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35-644: The screenplay was based on a John McNulty article, "The Jackpot", in The New Yorker (February 19, 1949), about the true experiences of James P. Caffrey of Wakefield, Rhode Island who won $ 24,000 worth of merchandise on August 28, 1948, from the CBS radio quiz program, Sing It Again . The film is mostly forgotten today, but was a successful vehicle for Stewart at the time. A radio adaptation, broadcast April 26, 1951, on NBC 's Screen Directors Playhouse , received much press coverage because Stewart's co-star

70-617: A bridgehead on either side of Dormans 4 mi (6.4 km) deep and 9 mi (14 km) wide, despite the aerial intervention of 225 French bombers, dropping 44 short tons (40  t ) of bombs on the makeshift bridges. Ludendorff regarded their advance as "the very pinnacle of military victory". The French were reinforced by the British XXII Corps and 85,000 American troops and the German advance stalled on 17 July 1918. The German failure to break through, or to destroy

105-727: A large diversionary attack along the Marne. The battle began on 15 July when 23 German divisions of the First and Third armies – led by Bruno von Mudra and Karl von Einem – assaulted the French Fourth Army under Henri Gouraud east of Reims (the Fourth Battle of Champagne ( French : 4e Bataille de Champagne ). The U.S. 42nd Division was attached to the French Fourth Army. Meanwhile, 17 divisions of

140-401: A major problem as Foch had to work with "four national commanders but without any real authority to issue order under his own name ... they would have to fight as a combined force and to overcome the major problems of different languages, cultures, doctrines and fighting styles." However, the presence of fresh American troops, unbroken by years of war, significantly bolstered Allied resistance to

175-438: A staff writer at Time (magazine) , before in 1937 joining his close friend James Thurber at The New Yorker magazine, where McNulty remained until his death from a heart attack in 1956. The success of J. A. McNulty’s 1941 short story "Atheist Hit By A Truck" catapulted him into the national spotlight and cemented his reputation and further career path as an author rather than a journalist. John's wife, Faith McNulty ,

210-809: A year, John attended the Columbia School of Journalism while working for the Associated Press . After graduating from Columbia University , John went to work as a reporter for the New York Post newspaper. He subsequently worked as a reporter in chronological order for the Columbus, Ohio Ohio State Journal newspaper, the New York Daily Mirror newspaper, the New York Daily News newspaper, and, then, as

245-730: Is the University of Massachusetts Amherst ’s Prof. Sims who credits Joseph Mitchell , John McNulty and other short piece writers at Harold Ross ’ designedly succoring The New Yorker magazine with evolving an early 20th-century reformer news writer's practice into a separate literary genre. In his seminal work Literary Journalism in the 20th Century , Norman Sims traces the roots of literary journalism to journalist reformers efforts to make their news reports so poignant as to compel others to undertake corrective social actions. The later genre of literary journalism, as stated by Sim's to have been evolved by McNulty and other short piece writers at

280-583: The 51st (Highland) and 62nd (West Riding) , alongside the Italians straight into attack down the Ardre Valley (the Battle of Tardenois ( French : Bataille du Tardenois ) – named after the surrounding Tardenois plain). The Germans ordered a retreat on 20 July and were forced back to the positions from which they had started their Spring Offensive . They strengthened their flank positions opposite

315-1405: The Algonquin Round Table ). Thurber eulogized McNulty in the New Yorker and wrote a long and extraordinarily affectionate foreword to ( The World of John McNulty ) the earliest posthumous collection of his friend's stories. According to Thurber, The New Yorker published more than sixty pieces by McNulty. McNulty's works have been used in graduate literature courses at Columbia, Duke and University of Pittsburgh. McNulty's stories are collected in The World of John McNulty (1957) and This Place on Third Avenue (2001). "The World of John McNulty" (TWJM) collects 55 pieces; 13 of 17 from McNulty's book "3rd Avenue, New York" (TANY); 11 of 12 from his book "A Man Gets Around"(AMGA); 12 of 25 from his book "My Son Johnny" (MSJ); and 19 previously uncollected pieces. "This Place on Third Avenue" collects 28 pieces (7 of which do not appear in TWJM); 15 from TANY; 2 from AMGA; none from MSJ; 7 collected in TWJM; 2 previously uncollected; and 2 previously unpublished. James Thurber, McNulty's close friend, wrote that "Nothing, however, commonplace, that he touched remained commonplace but,

350-627: The Second Battle of the Marne , the decisive Allied victory that lead to the Central Powers ’ capitulation and the end of World War I or the war to end all wars within 100 days thereof, that the thereto unscathed John McNulty finally suffered a massive wound to his leg that left him with a severe limp for the rest of his life. No other noncommissioned officer in John’s company survived the war. After recouping from his injury for more than

