By Lee Pfeiffer

British war veterans and historians have longed griped that Hollywood films of the post WWII-era often credited Americans for heroics and strategies that should have been attributed to the Brits.  One of the most glaring examples of this revisionist history was the 1963 classic The Great Escape, which shoe-horned Americans into primary roles when, in fact, they were not present during the escape itself. MGM has released the 1969 WWII flick The 1,000 Plane Raid as a burn to order DVD and it fits perfectly into this niche of British-based WWII movies in which Americans get the lion's share of credit. This was largely because it was felt that having an American actor in the lead role would make a film more commercial in U.S. markets. The film was produced by Oakmont Productions, which specialized in making modestly-budgeted WWII films shot in the UK and generally top-lining American leading actors (one exception was Mosquito Squadron, which starred David McCallum.) Christopher George, fresh from starring in the WWII TV series The Rat Patrol, is the star of The 1,000 Plane Raid, which distorts historical fact by giving credit to Americans for launching this first, massive bombing of Germany. In fact, it was a  British operation over Cologne that took place in 1941. George plays Col Greg Brandon, a U.S. Army Air Force officer who is uniformly grim, humorless and hard-driving. He has concocted an audacious plan to deliver a death blow to a major German industrial complex that is considered a crucial target. Brandon suggests launching a thousand bombers from British airbases for a day time raid over the German complex. The top brass accepts his idea but most of the pilots consider the plan to be a suicide mission- and even Brandon concedes that a daylight raid will result in massive casualties. 

Much of the story is devoted to the human element, with Brandon not winning much love from the men in his command due to his relentless methods of training them for the big day. He even alienates the few men who admire him as well as Gaby (Laraine Stephens) , a sexy female British officer  who shares a romantic relationship with him. Brandon also comes into conflict with British liaison officer Taffy Howard (Gary Marshal), a sarcastic, independent officer whose daredevil tactics result in many a downed enemy plane but which also infuriate his superior officers. He and the buttoned-down, by-the-book Brandon lock horns instantly. Brandon also threatens to court martial Lt. Archer (Ben Murphy), a pilot he suspects of cowardice but whom Howard has taken under his wing for private training. The film is quite effective in building tension as the day of the big raid arrives- with even Brandon starting to have doubts about the prospects for success. As with most Oakmont productions, the movie benefits from a fine, intelligent script (this one by Donald S. Sanford) and strong direction by Boris Sagal (the two had previously collaborated on Mosquito Squadron). To get around the budget limitations, the producers utilize extensive real life combat footage with varying degrees of success (some of these scenes are very grainy and blurry). Nevertheless, like any Oakmont film, The 1,000 Plane Raid is first-rate entertainment on a second-rate budget. Christopher George gives a very commanding performance and one realizes that he should have been a much bigger star. To offset George's grim character, the humor in the film is deftly provided by Gary Marshal, who gives a spot-on performance as the quirky British liaison officer. (Look for Gavin MacLeod in a fairly sizable supporting role.)

(Cinema Retro's Howard Hughes is covering the Oakmont WWII movies with in-depth coverage. Issue #26 features Mosquito Squadron.)  

The DVD also contains the original trailer.

By Lee Pfeiffer

I love the sheer eclectic quality of the Twilight Time catalog. The company's DVD and Blu-ray releases run include every conceivable film genre and the range of titles runs from undisputed classics to underrated gems to massive misfires that now merit status as "guilty pleasures". Falling firmly into the latter category is Lost Horizon, producer Ross Hunter's notorious 1973 big budget musical remake of Frank Capra's 1937 classic. Both versions adhere to the basic framework of James Hilton's classic source novel but the Hunter version obviously deviates far more in order to accommodate glossy Hollywood elements. (Hilton's obviously did not allude to elaborate song and dance numbers.)  When a film that features so many talented people misfires badly, it's tempting to say, "What were they thinking???" However, in the case of Lost Horizon, special dispensation is merited for the participants because, at the time, it must have looked like an irresistible project. The director was Charles Jarrott, who was then a hot property, coming off the acclaimed films Anne of the Thousand Days and Mary, Queen of Scots. The producer was Ross Hunter, a Hollywood perennial with a sterling reputation for producing audience-pleasing box-office hits, most recently the blockbuster Airport. The score would be composed by the red-hot team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David and the cast would feature many talented actors then at the height of their careers: Peter Finch, Liv Ullmann, Michael York, George Kennedy, Sally Kellerman and Olivia Hussey- with acting royalty represented by the likes of John Gielgud and Charles Boyer. The production numbers would be choreographed by the legendary Hermes Pan, the script was penned by Larry Kramer, who recently won acclaim for his adaptation of Women in Love and the cinematographer was Robert Surtees, himself a film industry legend. What could go wrong? Against all odds, the answer would be: "Everything."

