Van Johnson

Go for Broke! is a 1951 war film directed by Robert Pirosh and produced by Dore Schary for MGM, starring Van Johnson as a young National Guard lieutenant who is assigned to command the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the segregated Japanese-American unit that became the most decorated in American military history. Initially resentful of his assignment, the lieutenant comes to respect and depend on his men as they fight their way through Italy and France. Many of the soldiers on screen were actual veterans of the 442nd, and the film is notable for treating its Japanese-American characters with a dignity and directness that was rare for the era. The film is in the public domain.

War · Drama

A young American journalist stays in Paris after the liberation and marries into a charming, troubled family, as the optimism of victory gives way to postwar disappointment and a failing marriage. Elizabeth Taylor and Van Johnson star in this loose adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's story "Babylon Revisited." The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Drama · Romance

A 1957 made-for-television musical directed by Bretaigne Windust and broadcast on NBC as a color spectacular. Van Johnson stars as the Pied Piper (and his alter ego Truson), with Claude Rains as the Mayor of Hamelin, plus Lori Nelson, Jim Backus, and Kay Starr. Adapted from the Robert Browning poem, the story follows the piper who rids Hamelin of its rats, then leads away the town's children when the mayor refuses to pay. Aired once and then rerun for years, the film's copyright was never renewed, making it one of the most widely circulated public domain musicals and a staple of holiday broadcasts on local stations.

Musical · Fantasy · Comedy

A small-town girl becomes an airline stewardess and finds herself courted by three different men, all named Mike: a pilot, a cop, and a businessman. Jane Wyman stars with Van Johnson and Howard Keel in this MGM romantic comedy. The film entered the public domain through non-renewal.

Comedy · Romance