385-618: The Allied armies in the field, allowed Ferdinand Foch , the Allied Supreme Commander, to proceed with the planned major counteroffensive on 18 July; 24 French divisions, including the American 92nd and 93rd Infantry Divisions under French command, joined by other Allied troops, including eight large American divisions under American command and 350 tanks attacked the recently formed German salient. The Allied preparation

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420-480: The Allied pincers and on the 22nd, Ludendorff ordered to take up a line from the upper Ourcq to Marfaux . Costly Allied assaults continued for minimal gains. By 27 July, the Germans had withdrawn their center behind Fère-en-Tardenois and had completed an alternative rail link. The Germans retained Soissons in the west. On 1 August, French and British divisions of General Charles Mangin 's Tenth Army renewed

455-784: The German Seventh Army , under Max von Boehn , aided by the Ninth Army under Johannes von Eben , attacked the French Sixth Army led by Jean Degoutte to the west of Reims (the Battle of the Mountain of Reims ( French : Bataille de la Montagne de Reims )). Ludendorff hoped to split the French in two. East of Reims the French Fourth Army had prepared a defense in depth to counter an intense bombardment and infiltrating infantry. Their main line of resistance

490-457: The German commanders that they could not prevail. The Fourth Army was now able to send reinforcements to their neighbors to the west who had not fared as well. In the west on the opening day of the offensive the defenders of the south bank of the Marne had to hold the river bank by enduring an intense three hour bombardment, including many gas shells. Under this cover stormtroopers swarmed across

525-476: The German offensive . Floyd Gibbons wrote about the American troops, saying, "I never saw men charge to their death with finer spirit." On 19 July, the Italian Corps lost 9,334 officers and men out of a total fighting strength of about 24,000 during a German assault on their positions, successfully stopping the German advance. Henri Mathias Berthelot rushed two newly arrived British infantry divisions,

560-594: The Germans with no choice but to retreat. This engagement marked the beginning of a German withdrawal that was never effectively reversed. In September nine American divisions (about 243,000 men) joined four French divisions to push the Germans from the St. Mihiel salient . Earlier, in May, Foch had spotted flaws in the German offensives. The force that defeated the German offensive was mainly French, with American, British and Italian support. Co-ordinating this counter-attack would be

595-531: The Marne ( French : Seconde Bataille de la Marne ; 15 – 18 July 1918) was the last major German offensive on the Western Front during the First World War . The attack failed when an Allied counterattack, led by French forces and supported by several hundreds of Renault FT tanks , overwhelmed the Germans on their right flank, inflicting severe casualties. The German defeat marked the start of

630-604: The New Yorker magazine, is no longer conflicted between unbiased fact reporting and the enhanced portrayal of social conditions for some form of advocacy but, concentrates upon such latter portrayal, while using actual events as a creative substrate. Literary journalism does, however, still demand accurate fact reporting of its practitioners. McNulty's words are near unrivaled, at evoking in their readers’ minds, such poignant imagery, and in their readers’ hearts, such concern and affection for his very common characters. John McNulty

665-474: The attack, advancing to a depth of nearly 5 miles (8.0 km). The Allied counterattack petered out on 6 August in the face of German offensives. By this stage, the salient had been reduced and the Germans had been forced back to a line running along the Aisne and Vesle Rivers; the front had been shortened by 28 miles (45 km). The Second Battle of the Marne was an important victory. Ferdinand Foch received

700-466: The diamond ring in Chicago, he's arrested. Complicating matters, his wife suspects him of having an affair with Greenwich Village artist Hilda. Dealing with these problems, he gets help from reporter Harry Summers, who had been writing newspaper articles about Lawrence and his winnings. Bandleader Harry James made an uncredited appearance as a radio vocalist. Screenwriters Henry and Phoebe Ephron ,

735-484: The infantry because they were held up by the points of resistance. When they encountered the French mainline they were ordered to rest, regroup and wait until their field guns were moved into range. They attacked the main line at 08:30 the following morning, an hour after they had originally scheduled to attack. They were stopped by accurate fire by the bulk of the French artillery. They tried again at noon, but failed. A French counter-attack gained little ground, but convinced

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770-438: The parents of future writer/director Nora Ephron , were nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award . The film was released to DVD via the manufacture on demand (MOD) 20th Century Fox Cinema Archives on December 6, 2012. John McNulty (journalist) John Augustine McNulty (1895–1956) was an American journalist and writer. McNulty is a major figure in the development of the genre of literary journalism . It

