Stars In Blue: Movie Actors in America's Sea Services (Bluejacket Books) - Softcover

Wise, Jr.; Rehill, Anne Collier

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1591149444 ISBN 13: 9781591149446

Publisher: Naval Institute Press, 2007

Synopsis

What do the following celebrities have in common: Jack Benny, Humphrey Bogart, Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, Gene Kelly, and Bill Cosby? Answer: they are all US Navy Veterans, many seeing combat in World Wars I and II. The lives of movie stars are often more closely followed than those of political leaders, sports figures, or sometimes one's own relatives, but even the most avid film buffs might be surprised to learn of their wartime exploits. Some stars' contributions were confined to extensions of their show-business careers, but others rendered heroic combat service, and still others laboured unglamorously in the mundane tasks without which no war can be won. In this book, filled with fascinating and revealing profiles of more than fifty celebrities, many readers will discover for the first time the contributions and sacrifices actors have made in the US Navy and Coast Guard from World War I to Vietnam. Find out how John Howard won a Navy Cross, how Humphrey Bogart dropped a fleeing prisoner with his .45, how Henry Fonda won a Bronze Star for his actions during Pacific naval encounters, how Navy Hellcat ace Wayne Morris downed seven Japanese planes and how Hedy Lamarr patented World War II communications anti-jamming technology still in use today. A virtual Who's Who, this entertaining yet historically accurate and complete account brings to life these and dozens of other stars' naval and coast guard service backgrounds and film careers, drawn from interviews, diaries, letters, and official military and film industry archives.

About this title

Review:

'Highly recommended. A fascinating account of the lives of more than fifty movie celebrities who served in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard' --World War II Times

' What did you do in the war? is still a hot question when its answers come from celebrities. Wise and Rehill's compendium offers a sunny look at the sea services careers of U.S. movie actors . . . A volume as colorful as black and white can be and a vital addition to the movie-star trivia shelves' --Booklist

'A well-researched, tightly written book on a unique subject' --American Reference Books Annual

From the Publisher:

JAMES E. WISE Jr., a former naval aviator, intelligence officer, and Vietnam veteran, retired from the U.S. Navy as a captain. His books include The Navy Cross, Stars in Blue and U-505: The Final Journey, among many others. He lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.

About this edition

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1591149444
• ISBN 13: 9781591149446
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336