World War II movies made during the war were rarely as bluff and blunt as this Robert Mitchum, Burgess Meredith star vehicle.

William Wellman’s film celebrated the infantryman’s champion, celebrated journalist Ernie Pyle. Meredith plays the Scripps New Service grunts-eye-view reporter, covering the liberation of Italy. Mitchum, in his first role of real stature, plays the lieutenant Pyle deals with on what would turn out to be his last assignment.

“G.I. Joe” has been restored for a late June re-issue by Ignite, and they even found the damaged and almost lost nitrate trailer for the film and restored that, too.

Interesting suggestion of what a “wolf” might be seen as today, in terms of a lecherous soldier in a foreign land.