805-580: The relentless Allied advance which culminated in an armistice with Germany about 100 days later. Following the failure of the German spring offensive to end the conflict, Erich Ludendorff , Chief Quartermaster General , believed that an attack through Flanders would give Germany a decisive victory over the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). To shield his intentions and draw Allied troops away from Belgium , Ludendorff planned for

840-435: The remaining guns fired frequently, so the Germans did not detect its weakness from rate of firing, although aerial observers did spot a concentration of field guns behind the main line of resistance. German offensive tactics stressed surprise, but French intelligence based on aerial observation gave clear warning and they learned the hour for the attack from twenty-seven prisoners taken in a trench raid. The German bombardment

875-401: The river in every sort of transport – including 30-man canvas boats and rafts. They began to erect skeleton bridges at 12 points under fire from the Allied survivors. Some Allied units, particularly Colonel Ulysses G. McAlexander 's 38th Infantry Regiment of the American 3rd Infantry Division , the "Rock of the Marne", held fast or even counterattacked, but by evening, the Germans had captured

910-452: The useful to the absurd, including a side of beef, 7,500 cans of soup, 1,000 fruit trees, a Palomino pony, a portable swimming pool, a diamond ring, a French maid, an interior decorator and portrait painter Hilda Jones. All is well until Lawrence is told he must sell the prizes in order to pay an income tax of $ 7,000. When he tries to raise the money by selling the merchandise at the department store, his boss fires him. When he tries to fence

945-509: Was Margaret Truman , making her debut as a radio actress for a fee of $ 2,500. She received mixed reviews, and noted that her father "enjoyed it". Bill Lawrence, employed at a department store in the Midwestern United States , supports a wife and two teenage kids on an annual salary of $ 7,500. Answering a phone call, he wins $ 24,000 worth of merchandise from a radio quiz program and is overwhelmed by prizes which range from

980-516: Was a lifelong friend, associate, and drinking companion of writer and humorist James Thurber , who McNulty had early mentored while in Ohio. McNulty wrote at The New Yorker with Thurber, Joseph Mitchell , S. J. Perelman , E. B. White and others. They met at Costello's saloon on Third Avenue in New York City as members of the "square table" (in contrast with the literary wits who met at

1015-476: Was an author and children's book writer known for penning The Burning Bed , which was eventually turned into a 1984 film featuring Farrah Fawcett . McNulty's great-grand nephew Matt McNulty also worked as a reporter for the New York Post , much like John did in the early 1930s before writing for The New Yorker . Many of John McNulty's stories deal with New York saloon life and its characters. McNulty

1050-508: Was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, in 1895. John's father died during John's early childhood. He was raised by his mother, who operated a small store to support her family. John McNulty served to the rank of noncommissioned officer in the U.S. infantry in France during World War I. McNulty fought in several of the war's major battles. It was sadly at the 1918 Battle of Tardenois, also known as

1085-414: Was four to five km behind the front, beyond the range of the enemy field guns, it was a continuous trench line – to prevent infiltration – dug on a reverse slope so it could not be overlooked by enemy artillery observers on the ground. Between the front and the main line of resistance were two lines of strong points, again mostly on reverse slopes. The French gun line behind the front was lightly manned, but

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1120-405: Was handcuffed to a man who had died of pneumonia and placed in a vehicle which appeared to have run off the road at a German-controlled bridge. The Germans, on finding and being taken in by these plans, then adjusted their attack to thwart the false Allied plan. Consequently, the French and American forces led by Foch were able to conduct a different attack on exposed parts of the enemy lines, leaving

1155-425: Was magnified and enlivened by his intense and endless fascination with the stranger in the street, the drinker in the bar, and the bartender behind it, the horseplayer, the cab driver, the guy at the ballgame, the fellow across the room, the patient in the next hospital bed." Second Battle of the Marne 1915 1916 1917 1918 Associated articles Associated articles The Second Battle of

1190-401: Was scheduled for 12:10. The French opened fire on the German assault trenches at 11:30, naturally shaking the confidence of attackers. When the Germans opened fire they pounded the almost empty French front line and their counter-battery fire struck many vacated gun pits. The attackers moved easily through the French front and then were led onward by a rolling barrage, which soon was well ahead of

1225-524: Was very important in countering the German offensive. It was believed that the Allies had the complete picture of the German offensive in terms of intentions and capabilities. The Allies knew the key points of the German plan down to the minute. There is a legend, possibly true, that engineer Cpt. Hunter Grant, along with the help of engagement coordinator and engineer Cpt. Page, devised a deceptive ruse. A briefcase with false plans for an American countererattack

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