The Official Anglo-American Academy Award Winning Documentary of the European Invasion
at Pinewood Studios
with Directors Garson Kanin and Sir Carol Reed
Executive Producer General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Web Page Created by Folk and Roots Music Photographer Robert Corwin
In memory of
Jerry Corwin
March 12, 1913 to April 4, 2015
Jerry’s Army career started with Basic Training at Seagirt, when the leader of his unit, Ferdie Wachtenheimer, an old friend from Providence, suggested that Jerry take over his role as a teacher of basic training, as he was moving on. Ferdie became better known after his name change to "Fred Friendly" for his work with Edward R. Murrow, as played by George Clooney in the movie “Good Night and Good Luck".
With a Ford convertible, a pack of Camels, and newfound privileges as a unit leader to travel off base at night, Jerry was joined in his after-hour exploits by an older gentleman who also had privileges, as a WWWI soldier who had re-enrolled with hopes of finding his way to the East. Word had spread that this new bunkmate, Sam Hammett, was in fact the Dasheill Hammett, the former Pinkerton detective, who had written the "Thin Man” series and the newly popular 1941 hit film "The Maltese Falcon” with Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade.
A friend from New York "claimed” to know Lillian Hellman, a “friend” of Hammett’s, so when Jerry inquired, Dasheill said “of course”, and the boys met Lillian for drinks at a bar in New Jersey.
Basic training at Seagirt...
Training with the Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth...
After entering the Signal Corps at Fort Monmouth, then training at Astoria and realizing that photographers were at the front of the front lines, Jerry managed to apprentice with Hollywood film editor Dick Farrell (Highway Patrol, Perry Mason), brother of film star Glenda Farrell, one of Warner Bros most prolific stars, from the early talkies to her Emmy for Ben Casey. The best of Hollywood had been gathered to document the European invasion in an Anglo-American Frank Capra unit led by Garson Kanin and Sir Carol Reed. Working at Pinewood Studios near London with the likes of Peter Ustanoff and Larry Olivier, Jerry was tasked with editing the captured Nazi film. The original avante garde score by Marc Blitztein was replaced by the British "pomp and circumstance" of composer William Allwyn.
Jerry married his girlfriend Phyllis Littman, a Pembroke (Brown University) grad, just a week before he was to ship overseas for a year to work on "The True Glory".
The marriage lasted for 62 years.
The honeymoon in New York with friends on a rooftop Garden in Manhattan.
Jerry at the drafting table...
The entrance to Pinewood Studios during the war.
Jerry with Dick Farrell and the Porter family. The Porters gave up their bedroom for the war effort so these GI's could share a bed.
Dick Farrell feeding the chickens. Jerry and Dick were lucky to have eggs, a rare treat during wartime rations.
Jerry rode his bicycle often to sketch this elm tree in the park. One day the tree was gone, a casualty of the buzz bombs.
On leave in Edinburgh...
When the film was completed, Garson told Jerry “while you folks have been out drinking at night, I’ve been writing this play", and he handed Jerry a leather bound copy of “Born Yesterday” to deliver to his wife, Ruth Gordon back in the States, and suggested that Jerry read it on the trip home. With the ruse that Jerry was urgently needed for work Stateside, Gar secured Jerry a flight, rather than the routine slow boat home.
As a boss tasked with censoring the V-mails Jerry sent home, Kanin knew Jerry's illustrations well, so after the war, "Gar" sent Jerry a letter saying:
"I know this ought to be a greeting card, but I could not find a card which read: "Dear Jerry, how are you and why don't you never call when you come to New York?" Fond thoughts. Gar."
Gar included a copy of the text of “Born Yesterday”, and suggested that Jerry create a cartoon based on the characters.
Jerry was busy starting a family and a new job creating greeting cards.
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The Jerry Corwin V Mail web pages were first created in November, 2009.
Updated 4/2/16
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