The film opens well enough with Finch as Richard Conway, a British diplomat who has tried and failed to broker a peace treaty in an unnamed Asian nation torn by civil war. We first see him trying frantically to coordinate rescue flights for stranded Americans and Europeans as rebels close in on the airport amid rioting crowds clamoring to get on the last planes out. (The scene would be replicated shortly thereafter in real life with the fall of Saigon.) Conway manages to get aboard the final flight, which takes off even as rebels pursue the plane down the runway. On board is an eclectic group consisting of Conway's brother George (Michael York), Sally Hughes (Sally Kellerman), a burned out and depressed war photographer, Sam Cornelius (George Kennedy), a once-promising architect who is now in hiding due to a financial scandal and Harry Lovett (Bobby Van), a small time night club comedian with delusions of grandeur. They find their plane has been hijacked and they are en route to an unknown destination. Ultimately, they crash land on a mountain range in the Himalayas where they are rescued in a peculiarly timely manner by a number of natives led by Chang (John Gielgud), their elderly but capable spiritual leader. The refugees make a difficult journey through a blinding snow storm before walking through a cave and emerging into a sunny, tropical oasis that is called Shangri-La. Chang explains that the community's unique geographical situation- protected by mountains on all sides- allows the weather to never vary. The warm climate allows for a year-long abundance of crops. It doesn't take the refugees long to discover that this is a fairy tale-like paradise, virtually untouched by the outside world. There are luxurious homes and temples and the people never allow personal disputes to escalate to the level of violence. It is explained that the luxuries and materials for the magnificent buildings were all brought in painstakingly by the few porters who are allowed in from the outside world. (There must have been quite an abundance, as Chang's home alone contains more furniture than the average Ikea store.) Before long, the group becomes comfortable in their new-found paradise with most reluctant to even attempt to leave, a feat that Chang says is all but impossible anyway, given the obstacles provided by nature. Richard Conway falls for Catherine (Liv Ullmann), a pretty school teacher, Harry finds value in Shangri- La that allows him to reaffirm his self-worth and even Sally and Sam form an unlikely romantic bond. George Conway, meanwhile, becomes obsessed with Maria (Olivia Hussey), a beautiful young woman who is bored with living in paradise and longs for him to take her to London. Sam begins to woo a reluctant Sally and reawakens her romantic passions. Even Harry finds his confidence improving when he becomes an unlikely mentor to local children. Nevertheless, trouble brews when George pressures Richard to accompany him and Maria on a dangerous trek out of the Himalayas. Chang warns him that she is not who she appears to be: in fact, she is a very old woman and will revert to her actual age if she leaves Shangri-La. Needless, to say, his advice is ignored. 

