Customer Reviews

Battle Cry

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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

Based on a novel by Leon Uris, Battle Cry tries to show the life of a Marine outside of the action. In the months following Pearl Harbor, thousands of young Americans volunteer in the armed forces ready to be trained as soldiers. In the Marines, a veteran sergeant, Mac, begins the work of turning a squad of these young boys into battle-ready men who won't think twice about killing. The movie follows the training and the personal lives of Mac's communication squad, especially their relationships with wives, girlfriends and each other, all the while as the Allies island-hop across the Pacific. The scenes of Marines interacting with the women they like/love work pretty well, but that's not my complaint here. Uris' novel had very effective battle scenes, but in the movie they're glossed over with 20-30 seconds of narration. Characters we're supposed to care about are killed off-screen with barely a mention or a throwaway comment to explain it. It's disappointing because the movie had a lot of potential to go for the huge war epic it wants to be. Still, there's enough to recommend here, especially the cast.

Leading a strong ensemble cast, Van Heflin plays Major Sam Huxley, the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marine Division who pushes his men to the limit, all the time fighting to give them a chance to prove themselves in battle. Underrated Aldo Ray gives one of his all-time best performances as Pfc. Andy Hookens, a young lumberjack who never saw much good in a long-term relationship with women but falls hard for a widow in New Zealand. James Whitmore has a part he was born to play, similar to his role in the much better Battleground, as Mac, the tough sergeant leading a group of inexperienced youngsters who he must turn into Marines. The rest of the squad is an impressive list of supporting actors led by Tab Hunter as Danny, the lovesick young man who misses his new bride, William Campbell as "Ski" Wronski, a Marine trying to bring his girlfriend with him, John Lupton as Marion, the educated trainee who loves reading above all else, L.Q. Jones as L.Q. Jones (no joke), the life of every party, Perry Lopez as Spanish Joe, the squad troublemaker, Fess Parker as Speedy, the drawling Texan, and Jonas Applegarth as Lighttower, the Navajo codetalker. It's a good group, but with so many people, several are left with little to do and minimal development. The women in these Marines lives include Nancy Olson, Mona Freeman, Dorothy Malone, and Anne Francis, with Olson coming off the best as Ray's love interest.

The DVD is a good deal with a nice-looking widescreen presentation, a trailer, and some cast and crew info in text-menu form. If you like the movie, I recommend Leon Uris' novel, it's more realistic with much more development of the characters, all of which builds up to a moving conclusion as the Marines attack Saipan. But for the movie, there's enough to give a mild recommendation, especially performances by Aldo Ray and James Whitmore!

I read the book after entering the Corps, in what now seems like both yesterday and decades ago. It is timeless in its protrayal of enlisted Marines. There is a lot more to being a Marine than combat. Unfortunately, a big part of it is boredom and loneliness which this story nails right on the head.

I can add the face of someone I actually knew to every character in this story, including my own. While the situations in the current Corps are more like what is depicted in Full Metal Jacket (Boot Camp) and FoxNews, this is about the individual Marine.

And, since the Author WAS one of us, it is not surprising in its accuracy. It is both a valid representation of Marines in WWII and those presently serving.

But... the book is still much better than the movie.

This movie is based on Leon Uris' best seller, and while it does not strictly adhere to the plot/timeline, it is still a relatively faithful treatment of the book. For those of you with short attention spans, this isn't the movie for you. It requires an investment in time and emotion to see the characters develop, in the movie and as friends of each other, culminating in the final battle scene, at Saipan. It is enjoybale, believable, and yes...a movie from the Fifties with all its good and bad points.....only a boorish or immature person would judge the movie because of that though....See for yourself, if you enjoy a great yarn, this movie is for you...and...if you don't think this is how barracks life really is.....you aint been in the Corps...Semper Fi

I have the VHS version, so decided to see if I could find a copy on DVD. I was very glad to see it is now available on DVD. I really liked this movie...and it is very special to me in that it was my 1954 boot camp platoon (406) that was used in the boot camp and ship-loading sequences. Tab Hinter marched next to me, while Van Heflin drilled us up and down the grinder. John Wayne and other Hollywood elite looked on during the few days of filming. We were called 'Hollywood Marines' after that. Great memories, glad I can still see them on film.

My dad was a Marine during WWII and landed on the Canal. His review of the book and the movie is that for a fictional story it was as close as they get. I have enjoyed the book and the movie for over 30 years.

Highly recommend this movie for purchase if you are a marine or just a fan of patriotic movies. I'm glad I was able to find this movie on DVD format considering that this movie is out of print.

...This film should be called Bedroom Cry... A couple of minutes for Guadalcanal... a couple more for Tarawa... and a dozen or so for Saipain...

...The vast amount of combat in Leon Uris' book wrung out to a tiny patch. The romantic problems of the characters the main focus... Like turning Pearl Harbor into a "chick flick"... Battle Cry wallows in domestic problems...

...The parts of the film involving training... from basic to the long marches in New Zealand are well staged... though basic is a touch brief and "sanitized..."

...The cast is generally far better than the material... James Whitmore as Mac... was actually a Captain in the Marine Corps in WWII... L.Q. Jones (as he would later be) was perfect as... L.Q. Jones... and Raymond Massey lends his enormous talent to a cameo... Tab Hunter was playing a "vanilla" character to begin with... Gunman's Walk far better place to see his best acting work...

...Aldo Ray was pretty much a one-note actor... But in Battle Cry he does a fine job of taking the character of a borderline mysogynist to that of a caring husband and father... He realistically brings out vulnerability in Andy's character... from having something beyond himself for the first time... to dealing with an injury that was feared among lumberjacks... In short... he manages to grow up...

...Other characters such as Ski and Speedy are barely addressed... Spanish Joe... as portrayed by the much under rated actor Perry Lopez... has one moment of real humanity on Tarawa...

...The score is rousing... From a film maker's standpoint... the best part of the movie.

... I am impressed how in winter a light sweater would suffice in Baltimore... going and coming...

...The Marine Corps loaned a battalion to the producers... which certainly cut down costs. I was pleased to see that nobody told the black Marines to stay in barracks during the shooting of the film... they are present on screen... though in WWII at first there were no black Marines... and later they would be formed and used as support troops... Also "the finger" manages to make it on the screen as another battalion drives by the exhaused Marines... Not bad for 1954 filming...

...I certainly understand why the critics bombed it... and understand why it did well at the box office... In spite of having made "Battle Cry 90210" it is relatively easy to like... and has a few gems scattered about...