worried that the trustees will think that Tommy, is a Communist and fire him. Tommy, does not understand why he should not read the letter to his class.

Later Joe, arrives with flowers for Ellen's birthday, which Tommy has forgotten, and says that he and his wife are divorcing.

Later that evening, Keller learns about the letter and can not believe that Tommy would expose his students to something so un-American. Insulted, Tommy decides to read the letter to spite him.

 When Joe and Ellen dance together to an old song, Tommy is over come with jealousy. After the rally, Joe invites Tommy and Ellen to dinner, but.. Tommy says he is not feeling well and tells Ellen to go ahead without him.

The next day, the entire campus is in an uproar over Michael's editorial, and Tommy, believing that Ellen is still in love with Joe, decides she is better off without him. Even though, Joe does not really want to marry Ellen, he feels obligated to marry her if she leaves Tommy.

While Joe and Ellen are at the game, Tommy and Michael get drunk. Tommy says, if another male lion threatens to take away a lion's mate, he tears him apart. When Ellen and Joe return from the game, Tommy tells them that he wants to knock Joe out.

On Monday morning, Tommy, having been knocked out by Joe, must read Vanzetti's letter before the entire university. Will Michael be expelled from the university and will Tommy lose his job and his wife?



I'm writing this review as I'm  watching the film for the first time. I guess this a comedy, but I'm not sure.. It seems to have a serious story line. Fonda, does what he does best when standing up for what is right, while his reading of the letter to the crowd.  Carson, who was perfect in the roll as an ex-footballer and ex-boyfriend to Olivia de Havilland, who is always good.. 

Fun Facts:

Gene Tierney starred in the Broadway production as Patricia Stanley, she was to be loaned out to Warner Bros. but was cast in Tobacco Road instead.

Two of the "college students" in the cast went on to be well-known TV dads in the 1960s: Herbert Anderson (Dennis the Menace) and Don DeFore (Hazel).

Joan Agnes Theresa Sadie Brodel (born January 26, 1925), was known professionally as Joan Leslie. She began performing as a singer at the age of nine as part of a vaudeville act with her two sisters: Betty and Mae Brodel. She later began her Hollywood acting career while still a child, performing under her real name in several movies, beginning with her debut in the MGM movie Camille (1936) with Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor. She soon signed a contract with Warner Bros. In 1941, Leslie got her first major role in the thriller High Sierra with Humphrey Bogart, playing a crippled girl under her new billing as "Joan Leslie". She also starred in Sergeant York and The Wagons Roll at Night in that same year. Later in 1942 she appeared as James Cagney's wife in Yankee Doodle Dandy, and at the age of 18 in 1943, she starred in The Sky's the Limit with Fred Astaire. She starred in many more movies until 1950, when she married Dr. William Caldwell. Her last movie role was in The Revolt of Mamie Stover in 1956, and she eventually retired from acting altogether to look after her identical twin daughters Patrice and Ellen. She has appeared in several television commercials since then, and also made guest appearances in the TV shows Murder, She Wrote and Charlie's Angels. She also provided commentary as extras on the Yankee Doodle Dandy, Sergeant York, and High Sierra DVDs. Joan was a regular volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen where she danced with the servicemen and granted hundreds of autographs. In 1944, she starred with Robert Hutton in the Warner Bros. film, Hollywood Canteen.

Sergeant York(1941).

Sergeant York(1941). Biographical film about the life of Alvin York, the most-decorated American soldier of World War I. It was directed by Howard Hawks. The film was adapted by Harry Chandlee, Abem Finkel, John Huston, Howard Koch, and Sam Cowan (uncredited) from the diary of Alvin York as edited by Tom Skeyhill. The real York was originally against the idea of making a movie of his experiences, but he needed money to finance a Bible school. The story that York insisted on Gary Cooper in the title role came from producer Jesse L. Lasky, who wanted Cooper for the role, he sent a telegram to Cooper asking him to accept the role and signing York's name.

Gary Cooper, went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance. The film also won for Best Film Editing and was nominated in nine other categories, including Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress.

