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Editorial Reviews
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
Product Description
Robert Wagner, Broderick Crawford, Buddy Ebsen. A self-centered, prejudiced Southern heir learns a lot about life while fighting for a hard-as-nails commander in the Pacific theater during WWII. 1956/color/95 min/NR/widescreen.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This war drama tells how a southern soldier changes from a class conscious snob and becomes a human being with the help of Buddy Ebsen. It shows in flashbacks how he used to be a ruthless plantation owner and how he treated his sharecroppers. Along comes WWII and realizes that in war, everybody is the same. His buddies all get killed due to the cowardice of an officer and Wagner almost kills him. He is courtmartial and sent to another unit and meets a psycho company commander played with gusto by Broderick Crawford. The platoon he is ordered to be with are sent up to relieve another platoon on this hill. They are attacked by a Japanese company and everyone is killed except Wagner and Ebsen, but Ebsen is wounded and Wagner must run back for help. Will he make it in time to rescue Ebsen? The movie was nominated for Original Score and if you look real hard, you will recognize Frank Gorshin, who later played the Joker on the TV version of Batman. Not the best war drama ever made, but is good nonetheless.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This highly underated war movie is one of the best of its kind, telling the story of a troubled young soldier, Sam Gifford (played by Robert Wagner), who's at war with himself as well as the enemy. He's outwardly cold to those around him, and for good reason: he's been busted from sergeant down to private for striking an officer. His old squad has been wiped out in a tragic accident, and he's been transfered to a new unit under the command of an insane captain (played by Broderick Crawford).
Through flashbacks we learn that Sam grew up in Tennessee (my home state) where he was the head of a cotton dynasty, which he commanded with an iron fist. His beautiful wife (played by Terry Moore) learns of this sinister, heartless side of him and they fight. Later her father (which is Sam's commanding officer) is killed on the same Pacific island as Sam, and he's furthur depressed. In his new unit under Broderick Crawford's command, he meets a cropper-turned-soldier (played by Buddy Ebsen) who befriends him and watches over him like a father would.
They become close friends, but their friendship is put to the test when they are stationed on an isolated hill with only a handful of troops to defend it against swarms of Japanese troops. In one deadly assault, all of the Americans are killed except for Sam and his friend, who is now wounded. Sam must then choose between trying to carry his wounded comrade through enemy lines, or trying to save himself. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that this is one of the best war movies I've ever seen (and I've seen hundreds!).
The dvd has a great picture and sound quality, especially the sound. I had to turn up the volume on my tv loud to hear the dialogue, only to be "blown away" by the tremendously loud explosions and machine gun fire! This may seem like a dvd defect to some, but to me it only enhanced the excitement of the battle scenes! The dvd is bare-bones as far as special features go, although it does have several theatrical trailors from classic war movies, which is nice. Overall, I highly recommend this classic to all fans of war movies.
Through flashbacks we learn that Sam grew up in Tennessee (my home state) where he was the head of a cotton dynasty, which he commanded with an iron fist. His beautiful wife (played by Terry Moore) learns of this sinister, heartless side of him and they fight. Later her father (which is Sam's commanding officer) is killed on the same Pacific island as Sam, and he's furthur depressed. In his new unit under Broderick Crawford's command, he meets a cropper-turned-soldier (played by Buddy Ebsen) who befriends him and watches over him like a father would.
They become close friends, but their friendship is put to the test when they are stationed on an isolated hill with only a handful of troops to defend it against swarms of Japanese troops. In one deadly assault, all of the Americans are killed except for Sam and his friend, who is now wounded. Sam must then choose between trying to carry his wounded comrade through enemy lines, or trying to save himself. I won't spoil the ending, but I will say that this is one of the best war movies I've ever seen (and I've seen hundreds!).
The dvd has a great picture and sound quality, especially the sound. I had to turn up the volume on my tv loud to hear the dialogue, only to be "blown away" by the tremendously loud explosions and machine gun fire! This may seem like a dvd defect to some, but to me it only enhanced the excitement of the battle scenes! The dvd is bare-bones as far as special features go, although it does have several theatrical trailors from classic war movies, which is nice. Overall, I highly recommend this classic to all fans of war movies.
24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is a very effective psychological war film with a great performance by Broderick Crawford as the demented commander of a group of loose canons located in an isolated jungle outpost during W.W.II. Robert Wagner is ordered to the post for his transgressions and comes to terms with his own lack of humanity. This film contains one of Hugo Friedhofer's best scores. The stereo score on this VHS recording sounds excellent.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Between Heaven & Hell
An OK war film to fill in a collection with a better than average plot
Published on May 18, 2010 by Anonymous
NOT A BAD OLD WW2 FILM,BUT AUDIO TRACKS ARE TERRIBLE AND VERY HARD TO...
AUDIO TRACKS ON THIS DVD ARE ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE,YOU CAN HEAR SOME OF THE ACTORS AND OTHERS YOU CAN'T........JUST TERRIBLE! Read more
Published on February 17, 2010 by J. shop
Robert Wagner as I'll always remember him...
I saw this movie as a youngster....I'm only 6o now... but it was still a really good action movie with great performances from all. Read more
Published on December 26, 2009 by J Book
good people
The movie was great and the good people who sent it were right on the ball. I thank them and will buy again.
Published on June 5, 2009 by Harriet Harner
The Movie Experience
Why do some movies linger with us but not others? I saw this movie in Boston, while in college. I was a hot shot(or so I thought) prep school grad and the college experience was... Read more
Published on April 20, 2009 by Victor Rodriguez Viera
Between Heaven and Hell
Truly a great film with a solid cast, I highly recomend this World War II
classic.
classic.
Published on February 1, 2009 by Railroad Joe
A great War movie
Robert Wagner and Buddy Epson were great in this movie. It
reinforces what most know who served in a war. Read more
reinforces what most know who served in a war. Read more
Published on December 27, 2008 by Max Manus
damn good
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... Read more
Published on November 30, 2008 by Cledus Snow
A Thinking Man's War Movie
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. Read more
Published on June 11, 2008 by Dr. Glenn W. Briggs
Nothing depresses or disheartens the blood of a soldier on the battle...
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... Read more
Published on December 17, 2006 by Roberto Frangie
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