A Guy Named Joe (1943) was directed by Victor Fleming and starred Spencer Tracy, Irene Dunn, and Van Johnson. The main character, Pete Sandidge, is a bomber pilot who dies after an attack by an enemy fighter. Returning to Earth to pass on his knowledge to a young pilot, Pete encounters his grieving girlfriend, a Women’s Airforce Service pilot. A Guy Named Joe premiered at the Capitol Theater on December 23, 1943. It was one of the top-grossing films of 1944.