The story begins in the Mountains of Tennessee, the home of the Yorks, a family of poor mountain farmers. In the spring of 1916, a drunken Alvin C. York, interrupts a church service while he and two friends shoot up a tree. Later, Pastor Rossier Pile speaks to Alvin, but has little influence on him. One day, while hunting, Alvin on a chance meeting runs into Gracie Williams and instantly decides to ask her to marry him, she turns him down. Believing that Gracie's turned him down because he is poor, Alvin decides to buy a rich piece of land to farm. He works very hard to earn the money, he wins the final amount in a shooting contest, but when he brings the money to the land owner, he learns that he sold the land to Zeb Andrews, who is also in love with Gracie. Alvin, who has a few too many drinks, is on his way to kill Zeb, but.. is hit by lightning. Taking this as a sign from God and he mends his ways. Soon after, the United States enters World War I, Alvin refuses to register for the draft, believing that killing, is against the Bible. Pile convinces him to register as a conscientious objector, but Alvin's request for "C.O." is denied and he is drafted. At Camp Gordon in Georgia, Alvin's shooting impresses his superiors and they decide to promote him to corporal and make him an instructor and before he knows it... he ends up becoming a war hero.

This is a amazing true story about forgiveness. I thought Gary Cooper, gave a wonderful performance that was very "believable."


Fun Facts:

Joan Leslie was 16 when she made this film, the same age as the real Gracie. Alvin C. York had made it clear that he didn't want any actress with any sort of notoriety connected with her portraying his wife. He specifically said, "No Ooomph Girls!", a clear reference to Warner Bros. contract player Ann Sheridan. Incredibly, Jane Russell was considered, but the wholesome Leslie was chosen.


Alvin C. York thought he should be portrayed on the screen by Gary Cooper. Samuel Goldwyn, who had Cooper under contract, wouldn't release him. Henry Fonda, James Stewart and even Ronald Reagan were considered. Goldwyn finally gave in when Warners agreed to lend him Bette Davis for the film, The Little Foxes (1941).

The scene where Alvin becomes converted because of the bolt of lightning was an invention of the screenwriters. In reality he was converted from his hard-drinking ways, to a Sunday-school teacher by his wife and it was a longer and less dramatic process.

The producer, Jesse Lasky suggested Jane Russell for the part of "Gracie" and Helen Wood, Linda Hayes and Susan Peters tested for the role; Mary Nash tested for "Mother York," and Pat O'Brien and Ronald Reagan were tested for the role of "Sergeant York." Charles Root was also considered for a role in the film.

According to the daily production reports included in the film's file at USC, Vincent Sherman directed some scenes while Howard Hawks went to a racetrack.

Because of the 1941 draft, the filmmakers had difficulty finding enough young male actors to play the soldiers and were forced to hire students from local universities.


Gary Cooper, unable to participate in WWII due to his age and an old injury to his hip, felt strongly that this film was his way of contributing to the cause. Cooper later said, "Sergeant York and I had quite a few things in common, even before I played him in screen. We both were raised in the mountains - Tennessee for him, Montana for me - and learned to ride and shoot as a natural part of growing up. 'Sergeant York' won me an Academy Award, but that's not why it's my favorite film. I liked the role because of the background of the picture, and because I was portraying a good, sound American character."

Gary Cooper's acceptance speech typified so many of the actor's performances when he said "It was Sergeant Alvin York who won this award; Shucks, I've been in this business sixteen years and sometimes dreamed I might get one of these things. That's all I can say! Funny, when I was dreaming, I always made a good speech." As he left the stage, he forgot the Oscar on the podium.

This was the first movie Clint Eastwood saw.

Joan Leslie (January 26, 1925), began performing as a singer at the age of nine as part of a vaudeville act with her two sisters; Betty and Mae Brodel. She later began her acting career in the movie, Camille (1936) with Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor.

In 1941, Leslie landed her first major role in thefilm High Sierra with Humphrey Bogart, playing a crippled girl. She also performed in the films, Sergeant York and The Wagons Roll at Night. Later in 1942 she performed as James Cagney's wife in in the film, Yankee Doodle Dandy, and at the age of 18 she performed in the film, in The Sky's the Limit(1943) with Fred Astaire.

Her last movie role was in the film, The Revolt of Mamie Stover(1956)and she eventually retired from acting altogether to take care of her twin daughters Patrice and Ellen. She has appeared in many television commercials since then and also made guest appearances in the TV shows: Murder, She Wrote and Charlie's Angels.

Joan was a regular volunteer at the Hollywood Canteen where she danced with the servicemen. In 1944, she starred with Robert Hutton in the film, Hollywood Canteen.