List of films featuring the United States Marine Corps

This is a list of films featuring the United States Marine Corps.

What Should Be Included

Films on this list fall into one of two categories:
#Films "about" the United States Marine Corps
#Films where "multiple" major and supporting characters are depicted as being Marines, and whose status or history as Marines is important to the overall storyline.

What Should Not Be Included

Films that "should not" be included on this list include:
*Those depicting Marine-like soldiers not of the USMC (example - the Colonial Marines of the "Alien" franchise)
*Those depicting a single Marine character (example - Colonel Frank Fitts in "American Beauty")
*Depictions in media other than film (example - "Baa Baa Black Sheep", a "television series" about a Marine aviation squadron)

History of Marines in Film

Beginning with The "Star Spangled Banner" (1918), the Marines discovered the use of motion pictures. In exchange for a favourable portrayal that stimulated recruiting and gave an impressive view to the public and Congress, the Marines provided uniformed extras, locations, equipment, and technical advisers that provided their expertise to the producers. In 1926 MGM's "Tell it to the Marines" (1926 film) and Fox's "What Price Glory? (1926 film)" directed by Raoul Walsh nearly led to a court battle to see whether one studio could copyright the Marines to prevent other films from being made. Over the years Camp Pendleton was dressed up to represent Central American nations, China, Pacific islands, New Zealand, and Joseph H. Lewis's "Retreat Hell" (1952) and Allan Dwan's John Payne film "Hold Back The Night" (1956) had the California base covered in studio snow with their hills and roads painted white. Camp Pendleton later doubled as Vietnam in Marshall Thompson's "To the Shores of Hell" (1966). When filming "Battle Cry (film)" at the base in 1954, Raoul Walsh's Marine technical adviser said that he had joined the Corps after seeing Walsh's "What Price Glory? (1926 film)". Marine boot camp was also depicted in Jack Webb's "The D.I." (1957) and Stanley Kubrick's "Full Metal Jacket" that led to more enlistments to the Corps.

Sands of Iwo Jima

Perhaps the biggest and most important Marine film was Allan Dwan's John Wayne epic film "Sands of Iwo Jima" (1949). At the time the Corps was facing its toughest battle for survival with Congressional hearings on significantly reducing the size and capabilities of the Marines. The Marines spared no expense in providing Marines, equipment, combat cameraman footage, and trained the actors to look, dress, and act like Marines. The trailer (film) told the viewer "these are YOUR boys' and the large scale battle scenes impressed the public. The ending with Wayne's death, John Agar growing into manhood and taking Wayne's place, the depiction of Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima, and Agar leading his squad into the mists of history as a choral version of The Marine's Hymn that begins quietly and grows louder plays in the background led to an unforgettable image of the Corps. Congressmen voting on appropriations for the Corps would forever be deluged from letters from their constituents who had images of Marines running out of ammunition and being treacherously bayonetted by monkey like Japanese soldiers. President Harry S. Truman said the Corps had a "propaganda machine bigger than Joseph Stalin's" but had to apologize when he presented the 1st Marine Division with a Presidential Unit Citation for their gallantry in the Korean War.

List of Films