Sergeant York (1941 Box Office Champ)

Sergeant York (1941 Box Office Champ)

Author: Awesome Movie Year March 12, 2025 Duration: 58:53

The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1941 features the box-office champion, Howard Hawks’ Sergeant York. Directed by Howard Hawks and starring Gary Cooper, Joan Leslie, Walter Brennan, Margaret Wycherly and George Tobias, Sergeant York is based on the diaries of real-life World War I veteran Alvin York.

The contemporary reviews quoted in this episode come from Bosley Crowther in The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/1941/07/03/archives/sergeant-york-a-sincere-biography-of-the-world-war-hero-makes-its-a.html), Time Magazine, and Herbert Cohn in the Brooklyn Eagle.

Check out more info and the entire archive of past episodes at https://www.awesomemovieyear.com and visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/awesomemovieyear 

You can find Jason on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/JHarrisComedy/, on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasonharriscomedy/ and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/goforjason/

You can find Josh online at http://joshbellhateseverything.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joshbellhateseverything/, on Bluesky at signalbleed.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/signalbleed/

If you’re a Letterboxd user and you watch any of the movies we talk about on the show, tag your review “Awesome Movie Year” to share your thoughts.

You can find our producer David Rosen and his Piecing It Together Podcast at https://www.piecingpod.com, on Twitter at @piecingpod, on Bluesky at piecingpod.bsky.social and on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/bydavidrosen/ 

Join the Popcorn & Puzzle Pieces Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/piecingpod for more movie discussion and our Awesome Movie Year audience choice polls.

All of the music in the episode is by David Rosen. Find more of his music at https://www.bydavidrosen.com

Subscribe on Patreon to support the show and get access to exclusive content from Awesome Movie Year and Piecing It Together, plus music by David Rosen: https://www.patreon.com/bydavidrosen

Please like, share, rate and comment on the show and this episode, and tune in for the next 1941 episode, with our pick for a notable debut feature, John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon.


Ever wonder what makes a particular year in cinema truly stand out? Awesome Movie Year digs into that very question, one remarkable film at a time. Co-hosted by film critic Josh Bell alongside filmmaker and comedian Jason Harris, this podcast picks a single, noteworthy year each season and meticulously explores what made it so special. Rather than broad overviews, every episode zooms in on a different movie from that chosen year, offering a deep dive into its impact, its cultural moment, and its lasting legacy. The conversations blend critical analysis with a genuine love for the medium, thanks to the hosts' complementary backgrounds. Produced by David Rosen of Piecing It Together for the All Points West Podcast Network, the show has a polished yet conversational feel. You’ll hear about blockbusters and hidden gems alike, all through the lens of why they mattered then and why they still resonate. It’s for anyone who loves to look beyond the screen and understand the context that creates a classic. Tune in to Awesome Movie Year for a thoughtful and engaging tour through some of cinema’s most fascinating periods.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 375

Awesome Movie Year
Podcast Episodes
Tokyo Story (1953 Foreign Film) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953 Box Office Flop) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The third episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1953 features the year’s biggest flop, Dr. Seuss’ The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. Directed by Roy Rowland from a concept and a screenplay co-written by Dr. Seuss a…
Fear and Desire (1953 First Feature) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:24
The second episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1953 features our pick for a notable filmmaking debut, Stanley Kubrick’s Fear and Desire. Directed by Stanley Kubrick from a screenplay by Howard O. Sackler a…
The Robe (1953 Box Office Champ) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:18
The first episode of our season on the awesome movie year of 1953 features the highest-grossing film at the box office, Biblical epic The Robe. Directed by Henry Koster, based on the novel by Lloyd C. Douglas and starrin…
A Few Good Men (1992 Bonus Episode) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The Shining (1980 Halloween Bonus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:11
In the third of three special Halloween episodes this year, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1980 to talk about Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining. Directed and co-written by Stanley Kubrick (base…
Idle Hands (1999 Halloween Bonus) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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In the second of three special Halloween episodes this year, we’re looking back to our season on the awesome movie year of 1999, to talk about horror comedy Idle Hands. Directed by Rodman Flender from a screenplay by Ter…