Product Details

• Actors: Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, Mona Freeman, Nancy Olson, James Whitmore
• Directors: Raoul Walsh
• Writers: Leon Uris
• Producers: Raoul Walsh, Jack L. Warner
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• VHS Release Date: May 8, 2001
• Run Time: 149 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300269248
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #84,505 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The most interesting--and entertaining--aspect of this long, episodic World War II drama is that it marked the debut of one Justus E. McQueen, who subsequently took the name of the good ol' Arkansas boy he played in the movie: L.Q. Jones. He's only one of eight or nine Marine recruits who divide the screen time with commanding officer Van Heflin and James Whitmore as a lifer sergeant named Mac, "just Mac," who ramrods their squad and also delivers the movie's overbearing narration. Unfortunately, the narration is necessary to maintain continuity as the CinemaScope production galumphs its way from rounding up the melting-pot cast, to seeing them through basic training and sundry, mostly amatory misadventures in San Diego, to further training in New Zealand, and finally to baptism of fire on Guadalcanal.

Trouble is, among the recruits only McQueen/Jones (whose job is mostly comic relief) and Aldo Ray (as a brawling lumberjack who's never known family life) have any charisma or acting chops--and that's not forgetting Tab Hunter, whose matinee-idol status at the time does not speak well for the '50s. Battle Cry is also a cardinal example of Hollywood's penchant for buying big, lusty, profane bestsellers (by Leon Uris, in this case) and then euphemizing all the lustiness and profanity to appease the censors. Raoul Walsh, the poet laureate of lowdown gusto, does what he can in the circumstances, and as one of the first guys ever to direct a widescreen movie (1930's The Big Trail), he makes the battle scenes roar. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Battle Cry  theres a lot to see here., August 10, 2000

By 

gobirds2 (New England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Battle Cry [VHS] (VHS Tape)

It is surprising how a sprawling war film like this contains so little action. But, don't be disappointed. This film focuses on characterization and characters are plentiful be they ever so stereotypical. James Whitmore as Sgt. Mac, Aldo Ray, Tab Hunter, L. Q. Jones and Perry Lopez as Marine recruits and Dorothy Malone, Anne Francis and Nancy Olsen as their love interests all give standout performances. Max Steiner's patriotic and rousing score is in its full glory. This film is high on good old-fashioned sentimental entertainment. By the film's end the viewer comes to realize many of the sacrifices that were made during this time in history and some of the gloss wears off. As an aside, a deceased acquaintance of mine who served in the US Army 1st Division during the Second World War from North Africa, D-Day to Germany's surrender, found this film to be the best representation of W.W.II military life. That was an exceptional compliment and recommendation for this film from a veteran who was not a Marine and one who fought in the European theatre. This is a good film. This VHS recording sounds very good in stereo.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Be a Marine to be a real man, May 9, 2006

By 

Shalom Freedman "Shalom Freedman" (Jerusalem,Israel) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Battle Cry (DVD)

This movie had a great influence on me when I was young. When I first saw it I was in the age of trying to understand how to be a man. Of course it had to do with being tough. And of course it had to do with being able to fight. And of course it had to do with being able to get the girl.
This movie puts a group of young Marines through boot camp, has them wait and warm up for the war in Australia, and then sends them into combat. Their tough Sergeant Mac ( James Whitmore) who is the narrator of the story tells it all from beginning to end. Their Commanding office Highpockets Huxley(Van Heflin) leads them with a discipline and demandingness. One of the most impressive scenes of the movie has to do with their training march in which bruised and pained they hike for thirty or forty miles or more , and end up singing a song which resounds in my ears to this day."I'm just like a prairie flower, honey, honey, I'm just like a prairie flower, babe, babe. I'm just like a prairie flower, growing wilder by the hour. Honey, Oh baby , mine. Go to your left your right, your left. Go to your left your right. Your left'.
After the training they go into combat in the Pacific,those who have made it through, go home .
Years later from another continent in another country whose Army I have been a part of, though I was never really a combat soldier in it, I think how far even in mind and dream my own life and sense of manhood have come , from the image of the Gyrenes presented in this outstanding and highly enjoyable movie.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ...GANG WAY!!!!!!.......HERE COMES THE MARINES......., April 18, 2007

By 

Christopher E. Sarno (Boston, Massachusetts United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Battle Cry (DVD)

Excellent movie [DVD] about WW2 and the USMC....from the spartan Marine Boot Camp scenes and the dangerous amphibious landing/assaults against Japanese Marines throughout the Pacific war...good casting and on location scenery...looking again at Mainside at Camp Pendleton, Calif brought back fond memories of the physically brutal combat preparation for service in the Fleet Marine Force...Van Heflin portrayed a Marine Major who over identifies with his Marines, a rare breed of Officer, but pulls it off just the same...his Sgt/Major, the wiley James Whitmore cast perfectly as the combat/crusted 'old salt' [a 30 yr Marine] and good luck to Witmore for he was a genuine Marine Major while making this film in real life [kudos]...Tab Hunter can't act to save his life but there he was, must of had a good agent...moving onto his home/town girl, Mona Freeman, she's to be a teenage sweetheart but looks 30ish, if for a day, totally miscast, but the desireable and captivating, Dorothy Malone, is perfect as the loved/starved lonely wife [and makes herself available] who is every Marine's dream of the perfect weekend liberty to all Marines...WoW...she fits this role with abandon...mmm/mmm...then there's the burly lumber/jack molded into a fighting Marine, Aldo Ray, who has a penchant to excell as a military man..."The Squad"...lest I forget, all displayed the various camraderie that is always prevalent to the success of completing whatever mission that befalls them...one of the Squad is L.Q Jones "nervous in the service type" as the Company clown....there's one in every Marine Company...and the frosting on the cake is the bombastic Marine musical score provided by Hollywood's greatest musical director, the legendary, Max Steiner...in summation, having Raoul Walsh directing certainly adds to all concerned...folks, you get more than your monies worth getting this DVD, no doubt about it...Semper Fidelis...SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF