The Big Parade
1
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
gratefully acknowledges
the splendid co-operation
of the Second Division,
United States Army and
Air Service Units, Kelly
Field."
2
In the Spring of 1917,
America was a nation
occupied in peaceful
progression. Mills were
humming with activity -
3
Buildings climbed
skyward, monuments
to commerce and
profession.
4
Here "Slim" Jensen
worked .... just one
of labor's millions,
building a nation.
5
Along The Bowery
were men of another
trade. Among them
was "Bull" O'Hara.
6
On life's other side
were rich men, chiefs of
industry ... and rich
men's sons - such as
Jim Apperson.
7
"Are you for sure goin'
to take a job in your
father's mill?"
8
"Me ... work? I should
say not!"
9
"What's all that tootin'
about?"
10
"For the love of Mike!
They're making enough
noise to wake up the
whole country!"
11
In such an hour, most
mothers are alike...and
Jim's mother was no
exception.
12
"I have enough war
on my hands...with
Dad."
13
As long as Jim could
remember he had
been in love with
Justyn Reed.
14
"Aren't you thrilled
that we're going to
war?"
15
"You'll look gorgeous in
an officer's uniform! I'll
love you more than
ever then."
16
What a thing is patriotism!
We go for years not
knowing we have it.
Suddenly - Martial music!
.... Native flags! ... Friends
cheer! .... and it becomes
life's greatest emotion!
17
"Come on! The whole
gang's going over!"
18
Evening - -
19
"It's come, Mother!
Now we must all
pitch in and do
our bit!"
20
"Harry has already
organized double
shifts at the mill...
and he's going to
work nights!"
21
"Look here, young man!
I've stood all the
nonsense and idleness
from you that I'm going
to stand!"
22
"We're in the fight now...
and it's time for every
man to jump in and
get busy!"
23
"Look at your brother!
See how he's putting
his shoulder to the
wheel!"
24
"The country's at war!
There's no room in my
house for idlers! You'll
do something or ....
get out!"
25
"Is that all?"
26
"Do you mind if I stay
here tonight?"
27
"Is it all right
with you?"
28
"Aren't you all proud
of him?"
29
"Hasn't he told you?"
30
"Jim has enlisted!"
31
From avenue and
alley they came....
ROOKIES.
32
"You're in the army now,
You're not behind a plow;
You'll never get rich,
You son-of-a-gun,
You're in the army now!"
33
"Pipe down!"
34
And so the "laughing
American" boys, a
song on their lips,
marched into France.
35
One nightfall, after a
march of twenty miles,
they arrived in
Champillon.... weary
and ready for sleep.
36
"Orders for billeting!"
37
"Corporal! Have your
men police this yard
before they hit the
hay!"
38
"Hey, you Bozoes! No
sleep for you babies
until you dress this
manure pile!"
39
"Come on! Take the
anchors off them
shovels!"
40
"No use to raise a row;
Shovel and chuck
The goo and the muck,
You're in the army now!"
41
"Say, I joined this
army to fight....
not shovel!"
42
"You'll shovel and like
it, dearie!"
43
"Now, you big stiff -
SHOVEL!"
44
"Aw, nuts!"
45
"What do you birds
think this is... a May
party? Come on!
Show me some speed!"
46
Dog-tired.
47
"It's to eat ... ain't it?"
48
"This ain't such a
bad war."
49
March and sweat the
whole damned day;
Sleep at night in lousy hay;
Turn out mornin's full o'dirt,
And scrub the real estate
off your shirt!
That's.... the.... life.... in....
the.... arm-ee!
50
"We're in the army now,
And we have all learned how
To wash our shirty
And still have it dirty,
We're in the army now!"
51
"We rub our socks
Till we wear out the
rocks,
We're in the army now!"
52
"We drown the fleas
In our Bee Vee Dees,
We're in the army now!"
53
"Hey, Slim! If I had a
barrel I could make
a shower bath."
54
"If I had a bow-and-
arrow I could shoot
a bear!"
55
"It's a great idea... but
who's goin' to get the
barrel?"
56
After an hour of his best
sign language, convincing
the wine-shop keeper that
he wanted a barrel, and
not a fat girl, Jim started
on his way back.
57
"I AM it!"
58
"C'est vous qui m'a
fait rire, n'est ce
pas?"
59
"I don't understand a
word you say... but I
know what you mean."
60
"Voo... and... me... vooley
voo.... take.... little ....
petite.... walk?"
61
"French is Greek
to me."
62
"He... froggie! You...
froggie!"
63
"Parley voo Francay...
Chevrolet Coupe?"
64
"You big stiff! You
don't handle girls the
way you handle
rivets!"
65
That evening Jim
detailed himself to
some more "skirt
duty".
66
"Me... you... tres...
much.... love."
67
"Gee... aimy... vowse...
boo.... coop!"
68
"Je suis tr�s contente."
69
"I... am... verree...
happee!"
70
"Reviens � huit heures."
71
"Eight o'clock... me...
returny."
72
"Come on, Bon Ami...
slip Poppa a little
kiss!"
73
"Your hat, Mister Hemingway
... I'm sorry I misplaced your
cane."
74
"I got to hand it to you!
You're certainly makin'
this war a social success!"
75
Once a week, at Melisande's
home, there was a patriotic
gathering to read letters
from loved ones at the
front.
76
"Must he do that?"
77
"There's wine in that
cellar, pardner! We
can't leave Jim to
tackle it all alone,
can we?"
78
"Can you figure any
guy settin' in his
parlor.... when he's
got a cellar like this?"
79
"Can you imagine!
Some guys was saps
enough to join the
navy!"
80
"Oh-h-h! You dirty
M.P's!!"
81
"So you're the birds
who go around
swiping wine?"
82
"We got Jim in this
trouble.... now we
gotta get him out,
ain't we?"
83
"Get in it, gang! This
ain't a private fight!"
84
"We weren't stealn'
wine, sir. We were
just doin' our duty."
85
"AH! Monsewer
Demi Tasse!"
86
Eat your chow from tin
mess-kits;
Pick your teeth with
bay-o-nits;
Shine your shoes on hunks
of pork;
And the barber shaves you
with a knife and fork!
That's...the...life...in...the...
arm-ee!
87
"Corporal Michael Olysius
O'Hara!"
88
"As soon as I've read
my mail I'll have your
chevrons removed."
89
"I'd like to see the
little cootie try to
break me!"
90
"Who did you think
it was for... General
Pershing?"
91
"Can you readee-voo
Francay?"
92
"My boy, you certainly
know your onions!"
93
As far as "Bull" could
figure.... "the war was
a flop".
94
"Aw, they're making this
a helluva army!"
95
"Fall in! Company street!
Full packs and tin hats!
Ten minutes! We're
moving up!!"
96
"Step on it, Lightning!
WE'RE MOVING UP!"
97
"I'm coming back! -
Remember - - - I'm
coming back!"
98
"Men! Men! Men!
Moving up! Up! UP!
MEN!!"
99
IT HAD BEGUN!
100
THE BIG PARADE
Men! Guns! Men!
Men! Guns!
101
To the front!
To the front!
To the front....
Front!...FRONT!
102
An endless column
surging forward
over roads that
never were retraced.
103
The "Eyes of
the Army"!
104
And when Jim's outfit
reached the fighting
zone, motor trucks were
left behind and the
remaining miles made
a-foot.
105
"We're ridden far enough
and walked far enough
to be in China!"
106
"Nix! If this was China
you'd see a lot of Chop
Suey joints around!"
107
Whenever there were new
arrivals near the front,
"Flying Fritzie" usually
sneaked across the line to
give them their first
welcome.
108
"Well, we're in it
now, Buddy!"
109
To the front!
To the front!
To the front....
Front!...FRONT!
110
"Gimme a cigarette,
Bull."
