since douglas macarthur affected human livesfor betterthan american elected president deserved better film biography universals macarthur bad beenbr br oddly enough potential there early star trek episode the corbomite maneuver  recent hbo films something lord made oo warm springs oo director joseph sargent emerged one expressively human directors film man capable subtly shaping emotional shadings actors performances carrying audience exactly wants go producer frank mccarthy also gave us patton o legendary jerry goldsmith scored films universal widely touted fact film four years preparation production yet this macarthur perfectly adequateand much thatbr br the film begins early  shortly beleaguered general orderedby president franklin d roosevelt dan oherlihyto flee philippines avoid capture japanese thus film omits br br  macarthurs birth o frontier barracks arkansas still subject attack native american tribesmenthus establishing remarkable life spanned distance bowsandarrows thermonuclear weapons br br  graduation west pointfirst class  br br  joined famous father general arthur macarthur who earned medal honor missionary ridge civil war assignments japan china and importantly philippines br br  heroic exploits  excursion vera cruz br br  leaped trenches world war one like mountain goat often wounded promoted blinding speed brigadier general br br  postwar service west points youngestand progressivecommandant br br  participation courtmartial billy mitchell  br br  routing bonus marchers  br br  efforts sustain woefullyunderfunded army chief staff early os br br  retirement us army become field marshal  army philippines br br  reactivation commission fdr shortly outbreak second world warbr br all omitted favor prolonged footage macarthur trying fight seasickness evacuated pt boatthus know general mac legend why appreciate allegations cowardice wounding dugout dougand patently unfoundedbr br the remainder career presently straightforwardly islandhopping hit em aint campaign fulfillment pledge filipinos i shall returnhis crowning achievement winning peace postwar japan difference opinion president harry truman a properly feisty ed flanders conduct korean conflict resulted outright firing finally proclamation congress old soldierssimply fade away that quite historically accurate presented deliberate lack commentarybr br sargent producers almost painfully distance adorning historical record approval disapproval macarthurs actions appear noble let presented such appear egotistical bombastic let conceptions register sans comment since joe sargent quite expert subtly manipulating audiences reactionsagain see warm springsthis refusal offer comment appears quite intentional historically may commendable almost defeats efforts viewer place extraordinary man kind rational perspectivebr br and finally sort made cheap feel film midway released time films relegated television directorssargent case jack smight midway madefortvlook even jerry goldsmiths march perfectly serviceable lack subtle undertones grandeur patton themejust another way largerthanlife man memorialized ordinary filmbr br there vanity pettiness man inarguably also greatnessand love loathe him one must acknowledge fact macarthur military commander done peacebr br in end macarthurlike many film biographiesis good place begin research remarkable man poor place end it