Description
Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, Broderick Crawford and Buddy Ebsen star in this absorbing drama about a young, self-centered recruit who comes of age during WWII. Sam Gifford (Wagner) is a successful cotton planter who treats his sharecroppers as if they were little more than farm machinery. But during combat in the Pacific, as he sees "quality" people crack, endures life under a sadistic officer (Crawford), and learns true friendship, from a "cropper" (Ebsen), Gifford slowly discovers theres more to a person than social class and good breeding.
Amazon.com
A callow Southern aristocrat (the charismatically challenged Robert Wagner) acquires character and democratic values in the crucible of combat, via a laboriously complicated script that begins in the middle of things and then loads on explanatory flashbacks like a forklift. On "an island in the Pacific, 1945," the scion of a Tennessee cotton dynasty becomes not only comrade-in-arms but also friend to the sharecroppers he once scorned. Although the jungle island is crawling with Japanese snipers and patrols, the greatest danger comes from U.S. officers who are variously incompetent, "yellow," or--in the case of company commander Broderick Crawford--certifiably insane. Screenwriter Harry Brown wrote the World War II classic A Walk in the Sun 11 years earlier, but the characters here are a dull lot and the dialogue terminally flatfooted. However, director Richard Fleischer blocks his action scenes to take full advantage of the CinemaScope format. --Richard T. Jameson
Rate Points :4.0
Binding :VHS Tape
Label :20th Century Fox
Manufacturer :20th Century Fox
ProductGroup :Video
Studio :20th Century Fox
Publisher :20th Century Fox
UPC :024543039303
EAN :0024543039303
Price :$6.98USD
Lowest Price :$6.98USD
Customer Reviewsdamn good
Rating Point :4 Helpful Point :0
A fine 50s war movie that seems like a transition between some of the Hollywood propaganda-ish material that came before and the more cynical military-themed fare of the 60s and 70s. Broderick Crawford is fantastic as the unhinged captain, Waco, (he taunts Robert Wagners character, calling him by his middle name, Francis, which makes me wonder if, decades later, Warren Oates character in "Stripes", Sgt. Hulka, delivers the line "Lighten up, Francis" as a screenwriters tribute. Sorry, thats just the way my mind works.) Buddy Ebsen, a few years away from becoming the iconic Uncle Jed Clampett, delivers a sly performance as Willie. Yeah, some say Robert Wagner was a bit wooden, but hes saddled with the role of rich jerk who learns a lesson from us poor people. To be honest, Robert Wagner has always looked like a rich jerk. Im sure hes a good guy. Back to the unhinged Capt. Waco, who talks about his imaginary wife and surrounds himself with strangely devoted young men in sleeveless shirts. Hmmm... Amazon might not like me saying this, but you can watch this movie for free on ...
Nothing depresses or disheartens the blood of a soldier on the battle field more than the sudden sharp sound of a rifle shot and
Rating Point :3 Helpful Point :3
Gifford (Robert Wagner) plays a Southern landowner who treats his croppers badly... His beautiful wife Jenny (Terry Moore) just saw a side of him she never saw before... Gifford argues that Jenny has just seen his business side... But Gifford only came to realize the error of his rude ways when he was called to active duty and put among the troops in the Pacific theater in World War II...
The film opens with Gifford reassigned to a company posted up in the hills, a very isolated area under the command of a fanatical and probably queer army captain called Waco (Broderick Crawford).
With brief flashbacks, we discover that Gifford holds a well-earned Silver Star but one day, his emotions became dominant and his self-control completely lost when he assaults an officer in combat nearly killing him...
The attempt of Gifford-- seen to get a little shaky in combat--to master danger as far as to walk right along with the enemy, or not to leave the island without saving a wounded pal, hit the core of what must have happened on battlefields in World War II...
Aside from a beachhead landing and a final battle with the Japanese, Fleishers film shockingly touches on the US officers martyred at the hands of Japanese snipers...
A Thinking Mans War Movie
Rating Point :4 Helpful Point :0
One thing I have learned about reviewing movies is to keep in mind the level of enjoyment experienced, relative to the film and the story it relates. There are numerous very enjoyable, very good films out there that are not remotely Oscar winners, or even artistic successes. This is one of them.
This is what I would call a "thinking mans war film," in that it involves much more than combat action sequences by the score. There are social and behavioral issues at play in this story that when combined, truly contribute to a very good film. Even the "flashbacks" have a way of breaking up the narration in positive ways, to include ones perception of others, based on "class" or position in society. The film sends a clear message that despite the fact we come from different strata of society, we are basically put together the same way. In this film, Robert Wagner undergoes a developmental process that will not only affect his performance on the battlefield, but as a "man" when he returns to the absolutely stunning Terry Moore at the wars end.
The casting for the film is excellent, from Wagner to Buddy Ebsen, Broderick Crawford, Moore, and the various soldiers portrayed. The battle scenes are quite good, and are focused more on individual qualities than on graphic battle sequences. While this may not be a Five Star production, it is well worth owning, and definitely earns Four Stars.
Good WWII flick
Rating Point :4 Helpful Point :0
This is a good 50s era Cinemascope war film about a National Guardsmans harrowing experience after his "deep South" unit is mobilized in WWII, and sent into action during the Pacific campaign. Great cast, including Robert Wagner, Buddy Ebsen, and Broderick Crawford.
WRONG INFO?
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
THE FIRST REVIEWER CALLED THIS A VHS BUT IF I READ CORRECTLY THE REVIEW SHOULD BE ABOUT A DVD NOT VHS. I READ REVIEWS FOR INFO WHICH MANY TIMES INFLUENCES MY PURCHASE. OH WELL!!!!!!!!!!!
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