I also watched once more the World War II film The Halls of Montezuma, words from the hymn of the USA marines. The film was made with the cooperation of the Marine who used the film for recruitment purposes to great good effect when to was released in 1951. The key passage is a letter drafted by the company doctor Karl Malden to the special unit leader Richard Widmark, which is read to the company after his death. He pleads that those who survive ensure that the reality of their experience is reported and protected so that every effort is made to prevent further bloodshed, however at the same time he make the point that sometimes the killing and dying is necessary to protect and further the greater good and that it was important that the USA was not afraid to take action that was right for the world in general rather stick to its narrow self interest as a single nation.
The film focuses on the taking of a large Japanese held island in the pacific. In the days before computer generated action the flotilla of ships and landing craft is impressive. The problem the invading force has is that the Japanese have built a secret launching site, something which is not anticipated. Widmark is sent out with some of his most experience men, only 8 of the original 40 have survived to this point, to try and capture some prisoners who are holed in a cave to try and find out the location of the rocket site before the main force fo 80000 begins to rake the island. The mission provides the opportunity to learn something of the lives of the men and of their enemy. Widmark needs pain killers to combat migraine which he said is based on his fear, yet he is able to help an experienced corporal to overcome battle stage fright reminding of the courage he has shown in the past. Jack Palance is a former professional boxer who has a stabilizing role and survives the special mission to join the main advance as the film ends.
Palace has taken under his wing a young boy, played by Skip Homeier, from a poor agricultural background who pretends he is from a wealthy family. He is full of nerves anxious to get on with it. He finds himself in person to person combat which he survives but this makes him even more emotionally unstable and he returns to the mission camp demanding that the prisoners are killed. In the effort to stop him he is accidentally shot and killed by Palance. Having captured one prisoner he leads the special mission to the cave where he says others are hiding and two men are brought out by the interpreter and the Sgt (Neville Brand). This turns out to be the Ambush they feared as an grenade is thrown killing the three Japanese and blinding the sergeant. Despite his disability he shows remarkable presence at different times, reminding of the need to note the precise locations of the dead as they are buried and attempting to prevent Wagner killing the prisoners. He survives to go home. Jack Webb plays Dickerman a war Correspondent and write to presses to be involved in the action and accompanies the mission. Before he dies the doc gives him the unfinished letter for Widmark.
In the cave they capture officer who manages to take a knife and commits Hari-kari (Seppuku). He explains beforehand that their is no honour in being taken prisoner, in defeat and that the Japanese do things in reverse, wanting a good death the right death as part of their culture from birth. They also find a map and from the prisoners they believe that the rockets could be in one area where it appears there has been a train. However the area has already been closely bombed without success. The possession of Homeier they find a small map overlay he has taken from the man killed and this appears to show the location of the rocket launchers but the map is large and find the where the overlap fits is a time consuming task. They have also captured a dazed old man in the uniform of a private. Later they find that he is not just an officer but the designer of the rocket site who refuses to divulge the location information. However from what he says and the other officer about doing things in reverse, they work out that the Japanese have created an underground railway to the front of the range of hills not the rear as usual practice suggests. This did occur to me separately. The site is heavily bombed and demolished thus significant reducing the death and injury toll.
Others in the film include Robert Wagner where although claimed this was his debut performance he had already appeared in a film the year before for another film company and Richard Boone as the commanding officer, also his first film and who went on to play in many films and TV productions, and was also the cousin of singer Pat Boone. For me the best character is Reginald Johnston who plays a British speaking eccentric officer, who is in the interpreter, uses a cigarette holder and ad hoc uniform,
The film focuses on the taking of a large Japanese held island in the pacific. In the days before computer generated action the flotilla of ships and landing craft is impressive. The problem the invading force has is that the Japanese have built a secret launching site, something which is not anticipated. Widmark is sent out with some of his most experience men, only 8 of the original 40 have survived to this point, to try and capture some prisoners who are holed in a cave to try and find out the location of the rocket site before the main force fo 80000 begins to rake the island. The mission provides the opportunity to learn something of the lives of the men and of their enemy. Widmark needs pain killers to combat migraine which he said is based on his fear, yet he is able to help an experienced corporal to overcome battle stage fright reminding of the courage he has shown in the past. Jack Palance is a former professional boxer who has a stabilizing role and survives the special mission to join the main advance as the film ends.
Palace has taken under his wing a young boy, played by Skip Homeier, from a poor agricultural background who pretends he is from a wealthy family. He is full of nerves anxious to get on with it. He finds himself in person to person combat which he survives but this makes him even more emotionally unstable and he returns to the mission camp demanding that the prisoners are killed. In the effort to stop him he is accidentally shot and killed by Palance. Having captured one prisoner he leads the special mission to the cave where he says others are hiding and two men are brought out by the interpreter and the Sgt (Neville Brand). This turns out to be the Ambush they feared as an grenade is thrown killing the three Japanese and blinding the sergeant. Despite his disability he shows remarkable presence at different times, reminding of the need to note the precise locations of the dead as they are buried and attempting to prevent Wagner killing the prisoners. He survives to go home. Jack Webb plays Dickerman a war Correspondent and write to presses to be involved in the action and accompanies the mission. Before he dies the doc gives him the unfinished letter for Widmark.
In the cave they capture officer who manages to take a knife and commits Hari-kari (Seppuku). He explains beforehand that their is no honour in being taken prisoner, in defeat and that the Japanese do things in reverse, wanting a good death the right death as part of their culture from birth. They also find a map and from the prisoners they believe that the rockets could be in one area where it appears there has been a train. However the area has already been closely bombed without success. The possession of Homeier they find a small map overlay he has taken from the man killed and this appears to show the location of the rocket launchers but the map is large and find the where the overlap fits is a time consuming task. They have also captured a dazed old man in the uniform of a private. Later they find that he is not just an officer but the designer of the rocket site who refuses to divulge the location information. However from what he says and the other officer about doing things in reverse, they work out that the Japanese have created an underground railway to the front of the range of hills not the rear as usual practice suggests. This did occur to me separately. The site is heavily bombed and demolished thus significant reducing the death and injury toll.
Others in the film include Robert Wagner where although claimed this was his debut performance he had already appeared in a film the year before for another film company and Richard Boone as the commanding officer, also his first film and who went on to play in many films and TV productions, and was also the cousin of singer Pat Boone. For me the best character is Reginald Johnston who plays a British speaking eccentric officer, who is in the interpreter, uses a cigarette holder and ad hoc uniform,
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