BY DOUG OSWALD
Aldo
Ray, Cliff Robertson and Raymond Massey are soldiers at odds with one another
in “The Naked and the Dead,” available on Blu-ray via the Warner Archive
Collection. It’s 1943 and America is island hopping in the Pacific during WWII.
The film was directed by Raoul Walsh and based on the best selling novel
written by Norman Mailer, who was inspired by his personal experiences in the
Pacific front during the war. “The Naked and the Dead” is a sibling of sorts to
“Battle Cry,” another film directed by Walsh and based on a best selling novel
by Leon Uris. Both movies share a similar melodrama and the use of extended
transgressions that take us out of the battle front via flashbacks. Both movies
also share several of the same actors in lead and supporting rolls. It’s hard
not to draw comparisons, but “The Naked and the Dead” is the weaker of the two
movies in terms of story and performances and it feels like there’s less at
stake.
Aldo
Ray is the nastiest of the bunch as Sergeant Sam Croft, the seasoned platoon
sergeant and borderline sociopath who cuts out gold teeth from dead Japanese
soldiers and carries them in a pouch around his neck. In a flashback we meet
his wife Mildred, played by Barbara Nichols, who is caught cheating by Croft.
Later in the movie, one of Croft’s men finds a wounded bird which Croft crushes
to death in his fist. Ray is perfect for this part and while it’s hard to like
Croft, it’s hard not to enjoy Ray’s performance in this movie. He’s the kind of
platoon sergeant that would inspire anyone to want to transfer out.
Raymond
Massey is Brigadier General Cummings, a man of ambition which may exceed his
capabilities. In many ways he’s not much different than Sergeant Croft. Both
men are overtly depicted, or at the very least it’s insinuated, as being
incapable of pleasing their wives. General Cummings feels soldiers are expendable
pawns and if this isn’t clear, he discusses this during a game of chess with his
military aide. Cummings is okay with the officers having a few luxuries denied
the enlisted men.
Cliff
Robertson is Lieutenant Robert Hearn, the personal aide for General Cummings.
Hearn comes from a respected and wealthy family and he’s lead the life of a
playboy until departing for war. We see him dreaming about a dozen beautiful
women catering to his every need, but is he longing for the good old days or a
wasted bachelor life? The battle of wills between Hearn and Cummings devolves
into pettiness by Cummings resulting in Hearn requesting a transfer. Hearn is reassigned
to take command of Croft’s platoon and they are ordered to take a hill
controlled by the Japanese ahead of an airstrike being pushed by General
Cummings.
Assigning
Lieutenant Hearn to command the platoon doesn’t sit well with Sergeant Croft,who
sends Lieutenant Hearn through the mountain pass knowing the Japanese are there
waiting for them. In what appears to be several days journey through the jungle,
across a river and then climbing through a mountain pass, several of the men
are killed by various means including a venomous snake, falling from a mountain
cliff and enemy fire. When it comes time for the survivors to call in the enemy
position and meet up with the Navy transport, they seemingly arrive on the
beach in minutes. It’s a small quibble, but the movie is trying to be a“Bridge on the River Kwai” -type epic rather than
keeping to small scale melodrama. The movie exteriors are believable and were
filmed on location in the Republic of Panama with extensive use of studio
interiors and matte paintings.
The
film opens at the Jungle Bar in Honolulu where we meet the principal characters
including stripper Willa Mae (Lily St. Cyr), the love interest of L.Q. Jones as
Woody Wilson, one of several familiar faces in the film. Filling out the
platoon is William Campbell as Brown, Richard Jaeckel as Gallagher, Joey Bishop
as Roth and Robert Gist as Red. They offer much of the brief comic relief in
the otherwise grim movie.
Raoul
Walsh’s career was winding down by the time he directed “The Naked and the
Dead.” Known for his crime dramas and military themed movies, Walsh created the
tough guy personas associated with James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart and Errol
Flynn in a wide variety of hit movies throughout the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
The
screenplay is by Denis and Terry Sanders. Denis is a two-time Academy Award
winning documentarian and is perhaps best known for directing the 1970 documentary
“Elvis: That’s the Way it Is” and the 1971 concert movie “Soul to Soul.” Denis also
directed the 1962 war drama “War Hunt,” the 1964 drama “Shock Treatment” and
the 1973 cult favorite “Invasion of the Bee Girls.” He also worked as a
director and writer on several 1950s and 1960s TV series. He would occasionally
work with his brother Terry, another two-time Academy Award winner, a writer
and also director, mostly for television. He’s probably best known for his military
themed documentaries such as 1989s “Return with Honor”, 2008 film “Fighting for
Life” and most recently the 2021 documentary “9th Circuit Cowboy.”
“The
Naked and the Dead” was a co-production by RKO and Warner Bros. released in
August 1958. The movie is presented in widescreen WarnerScope, features a score
by the great Bernard Herrmann and clocks in at two hours and 11 minutes. If the
movie suffers, it’s because it needs more time to flesh out the characters,
especially those played by Cliff Robertson and Raymond Massey, as their parts
feel underdeveloped. When we finally get to the climactic action piece, the
movie tends to bog down. The Blu-ray looks and sounds terrific with the
theatrical trailer as the only supplement on the disc. The movie is a guilty
pleasure of mine and, while far from perfect, makes a great weekend double bill
with “Battle Cry.” The movie is recommended for fans of gritty military films.
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