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George S. Patton Lesser Known Facts

Khalid Elhassan November 19, 2024 12 min

Patton - George S. Patton — George S. Patton. Europe Remembers

5. The US Army Initially Refused to Help With the Patton Movie

George C. Scott as George S. Patton. Just Watch

The Oscar-winning Patton is probably the most recognized war biographical movie of all time. However, the US Army refused to help with its production at first. Making a movie – especially an action film – is seldom cheap. That’s why Hollywood executives constantly seek ways to cut costs. When it comes to any movie that involves the military, one of the best cost-cutting ways is to get the Pentagon’s help. For more than a century, the US armed services have has been more than happy to help Hollywood by lending it military gear and letting it film on military installations. However, in order for the Pentagon to scratch the backs of Hollywood producers, it asks them to scratch its back in return.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.