While watching Hot Shots on AMC last night, I got to wondering what the first scene featuring the stereotypical barking, sadistic drill instructor was. I figure someone out there knows. In addition, what’s the best drill instructor scene–quotes, of course, are welcome and I believe necessary.
I think the be-all and end-all of drill instructor scenes will always be R Lee Ermey in Full Metal Jacket. Half the movie is him screaming creative obsceneties at the cadets.
I don’t know if it was the first, but a classic was hard-bitten Lon Chaney (in one of his non-horror roles) trying to make a man out of William Haines in Tell It to the Marines (1926).
Gregory Hines in Renaissance Man.
For old-school, it would have to be Clint Eastwood getting his Marines into fighting shape in Heartbreak Ridge.
“Be advised I eat concertina wire and piss napalm, I can put a round through a flea’s ass at 300 yards.”
And who could forget Christopher Walken in Biloxi Blues?
“No, son. You’ve got a problem because you don’t know Army terminology. The place where a U.S. soldier goes to defecate, relieve himself, open his bowel, shit, fart, dump, crap, and unload, is called the latrine. The la-trine, from the French.”
Absolutely, without a doubt, Full Metal Jacket.
Of course, I’m not an expert or anything, but he’s pretty damned good.
Lee Marvin in The Dirty Dozen.
I thought Damon Wayans in Major Payne was good. Of course, it was just an ROTC group.
But definitely Full Metal Jacket.
Sgt. Hulka: “You don’t call me ‘sir,’ I WORK for a living!!”
Don’t know if it’s the BEST, 'cause I don’t watch many Army movies, but I liked that one.
I always appreciated this bit of trivia from IMDB.com:
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And don’t forget that he reprised his role (same character?) in The Frighteners.
I did a bit of cross-checking. He’s also the host of The History Channel’s Mail Call
here’s a better link.
And in Toy Story 
Ermey had three military roles before Full Metal Jacket (The Boys in Company C, Apocalypse Now and Purple Hearts) so he wasn’t just hired as a consultant for FMJ and then cast in the movie because he was surprisingly good; he already had some acting experience and had studied drama at the University of Manilla after retiring from the military.
I personally thought he was hysterical as the homicidal football coach in Saving Silverman (“They’re corn-holin’ ya?!”) though I found it completely implausible that he could be beaten up by Amanda Peet.
I thought Lou Gosset Jr. in An Officer and Gentleman was pretty good too.
Back in 1957, Jack Webb (yep - Sgt. Friday himself) gave a pretty good portrayal in The D. I..
In 1970, Darrin McGavin did a good job as a D. I. in Tribes.
Of course, neither performance was as good as R Lee Ermey! That is the film D.I. against which all others must be judged.
Darnit, Poysyn, I can’t believe I forgot about that one! Yes!
Maybe this merits another thread, but what’s your favorite D.I. insult? Movie quotes are good, but a real life example would be even better!
For me (paraphrasing): “It looks to me like the best part of you ran down the crack of yo’ mama’s ass and ended up a brown stain on the mattress! I think you been cheated!”
From Full Metal Jacket, of course.
I loved that movie.
[After private Owens slaps a sand flea while they were supposed to be frozen and motionless, the whole company has to find the sand flea as punishment/busy work. Another private squashed one that bit him, and took it to the D.I. pretending he found the first one]
“Private Owens! Was the sand flea that bit you male or female?”
“Uh, I think it was male.”
[D.I. looks at the flea that the other private brought to him]
“That’s the wrong one! Keep looking!”
I have several for the thread hijack. I graduated MCRD Parris Island October 2001, 3rd Batallion, Mike Company, Platoon 3085.
Keep in mind we have three drill instructors: A senior, a heavy, and a third. All of mine were staff sergeants at the time, and all were highly decorated, and I have nothing but respect and awe for men of that caliber.
Now that that’s out of the way: these I’m about to recite aren’t in order of humor; they’re as I remember them, chronologically, while I was in training. I apologize for the vulgar swearing.