Perhaps this Lost Horizon could have been salvaged if the music and choreography were up to expectations, but everyone was asleep at the wheel. The Bacharach/David score contains plenty of musical numbers, but the best of them are simply bland and the worst are laughable. Hermes Pan's direction of the dance sequences is also surprisingly inept, especially a ludicrous fertility dance that resembles one of those big luau parties held every other night at Hawaiian hotels for the tourist crowds. (The sequence was understandably cut from the original release but has been restored for the video edition.) In one weird number, Liv Ullmann leads a parade of school kids who saunter about with their arms swinging back and forth as though they were auditioning for a Planet of the Apes sequel. Most of the vocals by the leading actors were dubbed (very well, in fact) and a few of the songs are bland, but pleasing given the context of the scenes they appear in. The main problem is that, for all the money spent on this lavish production, the movie simply has no heart. Unlike the original, the film never engages you on an emotional level. The Finch and York characters emerge as the most believable and their performances are the most impressive. The opening sequence, as the protagonists attempt to make a desperate escape from the besieged  airport, is the best sequence in the film. It's only when they start tossing in those musical numbers that things go downhill fast. We do get to see Sally Kellerman perform her own musical numbers, but one of them-set in a library- is so embarrassingly staged that it makes for unintentional laughter. We also learn that Olivia Hussey is quite the dancer, performing an exotic number quite impressively but it somehow seems to be one of those titillating numbers that preceded a strip show I once saw in a Hong Kong sleaze joint. Most disappointing is what should have been the emotional climax of the film- the death of her character as she ages dramatically in a matter of moments after leaving Shangri La. In the original film, it's a harrowing and riveting sequence that precedes the story's moving last sequence as Richard Conway's colleagues in a London club toast his mysterious fate as we watch him attempt (presumably successfully) to return across the mountains to his lost paradise. In the remake, these scenes fall flat and never engage the viewers as meaningfully as they should. Most of the blame must be placed on the shoulders of director Charles Jarrott, who never seems to capture the human side of the story because he has to deal with the circus-like logistics of the musical aspects of the production. Charles Boyer and John Gielgud acquit themselves well enough, but there is something inherently distasteful about watching yet another major film in which Asian characters are portrayed by Caucasian actors. 

Having said all that, one must compliment Twilight Time on their first-rate presentation of this cinematic oddity. (Some of the features were previously released on Sony's initial restored DVD version of the film) The Blu-ray transfer is beautiful  and does justice to Robert Surtees' impressive cinematography and there are some interesting extras, including an informative (and candid) assessment of the film by Julie Kirgo. There are also audio tracks of Burt Bacharach  (no singer, he) warbling his work-in-process versions of the songs. Without the bloated visuals that accompany them on film, they actually come across a lot better. He would have been better to farm the tracks out to Dionne Warwick and walk away from the film production. (These songs are creatively played against a variety of interesting behind the scenes photos from the production.) There are also are variety of TV spots and a rather well-worn, faded vintage featurette that is interesting in the way that these mini-propaganda films generally prove to be. There is also a theatrical trailer and an alternate version of a love scene between Finch and Ullmann.  

I recently discussed the film with Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne. He recalled being at the premiere and how everyone in the celebrity-packed audience seemed to know they were witnessing a disaster- except the producer, Ross Hunter (whose prestigious film career would come to an end with this film). Osborne said Hunter was strategically located at the back of the theater so he could accept congratulations from the attendees after the premiere. Osborne chuckled at the recollection of witnessing Merle Oberon climbing over seats to exit through a different door rather than have to face Hunter. If you view the film on Blu-ray, you won't have to indulge in such gymnastics. The film remains a major artistic debacle, but it should be seen, if for no other reason than to form your own conclusions. Time has a way of making bad movies sometimes look better. It's possible to appreciate the small pleasures Lost Horizon affords even if this won't ever be re-evaluated as an underrated classic.

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(This is a region free release and will play on any international Blu-ray system.)  

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Shout! Factory's mutual love affair with Mel Brooks continues unabated with the company's Blu-ray release of the special edition DVD of The Producers. (The combo pak also includes a DVD version of the film.) On the assumption that readers have not been living on the moon for the last few decades, we won't belabor the in-depth specifics of the plot. Suffice it to say that Zero Mostel created a truly immortal screen character with his interpretation of Max Bialystock, a once formidable Broadway show producer who has fallen on hard times and has been relegated to bedding rich old woman in order to eek out survival in the urban jungle of Manhattan. Through an inadvertent idea posed to him by meek accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder), Max devises an ingenious scheme to make a fortune by doing what he now does best: producing a show that is destined for financial failure. He'll over-sell majority shares of profits in a show to a wide number of gullible investors, none of whom will have to be paid providing that the show is a guaranteed failure. The show Max and his reluctant partner decide upon is titled Springtime for Hitler, a musical tribute to you-know-who written by a psychotic ex-Nazi (Kenneth Mars) who fancies himself a playwright. Although Max and Leo carry out their scheme perfectly by ensuring the show is spectacularly miscast with a brain-dead hippie (Dick Shawn) portraying Hitler, things go awry when pretentious audience members presume they are watching a brilliant satire against National Socialism. 

