Mister Roberts: The Dark Backstory of a Beloved Film

The 1955 World War II comedy-drama film Mister Roberts, starring Henry Fonda, has been beloved by generations of fans. Even 68 years later it's still funny, sharp and poignant. Based on a play which was itself based on Thomas Heggen's 1946 novel, Mister Roberts, light-hearted though it is, has a troublingly dark backstory and subtext. In this video I'll examine the film, the phenomenon, and the reality behind the story, including the disturbing fate of the author, Thomas Heggen, and how the picture evokes the unresolved trauma of World War II veterans who had difficulties reassimilating into society. This may change your thinking about this film and about the "Greatest Generation" as a whole. The original article on which this video was based: https://seanmungerhistory.substack.co... Article at my new blog (free, but login required): https://www.gardenofmemory.net/traged... National (USA) suicide text line: 988 My website: https://www.seanmunger.com My Ko-fi: https://Ko-fi.com/seanmunger My blog: https://gardenofmemory.net/ Chapters: 00:00-03:12: Intro 03:12-10:08: The Movie 10:08-18:01: The Story Behind the Movie 18:01-22:24: Thomas Heggen 22:24-30:04: The Veterans 30:04-30:49: Conclusion