Why Wasn't Ike on Screen?
I never understood why General Eisenhour was never on camera. His messages to Patton were always delivered by Bedell Smith and Ike is mentioned quite often, but for some reason, he was never seen in the movie.
shareThat's a good question. Ike was actually present at many of the real-life events in which Edward Binns as "Beetle" Smith stands in for him in the film, particularly the scene where Patton arrives in London and gets reamed out for the slapping incident and then is told he's to command a phantom Army Group as a distraction to the Germans. (That scene as it occurred in real-life, interestingly enough, was played out in two TV movies in which Ike was the title character: Ike (1979), in which Robert Duvall played Ike and Darren McGavin played Patton, and Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004) in which Tom Selleck played Ike and Gerald McRaney played Patton.) Also the meeting at SHAEF at the start of the Battle of the Bulge.
Ike was still alive during most of the filming of Patton, although he died a year before the release. It may be that he did not consent to being portrayed in the film (as did Brig Gen Hobart Gay, Patton's chief of staff, whose surname had to be changed to "Carver"). Or it could be that Hollywood at the time still considered Ike too iconic and revered a figure to be portrayed as an onscreen character, and/or would overshadow Patton as a character. It's interesting to note, if you look up Dwight D. Eisenhower as a character here on IMDb, prior to his death in 1969, he was portrayed on screen in only two films, The Longest Day (1962) and The Long Gray Line (1955). In the latter film, he was portrayed as a West Point cadet by Harry Carey, Jr., but as the incumbent POTUS, his back was always to the camera.
Eisenhower wasn't exactly fond of Patton to say the least so may have requested he not be shown in the movie.
Trust me. I know what I'm doing.
Doubt that "Beetle" Smith was all that fond of Patton either, and he didn't have a problem with being represented in the film. Which brings up an interesting point: if Field Marshall Montgomery was so slandered in this film, why didn't he object publicly, or even sue the filmmakers?
sharePatton was a major general while Ike was a lieutenant colonel when WWII started, and Patton had been Ike's close friend and mentor throughout the interwar period. That's why Ike cut him so much slack. He thought Patton could be a pain in the a$$ but never actually disliked him.
Beetle Smith died in 1961, six years before the movie went into production.
Montgomery was still alive for six years after the movie was released, but he was in his mid to late 80s and may have been too tired and frail to put up any argument. Or maybe he knew he'd been cast as something of a villain and didn't bother to see it.
Yeah. Shoulda looked up Beetle. Think you're right about Ike, in the end it was playing up his iconic stature that kept him off the screen as a character in the drama. But I'm still not clear on Monty; seems his family or supporters might have spoken up more about any slander of his character.
shareA real life historical person doesn't have to give their consent to be portrayed in a film.
I don't know why Ike wad never on screen. I might guess that he was such a big person they didn't want to upstage the title character.