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Mosquito Bowl
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The Mosquito Bowl was a football game played 24 December 1944 between two regiments of Marines at Guadalcanal during World War II.[1] Buzz Bissinger in 2022 wrote an account, The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II, which was widely reviewed.[2][3][4][5][6]
Members of the 6th Marine Division, many of whom had played college football, were training on Guadalcanal during the final months of 1944.[6] Many had been named to all-conference or all-American teams.[6] Both of the division's 4th and 29th Marine Regiments could field a team of such prominent players, and a game was organized for Christmas Eve with sixty-five players, including John McLaughry and Tony Butkovich.[6]
The game ended with a scoreless tie.[4]
Terry Frei's Third Down and a War to Go and his newspaper work earlier included extensive material on the Mosquito Bowl, relying on many interviews with then-surviving Marines who played in the game or served with those who did. In his book's backmatter, Bissinger thanked Frei for allowing him access to Frei's research and/or contacts. Frei's book featured his father's 1942 Wisconsin Badgers, including two of Jerry Frei's teammates – Dave Schreiner and Bob Baumann – who played in the Mosquito Bowl and were killed on Okinawa.[citation needed]
In 2025 Netflix announced a film was in development directed by Peter Berg and starring Brent Comer, Nicholas Galitzine, Bill Skarsgård, Ray Nicholson and Tom Francis.[7][8] The Mosquito Bowl is expected to release on Netflix in 2026.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ Bissinger, Buzz (2022). The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-287992-9. OCLC 1267753036.
- ^ "Review: A war story, 'Mosquito Bowl' defines courage, duty". AP NEWS. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "Buzz Bissinger On 'The Mosquito Bowl' : Fresh Air". NPR.org. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b Daniel, Douglass K. "Review: A war story, 'Mosquito Bowl' defines courage, duty". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ Jennings, Jay (13 September 2022). "The Football Players Who Fought and Died in World War II". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ a b c d Daniel, Douglass K. (19 September 2022). "1944 Marine 'Mosquito Bowl' defines football, courage, duty". Navy Times. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
- ^ "The Mosquito Bowl, Peter Berg's Next Film, Drafts Its Four-Man Lead Cast". Netflix Tudum. Archived from the original on 15 May 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ Stephan, Katcy; Donnelly, Matt (8 July 2025). "Brent Comer Joins Peter Berg's 'The Mosquito Bowl' at Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (7 January 2026). "Netflix's 2026 Film Slate: Dates For 'War Machine' & Other Titles, New Cast For Animated 'Swapped' Plus First-Look Pics For 'Enola Holmes 3,' More". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 7 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.