If you're a retro movie lover, you don't have to be told about the many virtues of the film. Suffice to say that the performances are among the best loved in screen history and the humor has a timeless quality that will probably still seem relevant and contemporary decades from now. The sheer tastelessness of the premise, however, would virtually never find financial backing in today's motion picture industry, which is largely concentrated on producing mega-budget action productions. It should be mentioned how brilliantly John Morris' musical score and numbers hold up. Probably any real retro film fan can sing Springtime for Hitler verbatim.  

The special edition is loaded with terrific extras including Laurent Bouzereau's excellent 2002 "making of" documentary that includes interviews with the surviving principals and key crew members, some of whom have sadly passed on in the intervening years. There is also a new featurette culled from another Shout! Brooks tribute set in which the writer/director discusses the uphill battle he had to bring to the film to the screen. He obtained financial backing from the legendary producer Joseph E. Levine, who was reluctant to let Brooks direct, as he had no experience doing so previously. Having won that battle, Levine forced Brooks to change the title of the film from Springtime for Hitler to The Producers because he feared audiences would think it was a story about the romance between Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun! Brooks also relates how Levine shelved the film for over a year following a poorly attended sneak preview in a New Jersey theater. A couple of fascinating anecdotes involve the fact that Brooks had cast Dustin Hoffman as Leo Bloom but Hoffman begged out of the production at the last minute so he could make The Graduate, which ironically starred Brooks' wife Anne Bancroft. Director Paul Mazursky relates how the film was rescued from oblivion after Peter Sellers ended up seeing it. Sellers took out a full page ad in Variety extolling the values of the movie and pleading for it to receive a theatrical release. The Blu-ray also contains a deleted scene that shows how Brooks originally filmed the destruction of the theater in the film's climax. While it's interesting to view it from a historical perspective, it goes on far too long and is much less effective than the version used in the final cut. There is also the original theatrical trailer and two promotional spots for other Shout! Brooks releases ass well as an extensive selection of original production design sketches. 

The film's transfer to Blu-ray is a feast for the eyes.  

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(For exclusive interview with Mel Brooks, see Cinema Retro issue #26) 

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Sony has reissued the 1961 Hammer Films title Scream of Fear as a burn-to-order DVD. Although the title would seem to imply this is a typical Hammer horror movie production, it is actually a real world suspense thriller. Susan Strasberg plays Penny Appleby, an attractive young woman from a wealthy European family who has led a life of personal turmoil. Her beloved parents had divorced and her mother later died. She depended heavily on the companionship of her personal assistant, who became her best friend. That young woman died tragically and Penny herself almost drowned in an accident that has left her confined to a wheelchair. Although afforded the best medical care in a private sanitarium, she longs to reunite with her father, who she has not seen in ten years. We first Penny when she arrives at the family mansion on the French Riviera. Her attractive stepmother Jane (Ann Todd) greets her warmly but tells her the surprising and disappointing news that her father has been called away for an indeterminate amount of time due to business reasons.  Penny makes it clear she is heartbroken by the development. Jane treats her stepdaughter with all due courtesy but it is clear there is resentment on Penny's part toward the woman she suspects is hiding a secret about her father. When she expresses skepticism about his whereabouts and well-being, she conveniently receives a phone call supposedly from her father, who gives her reassurance that he is doing fine. The call's purpose backfires, however, as Penny makes it clear to Jane she has strong suspicions that the man on the other end of the line was someone impersonating her father. Things go from bad to worse when Penny encounters a terrifying sight: the body of her dead father sitting in a chair inside a storage cottage. By the time Jane arrives to investigate, the body is inexplicably gone. More eerie occurrences haunt Penny, from mysterious piano playing to a second sighting of her dead father. Jane enlists the help of the family physician,  Dr. Gerrard (Christopher Lee), who assures the young woman that these incidents are just hallucinations brought on by stress. Soon, Penny begins to suspect that Jane and Dr. Gerrard are illicit lovers who are trying to have her declared insane. Her one ally is Robert (Ronald Lewis), the hunky family chauffeur who theorizes that  since Penny is the primary heir to her father's fortune, if she js declared mentally ill, her stepmother will inherit everything. He also posits a more frightening scenario: if Jane and Dr. Gerrard had murdered her father, they might think nothing of murdering her, as well, and staging both deaths to look like accidents. 

