He had a Patton on the Movies

David A. Maurer - Knight Ridder/Tribune

In 1970 people who didn't normally go to movies were lining up to see one of the best films ever made.

The picture was "Patton," and it told the story of the World War II exploits of the American general who earned the nickname "Old Blood and Guts." On the evening of Nov. 19, 1970, members of the local branch of the English-Speaking Union of the United States were given a behind-the-scenes look at the general and the making of the film.

Richmond native Frank McCarthy had produced the film with Frank Caffey. McCarthy was at the Boar's Head Inn that evening to share film clips and anecdotes about George S. Patton Jr., whose family had deep roots in Virginia.

Patton's great-grandfather, John Mercer Patton, served as the governor of Virginia in 1841. A number of the famous general's relatives also had worn the gray during the Civil War.

Mosby's pal

Patton's father, George Smith Patton Sr., had been friends of the famous Confederate cavalryman John Singleton Mosby. His great-uncle, Waller T. Patton, had died of wounds after participating in the ill-fated Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg.

When Patton was born on Nov. 11, 1885, his family was living in San Gabriel, Calif., where his father was an influential lawyer. The future general re-established the family's link to Virginia when in 1902 he entered Virginia Military Institute.

Patton's father and grandfather had attended VMI. Perhaps as important to the young student was the fact that his favorite hero, Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, had once taught at the school.

After a year at VMI, Patton accepted an appointment to West Point Military Academy. He didn't start out well and had to repeat his first year because of difficulties he had with mathematics. He persevered and graduated 46th in a class of 103 in 1909.

Book on Barrett

Clifton Waller Barrett was serving as the union's president when McCarthy gave his presentation. It's Barrett's book collection that now makes up the cornerstone of the University of Virginia's unparalleled collection of American literature.

But on this night, Barrett and the others were thinking movies, not books. Before he introduced McCarthy, he warned the audience that "Patton's language includes some of the most important communicators in the English language."

The movie producer was quick to add, "The purple ones."

Patton was nearly as famous for his strong language as he was for his generalship on the battlefield. But some of his most insightful and memorable quotes didn't have a cuss word in them.

In a single sentence the general probably got as near as anyone ever has to the true cause of war. He was quoted as saying, "Men are at war with each other because each man is at war with himself."

Patton was brilliant, but he also could be brash and impulsive. During his talk McCarthy said, "There's a saying in the Patton family that Pattons have three feet -- two to stand on and one for their mouths."

The filmmaker was a veteran of World War II and had met Patton while serving as an aide to Gen. George C. Marshall. McCarthy was a 1933 graduate of VMI, so he and Patton shared that connection.

At the time of his talk at the inn, McCarthy was a brigadier general in the Army Reserve. He told his audience that it had taken him 20 years of research to make the film.

All that work certainly paid off. "Patton" won seven Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for George C. Scott, who portrayed Patton in the film.

McCarthy accepted Scott's Oscar for him at the awards ceremony, because the star had opted to stay home and watch a hockey game. The producer returned the award the following day when Scott refused to accept it, because of the competition he said such awards created among actors.

All that was still a few months in the future on that cold evening in 1970. During the talk, McCarthy painted a verbal portrait of the complex and aggressive general who once said, "A good plan, violently executed now, is better than a perfect plan next week."

McCarthy told his listeners that, to Patton, war was a holy crusade and he saw himself as the reincarnation of warriors throughout history. He added that the general was only happy at war, and only when he had a command.

The movie producer knew quite a bit about the burdens of command himself. After graduating from VMI, he stayed on for a time as an instructor and tactical officer. He later earned a master's at UVa.

McCarthy's interest in filmmaking resulted in him going to work in 1937 as the press agent for widely admired film and stage producer George Abbott. He held that position until the start of World War II.

After the war, McCarthy became a film producer himself, working under the legendary Darryl F. Zanuck. In addition to "Patton," he produced several other films, including "Decision Before Dawn," "Sailor of the King" and "A Guide for the Married Man."

McCarthy consistently produced films that received high marks from critics, but "Patton" was his masterpiece. The people who ventured out on that wintry November night were hoping to get some interesting insights into the film, and they weren't disappointed.

One of the most notorious incidents in Patton's career occurred when he slapped a sick soldier during a visit to a hospital during World War II. The man didn't have any visible wounds and the general accused him of cowardice.

The incident and fallout from it was covered in the movie, but it didn't tell the whole story. McCarthy filled in what was left out.

In the movie the scene ends with Patton ordering the soldier back to the front lines. McCarthy said it was later revealed by doctors and the press that the soldier had malaria and was suffering with a 103-degree temperature when Patton slapped him.

Patton was temporarily relieved of his command after the incident was made public. As egregious as the act was, his talents on the battlefield were much needed and, after making a personal apology to the soldier as well as to the entire Seventh Army, he was sent back to work helping to win the war.

Patton's illustrious military career ended abruptly. He died on Dec. 21, 1945, as the result of a traffic accident near Mannheim, Germany.

After a long and fruitful career, McCarthy died on Dec. 1, 1986, in California, where he made his home. Although he lived on the other side of the country, he often visited his home state.

The moviemaker had graciously accepted the invitation to speak at the fall meeting of the English-Speaking Union. His coming had been a great coup for the group, because he had played a major role in creating one of the most talked-about films in years.

But if McCarthy had been there to talk about his own career, it probably would have been just as well attended. Like Patton, he was also a man of many talents, great determination and a colorful past.

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Copyright 2012 by Knight Ridder/Tribune