111
I don't mind givin' you
cigarettes.... but I hate
carryin' 'em all 'round
France for you."
112
"Gimme a match."
113
"What am I....
Santy Claus?"
114
"Well, they say the
woods ahead are
alive with machine
guns and snipers.
What do you say,
Captain?"
115
"We're ready for
orders, sir."
116
"Fix.... bayonets!"
117
"ATTACK FORMATION!"
118
"They're not going to
send us out in that
open field, are they?"
119
"Sure! We're gonna
keep goin' till we
can't go no farther!"
120
Outnumbered by the
second line of German
defense, they took
refuge in shell holes.
121
"This dump is lousy
with Heinies! I could
chuck my hat across
to where they are."
122
"Quit squawkin'! You
don't want to live
forever, do you?"
123
That was how they received
their baptism of fire.... and
while they held the line, the
machine of war moved up
behind them.
124
Dusk -- --
Silence.... Mud....
the whine of a shell...
Mud.... Silence....
125
"He's got us spotted!"
126
"Come on out... you
ostrich!"
127
"Am I dead yet?"
128
"The skipper says for
one of you guys to
go get that Fritzie
with the toy cannon."
129
"Why should you take
the chance to be picked
off? You're no better
than we are!"
130
"We'll settle this....
like gentlemen!"
131
"The guy what spits
closest... goes! And
splashes don't count."
132
"But you're the champion
spitter of the whole
army."
133
"No arguin' with a
Corporal! What I
says.... is orders!"
134
"I... am... IT!"
135
"Out there's no place
for little boys like you."
136
Slowly, inch by inch,
Slim wriggled his
way.... until full
darkness came.
137
"Do you think he'll make
it all right?
138
"Sure! Slim'll come
back wearin' the
Kaiser's moustache!"
139
"For the love of Mike,
be calm.... like me!"
140
"Yo.... Slim!"
141
"Say, you hyenas....
pipe down!"
142
"You can't make us
shut up! Slim's out
there alone!"
143
"Hey.... Slim!"
144
"Cut that out. You
got orders!"
145
"God, Bull... I can hear
Slim moaning out there."
146
"Orders! Orders! Who
the hell is fighting this
war -- men or orders?"
147
"I came to fight - not to
wait and rot in a lousy
hole while they murder
my pal!"
148
"Waiting! Orders! Mud!
Blood! Stinking stiffs!
What the hell do we get
out of this war anyway!"
149
" - cheers when we left
and when we get back!
But who the hell cares...
after this?"
150
"Don't let it get you,
kid.... don't let it get
you!"
151
"I'm goin' to bring
Slim back!"
152
"Slim, can't you just try
to say... good-bye?"
153
"They got him! They
got him! GOD DAMN
THEIR SOULS!"
154
"You got my Buddy,
you b---------s!
Now.... COME ON!"
155
"I'll meet you in
Berlin!"
156
Another Big Parade.
157
"Where did you
get yours?"
158
"They nicked me as we
were going through
Champillon."
159
"Champillon?
CHAMPILLON?"
160
"Say, that farmhouse
has changed hands
four times since
yesterday."
161
"How far is Champillon
from here?"
162
"Six kilometers north."
163
"Melisande!"
164
"Melisande!"
165
The last gun had thundered!
The fields of France were
stilled in peace.
The Apperson home knew
its greatest hour!
Jim was coming back!
166
"Well, son.... you'll
soon be home."
167
"I guess you'll be
glad to see your
old sweetheart
again?"
168
"I can't give you
up, Justyn -"
169
"We mustn't forget
what Jim has been
through."
170
"You look great, Jim,
old man!"
171
"Don't try to kid me!
I know what I look
like!"
172
"Jim boy, mother and
I are proud of you....
and we thank God
you've been spared."
173
"Mother?"
174
"Yes, Jim."
175
"There's a girl in
France - -"
176
"Then you must find
her.... nothing else
matters."
177
Women of France.
178
"MELISANDE!"
179
"JIMMEE!"
The End
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