Scream of Fear was written and produced by legendary Hammer screenwriter Jimmy Sangster. The B&W production was shot on a low budget (this was Hammer, after all) and is very claustrophobic, with most of the action taking place inside the mansion house where Penny is subjected to an increasing number of frightening scenarios. In the true tradition of screen heroines, however, she dutifully investigates every one of them, wheeling herself into dimly lit rooms to see what has gone "bump" in the night. As with most Hammer movies, however, the film rises above its financial limitations due to the excellence of the cast and performances (Strasberg, who died in 1999 at age 60, should have been a much bigger star). Although Christopher Lee's appearances are limited, he is as effective as ever, and its refreshing to see him in a Hammer film that doesn't exploit him as a monster or mad doctor. Ronald Lewis and Ann Todd provide able support. 

Sangster's script, directed very ably by Seth Holt (who also died young, at age 47 in 1971). The story tends to go a bit over-the-top on occasion and doesn't hold up to much scrutiny. For example, the reoccurring appearances and disappearances of Penny's dead father strain credibility when the explanations are finally offered. Similarly, the fate of Todd's character in the movie's awkward final few seconds seems tacked on and is rather unconvincing. Having said that, however, in the aggregate, Sangster provides so many unexpected plot twists and turns that viewers will almost certainly find it difficult to predict where he is leading them. The film is intelligently written, directed and acted and can be highly recommended as one of the more offbeat and effective Hammer films of the period.  

The DVD is an excellent transfer. There are no bonus extras, however.  

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BY LEE PFEIFFER

By 1954, Charlton Heston had already been a popular young leading man for a few years, but Paramount still felt that Eleanor Parker had more boxoffice clout (!), thus she received top billing in the adventure tale "The Naked Jungle", available now from the Warner Archive on DVD. Nevertheless, the movie is fondly remembered by Heston fans as a pivotal entry in his career simply because it is so offbeat. A plot description might lead one to believe it is a science fiction or horror story: a South American plantation is menaced by Marabunta, an unstoppable army of billions of ants that devour any living thing in their path. However, the story is based on scientific fact, as these occurrences do take place in deep jungle, though fortunately, the real life ants are not known to eat people or animals- a fact that is predictably dispensed with by the screenwriters. Heston plays Christopher Leiningen, a self-made, wealthy owner of a vast plantation in the South American jungle (no actually country is cited as the location.) He has arranged for a mail order bride to be married to him by proxy and he would seem to have struck pay dirt. She turns out to be Joanna (Eleanor Parker), a vivacious beauty from New Orleans who has been drawn to the marriage partly by the sheer riskiness of the scenario and a deep desire to live in South America. The greeting she receives from her new husband is less-than-gracious. He may be tall, handsome and built like a rock, but he's also rude, arrogant and chauvinistic. He takes a deep dislike to Joanna because of her independent nature and inability to be completely subservient to him. He explains that his only motivation for importing a wife and treating her like a commodity is simply to produce an heir to his empire. Within days, it becomes apparent that the marriage is a disaster. The two never consummate their relationship and sleep in separate bedrooms. Christopher refers to his wife as "Madam". He explains that part of his resentment of her is based upon learning that she is a widow. He won't accept the "leavings" of another man and insists that he will only accept a virgin bride. When pressed on this issue, he hints that, because he has been isolated in the jungle since his teenage years, he is a virgin himself...and doesn't want a woman with more sexual experience than him. (Apparently, the dating scene in the Heart of Darkness leaves a lot to be desired.) This leads to some witty dialogue in which Joanna uses a piano as a sexual metaphor. They agree she should return immediately to New Orleans, but en route to the vessel that will take her, Christopher and the local commissioner (William Conrad) must divert the party to investigate rumors by panicky natives that a horrendous occurrence is taking place in the jungle. They observe miles-wide columns of killer ants heading in the direction of the plantation and devouring everything in its path, from bark on trees to plants and animals. Against the advice of the commissioner, Christopher announces he will take a stand in the unlikely scenario that he can preserve his prized plantation in the face of what seems to be certain death. Impressed by his courage, Joanna decides to stay with him...and act of courage that finally bonds the couple as husband and wife. 

