G. I. Jane
Cast & Crew
Reginald Le Borg
Jean Porter
Tom Neal
Iris Adrian
Jimmie Dodd
Jeanne Mahoney
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Television producer Tim Rawlings is directing a chorus line of glamorous actresses in uniform for an Army recruitment promotional show when stern female Lt. Adrian, technical advisor on the set, reprimands him for misrepresenting Army life. When Rawlings ignores Adrian's advice, telegram messenger Jan Smith surprises him with an induction notice for the Army. Stationed at a remote training camp in the desert, Rawlings tries to entertain the men with dancing shadow women, but the men find Pvt. Tennessee Jones's lyrics about love and women more entertaining than Rawlings' puppets. They need real romance and Rawlings bets them $500 that he can bring women to the all-male camp. Rawlings then approaches the officer in charge, Lt. Bradford, to follow up on an offer to send WACs to their camp, but Bradford, irritated by Rawlings, has him type his own transfer, to Alaska. While delivering his transfer to headquarters, Rawlings finds Jan, who introduces him to Hilda Beck, her friend and colleague at the transfer office, and the two women arrange for Bradford to be transferred to Alaska instead of Rawlings. Later at Jan's barracks, ranking officer Adrian orders the women to pack for a transfer that evening, and Jan sings away her blues on her ukulele while a quartet of WACs responds with a song. When Rawlings attempts to visit the women, Adrian kicks him out, but he intercepts the WACs' traveling orders and convinces the unassuming attendant at the transfer office that the orders are top secret and need to be put in special code. Destination Camp Juneau, in Alaska, is changed to Camp U-no, his camp, and he adds that a guide be attached to the unit and sneaks aboard the truck assigned to the WACs. Meanwhile Bradford has received his orders for Alaska and arrives at headquarters to contest the mistake, but his superiors insist the Army is never wrong. At the transportation lot, the women begin their journey in the truck and Jan complains about her romantic troubles. When they stop to meet their guide, Rawlings mysteriously appears and shows Adrian the orders designating him as their guide. Rawlings takes over driving, with Jan and Adrian in the cab. After Adrian complains about Rawlings' meandering detours, he explains his tactics by giving a lesson on the long way around to kissing a woman, demonstrating with Jan. Adrian sends Jan to the back of the truck, slides closer to Rawlings and they quickly arrive at Camp U-no. The next morning Adrian takes charge of the camp, ordering all the men to work diligently. Each time Rawlings and Jan try to rendezvous, Adrian interrupts and demands that Rawlings perform another task for her. The men refuse to give Rawlings the $500, complaining that Adrian has them working harder than Bradford did, and the men and women cannot even look at one another without Adrian blowing her whistle. Meanwhile Bradford is seasick and freezing on a steamer bound for Alaska. At camp Rawlings has a plan and that evening the men dance with each other, pretending to be having a great time in order to attract the women's attention. As the women look out the window from their barracks, Rawlings calls out the word "trucking" and secretly meets Jan by the trucks. Romantic private Chuck does likewise, calling for Hilda. However, when balding private Mousey calls clumsy female private Pilsnick, she meets him, but accidentally pulls off his toupee and screams in terror, abruptly ending the party. In Alaska, the major in charge is disappointed that Bradford has replaced the WACs he requested and telegrams headquarters after Bradford explains the mix-up. Back at U-no, Hilda and Chuck are caught flirting and are thwarted again by Adrian's whistle. When Hilda explains that she and Chuck are engaged, Adrian has a change of heart and decides to throw a party to celebrate. That evening Adrian orders Rawlings to dance with her all evening but an irate colonel arrives and orders Adrian to prepare the WACs to move out at once and threatens Rawlings with punishment for forging documents. Suddenly images of striking lightening and explosions fill Rawlings' mind and he awakens on the set to discover that he fainted after receiving his induction telegram and has been dreaming. Finding Jan by his side, he takes her hand, saying they have much to talk about, as Adrian reminds him they do not allow such things in the real Army.
Director
Reginald Le Borg
Cast
Jean Porter
Tom Neal
Iris Adrian
Jimmie Dodd
Jeanne Mahoney
Jimmy Lloyd
Mara Lynn
Michael Whalen
Robert Watson
Phil Arnold
Jimmie Cross
Alan Ray
Richard Monahan
Jean Coleman
Amie Bates
Jeri Strong
Olive Krushat
Jack Reitzen
Mark Lowell
Loren Welch
Garnet Marks
Jimmie Parnell
Diana Mumby
Monty Pittman
Vic Massey
Crew
Johnny Anz
William Austin
Al Berke
Neil Brunenkamp
Phil Cahn
Johnny Clark
Jimmie Dodd
Harry Eckles
Sam Freedle
Glen Glenn
Walter Greene
Jack Greenhalgh
Jan Jeffries
Richie Kuller
Murray Lerner
Murray Lerner
Murray Lerner
William Magginetti
Harry Mancke
Dian Manners
Ray Mercer
Teepee Mitchell
Ted Offenbecker
Lew Porter
Jack Reitzen
Paul Stanhope
F. Paul Sylos
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
A 29 June 1951 Daily Variety article noted that despite a Pentagon directive intended to control the public's use of the term "GI," a term often cited as being derived from "Government Issue," which is printed on military material, Lippert Productions would not drop the title. According to a pre-production Hollywood Reporter news item, a national newspaper contest was conducted to select ten women for roles in the film. A July 30, 1998 Hollywood Reporter article attributes the screenplay to Henry Blankfort, who wrote under the pseudonym January Jeffries after being blacklisted. Blankfort's credit on the film was officially restored by the WGA in 1998. Hollywood Reporter production charts add Frank Vincent to the cast, but his appearance in the film has not been confirmed.
