This is one of the titles I always remembered for being listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and watching it I was obviously hoping it would be a worthy one, from Oscar nominated director Howard Hawks (Bringing Up Baby, To Have and Have Not, Monkey Business, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes). Based on the true story, poor young Tennessee hillbilly Alvin C. York (Oscar winning Gary Cooper) is an exceptional marksman, but cannot find steady work, which strains the patience of his Mother (Oscar nominated Margaret Wycherly). Alvin then meets winsome Gracie Williams (Joan Leslie), he finds strenuous odd jobs, hoping she will marry him, but he is prone to drinking and fighting, and comes to blows to some of his employers. Late one night, during a rainstorm, Alvin is en route to get revenge on a man who cheated him, he is struck by lightning, he survives the strike, but his mule is knocked down and his rifle is destroyed, following this he enters the church house, he vows never to get angry at anyone ever again. The United States declares the First World War, York is drafted into the army, he tries to avoid induction, claiming to be a conscientious objector, York is denied and reluctantly reports to Camp Gordon for basic training, there his superiors discover he is a phenomenal marksman, he is promoted to corporal. York wants nothing to do with the war and killing, his sympathetic commanding officer Major Buxton (Stanley Ridges) tries to change his mind, citing sacrifices others have made in history, Buxton gives him leave to think about it, he promises York an a recommendation for his exemption if he remains unconvinced. Eventually York reports back for duty after pondering, after reading a particular passage in the Bible, blown open by the wind, he tells his superiors that he can serve his country, despite not having everything figured out, leaving the matter in God's hands, he is ridiculed for his beliefs, but his skill for firing his rifle surprises all. York's unit is shipped out to Europe, as part of the Meuse- Argonne Offensive, deadly machine gun fire pins them down, the lieutenant orders Sergeant Early (Joe Sawyer) to try and take the enemy from behind, but York finds himself the last remaining unwounded non-commissioned officer in the detachment, Early places him in command. York's self-doubt disappears, seeing his comrades being shot down all around him, he works his way to a position flanking the main enemy, he is able to force the Germans to surrender, he then forces a captured German Major (Charles Esmond) at gunpoint to force other officers to surrender, they end up with 132 prisoners. York becomes a national hero and is awarded the Medal of Honor, he explains to Major Buxton he was trying to save the lives of his men, he also goes to New York City to receive a ticker tape parade and the key to the city. York embraces the service at the impressive Waldorf-Astoria hotel, congressman Cordell Hull (Charles Trowbridge) guides him through the city and informs him his fame has brought him many opportunities, totalling around $250,000. York mentions his desire to buy the bottomland he wanted in Tennessee, Hull tells him he has the money to buy it, but York rejects the offers, he says that he was not proud of what he did in the war, but it had to be done. When he returns to Tennessee, the people of his state have purchased the bottomland farm, and paid for a house built on the land. Also starring Oscar nominated Walter Brennan as Pastor Rosier Pile, Joan Leslie as Gracie Williams, George Tobias as 'Pusher' Ross, Ward Bond as Ike Botkin, June Lockhart as Rosie York and Dickie Moore as George York. Cooper gives a great performance as the backwoodsman turned national hero, it should be said that the actual battlefield sequences take a while to come on, they are obviously gripping, but this is also about the character interaction, all in all it is an interesting biographical war drama. It won the Oscar for Best Film Editing, and it was nominated for Best Picture, Best Writing, Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Best Sound and Best Music for Max Steiner. Very good!

It's 1916. Alvin York (Gary Cooper) lives in the poverty stricken Tennessee hills. He often gets into drunken fights to the dismay of Pastor Rosier Pile and his mother. He falls in love with Gracie Williams. He stops drinking and works to buy a farm. He wins a backwoods shooting contest to get the last of the money but the landowner reneges on the deal. He gets drunk and looks to get revenge. A lightning strike destroys his gun. He has a religious conversion and vows to never kill. His change improves his outlook. When America joins WWI, York is conscripted as a conscientious objector. His commanders are taken with his shooting skills and York faces a struggle with his values. On the frontlines, he and his men capture a German position. When they come under fire, York's religious conviction is tested by the realities of war. He and his seven surviving men take 132 Germans prisoner.This was a highly successful patriotic film released five months before Pearl Harbor. It became a great recruiting tool for the war. I was expecting a war movie but this starts off a little slow. Gary Cooper is a great every man. He has an innate goodness. His religious conversion is compelling. He really fits the role well. One can imagine the idealism really affecting the audience at the time. It's not a simple flag waving propaganda. It's a real portrait of a man struggling with his convictions.

Great WW1 drama.The story of the making of an American military legend. A quiet, unassuming man becomes a hero on the battlefields of World War 1.My first reaction was that the plot was a bit far-fetched, then I discovered that it was a true story! Pretty amazing stuff. Takes a while to get going though, and the dialogue can be irritatingly folksy, and these detract from what is otherwise a good movie. Once it gets going though, it is well worth the watch.Gary Cooper gives a superb performance in the lead role, well deserving his Best Actor Oscar. I actually can't imagine anyone else in the role, it is so perfect for him.

Do not believe the good reviews of this movie. There are many things that this movie does that are extremely terrible. The main problem is that HE IS ONLY IN THE WAR FOR A SMALL FRACTION OF THE MOVIE. The rest of this film is basically Little House on the Prairie, except at least that show doesn't make you wanna stab yourself in the eyes and ears with a rusty railroad spike. The sound design in this movie is terrible as well as some of the over the top and unrealistic acting. The mother of York sounds like she is about to drop dead any second. This movie seems like it would be an action filled America movie. But alas, it is bland and disgustingly made to rally people to go to war.