Gene Hackman
Gene Hackman enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at the age of sixteen. He would later say while he was an actor, “I have trouble with direction, because I have trouble with authority. I was not a good Marine.” Hackman’s first duty assignment was in China, where he moonlighted as a disc jockey and newscaster on his unit’s radio station. A few times he left his post without permission—earning him three demotions. So, yes, Hackman was probably “not a good Marine.”
Mel Brooks
Funny man Mel Brooks served our country during World War II. He was drafted before he had the chance to finish his degree. Known then as Melvin Kaminsky, he joined the Army Corps of Engineers. He was a Corporal in the 1104 Engineer Combat Battalion. As a combat engineer his job was a dangerous and important one; duties included deactivating enemy land mines. When Mel saw combat in the Battle of the Bulge, it is said that the Nazis were blasting Axis propaganda over the airways. True to form, legend has it that Mel responded by blasting his rendition of Al Jolson’s “Toot Toot Tootsie.”
Humphrey Bogart
“Bogie” was struck in the mouth by a prisoner while he was assigned to the military police in the U.S. Navy during World War I. The injury left left his mouth scarred and gave him a subtle lisp. With his naturally raspy voice, though, the scar and lisp enhanced the tough guy-gangster image in which he was typecast for much of his movie career. Humphrey Bogart started acting in the theater–but the “tough guy” had such bad stage fright, he ran off the stage in the middle of a performance!