The first hour of the film is the stuff of pure soap opera...but it is never less than engrossing partly because of the excellent dialogue which was co-written by blacklisted Ben Maddow (who was "fronted" by Philip Yordan) and partly due to the fact that it's rather shocking to see Heston playing a character this arrogant and unsympathetic. There is real chemistry between him and Parker, who is perfectly cast as a woman with modern sensibilities trapped in a world of repression. Things really get cooking when the preparations take place for the inevitable arrival of the ants. Director Byron Haskin milks some genuine suspense out of the scenario, using scientific close-up footage of actual ant swarms to heighten suspense. This is aided immeasurably by the addition of some menacing sound effects that accompany the invading army.  By the time the invaders have arrived at his doorstep, Christopher is locked into a battle of wits with a seemingly unstoppable army that is capable of forming strategies to avert the obstacles he has placed in their path. The finale brims with suspense as Christopher must venture out among the ants in order to attempt one last, desperate attempt to save everyone from a horrendous death. 

The Naked Jungle was filmed in Florida and on a Hollywood sound stage, but despite the obvious studio settings, the few outdoor shots pass convincingly for a South American locale. The special effects by the legendary George Pal are quite impressive and, in addition to a fine performances by Heston and Parker, William Conrad adds to the enjoyment of the film with his wry interpretation of the only man who is not intimidated by Christopher and is willing to stand up to him for his own good. (Conrad played the lead role in a previous radio play of this story titled Leiningen Vs. the Ants. Heston would star in a later radio adaptation.) 

Paramount had released this title on DVD previously but it has been out of print for a number of hears. The Warners DVD boasts an excellent transfer with colors that jump off the screen, though, sadly, there are no bonus extras. For Heston fans, this is a "must". 

Click here to order from the Warner Archive. 

By Lee Pfeiffer 

Sony has released the 1971 counter-culture comedy/drama Drive, He Said as a burn-to-order DVD title. The film is primarily remembered as the directorial debut of Jack Nicholson, who also co-produced and co-authored the screenplay with Jeremy Larner, based upon the latter's prize-winning novel. Watching the movie today (especially for the first time) serves as a reminder that not every movie from this golden period of cinema has aged well, although it was greeted with largely positive critical reviews at the time. The film is best regarded as a product of its time, when- for the first time in history- American young people collectively thumbed their noses at "The Establishment". The story follows Hector (William Tepper), a college basketball star who is idolized as a jock on campus and seen as a potential pro ball player by his hard driving coach (Bruce Dern, refreshingly playing a "normal" character). But, as with virtually all cinematic protagonists in the post-Graduate era, Hector is confused and tormented about his future. He loves playing basketball but is not very enthused about taking the easy road and playing the sport for a living, despite the money and perks this career would afford him. He seems to spend virtually no time in class, but does find a way to carry on a surreptitious affair with Olive (Karen Black), the comely, free-spirited wife of Hector's friend and professor (acclaimed screenwriter Robert Towne, very good in a rare on screen performance.) There is also considerable screen time devoted to the antics of Hector's roommate Gabriel (Michael Margotta), a political radical who is facing the disturbing prospect of being drafted into the army. To counter this possibility, he feigns insanity (a la Corporal Klinger of M*A*S*H), only to go legitimately mad in the process. 

Nicholson proves to be an adept director but he is confounded by Nicholson, the screenwriter. The characters are all somewhat interesting due to their individual eccentricities, but their personalities are never fully developed beyond a superficial level. Thus, the viewer never builds an emotional bond with any of them. The performances are all first-rate with Margotta giving an especially bold performance that requires plenty of full frontal nudity, including a sequence in which the naked Gabriel unleashes a number of dangerous snakes and insects from a college laboratory. (He should have received an Oscar for Most Courageous Ability to Put Sensitive Body Parts at Risk). The fact that the story never gels in any meaningful way leaves only some individually impressive sequences to entice the audience...but they are all roads leading to nowhere, including an abrupt, largely bewildering ending that seems more pretentious than meaningful. It should be noted that cinematographer Bill Butler provides some inventive camera work and David Shire's score is also impressive.  The movie also does evoke (for those of us old enough to remember) what it was like to be young at a time when the world was changing at lightning speed, amid some of the most cataclysmic political events ever seen. Nevertheless, Drive, He Said remains a noble but ultimately failed attempt to capture the era in any meaningful way. The parts are better than the whole. 

