A Medal for Benny
{{short description|1945 film by Irving Pichel}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name = A Medal for Benny
| image = Dorothy64.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Lobby card
| director = Irving Pichel
| screenplay = Frank Butler
| story = John Steinbeck
Frank Butler
| starring = Dorothy Lamour
Arturo de Córdova
J. Carrol Naish
| music = Victor Young
| cinematography = Lionel Lindon
| editing = Arthur P. Schmidt
| released = {{Film date|1945|4|16|United States}}
| studio = Paramount Pictures
| distributor = Paramount Pictures
| runtime = 77 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
A Medal for Benny is a 1945 American drama film directed by Irving Pichel. The story was conceived by writer Jack Wagner, who enlisted his long-time friend John Steinbeck to help him put it into script form. The film was released by Paramount Pictures. The film is also known as Benny's Medal.
Plot
Benny Martin leaves his small town of Pantera and joins the Army after getting in trouble with the police. While he is away, his girlfriend (Lolita) is romanced by Joe. Although she has not heard from Benny in months, she refuses Joe’s advances, wanting to stay loyal to Benny. She eventually falls for Joe and agrees to marry him but then finds out that Benny was killed in action and has been awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously. Meanwhile, the Pantera mayor plans a rally for the medal presentation to Benny’s father and intends to use a beautiful house for the event so as not to embarrass the town by having the medal presented at the modest Martin residence. However, Benny’s father Charley, refuses to go along with the ruse and instead the medal ceremony takes place at his home. In his speech, Charley says that Benny will live on in his and Lolita's hearts. Lolita then tells Joe that she cannot marry him yet, because it might break Charley's heart.{{cite web |title=A Medal for Benny |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/83179/a-medal-for-benny#overview |website=Turner Classic Movies |access-date=25 November 2020}}
Cast
{{div col}}
- Dorothy Lamour as Lolita Sierra
- Arturo de Córdova as Joe Morales
- J. Carrol Naish as Charley Martin
- Mikhail Rasumny as Raphael Catalina
- Fernando Alvarado as Chito Sierra
- Charles Dingle as Zach Mibbe
- Frank McHugh as Edgar Lovekin
- Rosita Moreno as Toodles Castro
- Douglass Dumbrille as General
- Grant Mitchell as Mayor of Pantera
- Max Wagner as Jake
{{div col end}}
Accolades
=Awards=
=Nominations=
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title}}
- {{YouTube|B0_y7x2lm1A|A Medal for Benny scene}}
{{Irving Pichel}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Medal For Benny, A}}
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:Films scored by Victor Young
Category:Films based on works by John Steinbeck
Category:Films directed by Irving Pichel
Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe winning performance
Category:Films set in California
Category:Films set on the United States home front during World War II
Category:Paramount Pictures films
Category:1940s English-language films
{{1940s-US-drama-film-stub}}