Product Details

• Actors: Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunne, Van Johnson, Ward Bond, James Gleason
• Format: NTSC, Black & White, HiFi Sound, Full Screen
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Warner)
• VHS Release Date: September 1, 1998
• Run Time: 121 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6301969162
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,668 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The classic movie about a cracked up bomber pilot's ghost, April 29, 2005

By 

R. Christenson "SpaceComics.com" (Pine, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Guy Named Joe [VHS] (VHS Tape)

A Guy Named Joe is THE classic movie about a cracked up WWII bomber pilot (Spencer Tracy) sent back from Heaven as a ghost to provide guidance, like a guardian angel, to a new pilot trainee who turns out to fall in love with the ghost's girlfriend (Irene Dunne). I think this is the only movie in which Spencer Tracy played opposite Irene Dunne, who was one of the classiest leading ladies of her time (The Awful Truth, Penny Serenade, Life With Father, I Remember Mama, Anna and the King of Siam, The Mudlark, etc.).

The stellar supporting cast includes Van Johnson (Brigadoon, The Pied Piper of Hamlin), James Gleason (Here Comes Mr. Jordan, The Bishop's Wife), Lionel Barrymore (On Borrowed Time, It's A Wonderful Life), Ward Bond (Sgt. York, The Searchers), Don Defore (The Human Comedy, Ramrod), Barry Nelson (Airport, The Shining), and Esther Williams, soon to become a star in a class of her own (Bathing Beauty, Take Me Out To The Ball Game). Unfortunately remade as "Always" - nothing against Richard Dreyfuss, but he's no Spencer Tracy, and ditto the rest of the respective casts.

In addition to well-acted fantastic romance, there are some great air combat scenes, some of the best of its time. (Van Johnson also appeared with Spencer Tracy in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo the same year.)

If you like fantasies like Heaven Can Wait, That's The Spirit, The Dust Factory, Beyond Tomorrow, etc., you must see this one. If you're a fan of Spencer Tracy or a movie buff who likes a lot of character actors, you must see this movie. If you're interested in old World War II movies with combat action, you shouldn't miss this one!

33 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A different film than "ALWAYS", October 20, 2000

By 

Sam Damon Jr. (Fort Bragg, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Guy Named Joe [VHS] (VHS Tape)

"A guy named Joe" (AGNJ) should not be compared to Spielberg's "Always", because they are different pictures. AGNJ in the first half is about flying and Spencer Tracy's love for IT, not so much Irene Dunne. Its highly amusing to see him die by crashing into a German aircraft carrier when the Germans never put one into service. In Always, you really do sense that Richard Dreyfuss loves Holly Hunter. Its Irene Dunne's character that is stuck on Joe, and its wonderful to see her in the movie maintaing her professional poise as a ferry pilot while Van Johnson is hitting on her. In fact, I know a young woman who reminds me exactly of her, who holds a deep loss in her heart but maintains a professional bearing.

Its Van Johnson who makes her want to live again, and in the best scene of the movie, she realizes he ain't gonna make it when he's assigned a suicide attack mission in his P-38. What's amazing is this in the 1940s, but Irene Dunne jumps into his P-38 and flies the mission INCLUDING dropping bombs and firing machine guns at the enemy. Its startling to see and you don't see any feminists rushing to praise this picture. Its because she's a professional, a sexy woman AND a warrior, not a bitter man-hater. Like I suspect many from "America's greatest generation" she knew the enemy had to be defeated or else tyranny would rule the earth and instead of complaining pitched in and helped. Her goal was to help not be a female version of a male "Top Gun" egotist. Ahhh, that we had more women like her today!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for the movie, 2 stars for the dvd, September 5, 2008

By 

Paul J. Tomlin "Music History Buff" (edmonds, WA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

Great story, great movie but this dvd version is not a major studio release. There are no extras except that the on screen menu consists of chapter search, only. There is no info on the cover other than screen credits. The sound is good but the picture is a little fuzzy especially on facial close ups.