The Sony DVD is crisp and clean, though many films of this era have a certain gritty and grimy look to them, this one included. There are no extras included.  

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By Lee Pfeiffer 

Fox has released the 1961 B WWII movie Battle at Bloody Beach as as burn-to-order Cinema Archive title. The film stars Audie Murphy, who was trying to expand his horizons beyond the Western movie genre. This was only Murphy's second WWII movie, following his autobiographical 1955 hit To Hell and Back which chronicled how he became the most decorated soldier in American history. The story finds Murphy cast as Craig Benson, an American civilian who volunteers to serve with the U.S. Navy on highly dangerous missions to rescue American refugees stranded on Japanese-occupied islands in the Pacific. Working with local partisans, Benson succeeds in saving any number of U.S citizens who have been hiding in mountainous areas. Although hailed as a hero and placed on Japan's "most-wanted" list, Benson is not motivated by patriotic duty. Rather, he is obsessed with finding his wife Ruth (Dolores Michaels) from whom he was separated when the Japanese invaded the Philippines. Not knowing whether she is alive or dead, Benson tempts fate with his relentless searches on over 34 islands that are under the control of the enemy. On one particular island, he works with his contact, a U.S. serviceman named Marty Sackler (Gary Crosby), who runs a one-man coast-watching operation in addition to helping local resistance forces. The two men rescue some stranded Americans and Benson is overjoyed to find that Ruth is among them. His celebratory mood is short-lived, however, as she explains she has changed dramatically over the two years they have been separated. She has become a gun-toting, high skilled jungle fighter and says she refuses to go back to America with Benson because she is devoted to the cause. Benson suspects another reason for her reluctance to accompany him. He later learns that she has been romantically involved with Julio Fontana (Alejandro Rey), a local guerrilla leader who, unfortunately for Benson, also happens to look like a matinee idol. Sexual tension in bristles in this love triangle, even as the group leads a motley bunch of refugees to a beach to await pickup by a submarine. When the sub is delayed, the group takes refuge in an old beached vessel but are discovered by Japanese forces who launch an attack. The rebels are heavily armed and put up stiff resistance but their cause seems hopeless. 

Despite its hackneyed, exploitation film title, Battle at Bloody Beach is an intelligent and reasonably entertaining film. It was clearly designed for the drive-in market and was shot on a low budget on Santa Catalina Island in California, which makes a surprisingly convincing stand in for the Philippine locations. Murphy is stolid and likable, as is Crosby, who gets a few laughs by his evident enjoyment of his coast watching job since it affords him a menage a trois with two lovely young native girls. Dolores Michaels is gorgeous and quite competent as an actress, so one must assume that her film career ended shortly after this movie by her own choice. This film marked the first starring role for charismatic Alejandro Rey, who would go on to a fairly successful career in TV and films before passing away at age 57 in 1987. Ivan Dixon appears as an American boxer caught up in events who decides to fight with the guerrillas. The movie is competently directed by Herbert Coleman, who is best known for serving as associate producer on several Alfred Hitchcock classics. Producer and screenwriter Richard Maibaum was already an old hand at writing action potboilers but the next year his career would skyrocket when he became a long-standing script writer for the James Bond movies. In summary, Bloody Beach is a entertaining and fairly exciting film that demonstrates that the B movie genre could often produce some unheralded gems. 

The Fox DVD emphasizes the crisp, sharp B&W cinematography but the the movie is inexplicably presented in pan and scan format even though it was shot in Cinemascope. Whoever is making these decisions at Fox must be living in a time warp. Viewers have long ago accepted the letterbox format for widescreen movies, so why tick off retro movie lovers by altering the original format?  

The DVD contains no extras.