Hell to Eternity (1960)

 

               “Hell to Eternity” is a biopic of Guy Babaldon. He was a Marine who was awarded the Navy Cross for his bravery during the invasion of Saipan in WWII. It was directed by Phil Karlson (“Hornet’s Nest”). He was able to film on Okinawa.  It cost $800,000 and made about $2,800,000. 

               Guy (Jeffrey Hunter) is a juvenile delinquent and a bad-ass in high school. His dad is dead and his mom is in the hospital. His PE teacher takes him in. Guy, who is Hispanic, is adopted by the teacher’s  Nisei family. Ten years later, after Pearl Harbor, the father and mother are relocated to an internment camp. His two adoptive brothers enlist in the famous 442^nd Regimental Combat Team. Guy enlists in the Marines. Because he learned Japanese from the family, he becomes an interpreter. He bonds with Staff Sergeant Bill Hazen (David Janssen). They land as part of the first wave on the island of Saipan. His job is to coax Japanese soldiers and civilians into coming out of their hiding places, like caves. The death of a close friend snaps Guy and he becomes a Rambo. (The scene is reminiscent of Audie Murphy in “To Hell and Back” when his best friend is killed.)

               Although “Hell to Eternity” is a biopic, but it is closer to a standard WWII in the Pacific war movie. There is plenty of action on the island which is good because it takes the movie a boring while to get there. There is a particularly bad scene where Guy woos a woman in a bar, just so she can appear on the movie poster. The movie drops her like a hot potato and suddenly Guy is on Saipan. In spite of the availability of 500 Marines from a nearby camp and a lot of Japanese veterans, the beach assault is small scale and unrealistic. The veterans are used in a daylight banzai charge. The Marines charge out to meet them in no man’s land! Marines aren’t cowards that stay in their fox holes to mow Japanese exposing themselves to their firepower. At least, that’s what the movie wants you to think.  We get a chaotic melee with poorly choreographed hip-shooting and hand-to-hand fighting. It’s laughable and very inauthentic when it comes to tactics. The battlefield is left with dead bodies aplenty. Of course, no one is wounded. Now it’s time for Guy to do his job. There is a montage of him talking Japanese out of caves. It’s all so easy. No Japanese soldier refuses to surrender. This all changes after his buddy is killed. Now Guy shoots surrendering Japanese, until he gets a letter from his adoptive mother. He snaps back in time to negotiate with the Japanese commanding general. The campaign on Saipan is rife with silliness. Since the movie was released in 1960, American cinema was in its “Japan was a respected foe” phase. Its soldiers are not depicted as fanatical in this movie. And Americans are shown treating prisoners fairly. Well, most of the time.

               The cast is average and benefits from Jeffrey Hunter (who was an underrated actor) and David Janssen. The cinematography and score are ordinary. It’s just a typical B-movie. It was entertaining back in its day, but for most discerning war movie lovers today, it is too long and it is unrealistic. It insulted my intelligence, but I don’t think you need to be knowledgeable about the war in the Pacific to know that the combat is silly. Try watching this after the Peleliu scenes in “The Pacific” limited series. The gulf in quality and realism is huge.

               HISTORICAL ACCURACY:  The movie is pretty accurate. Gabaldon was in a gang in high school His life turned aroune when he went to live with the Nakanos. He learned to speak Japanese. When the family was relocated, he moved to Alaska to work in a cannery. When he reached age 17, he enlisted in the Marines. He went through basic training and was designated an interpreter. On the first night, Guy went out on his own to bring in prisoners. He was threatened with court martial for leaving his post without leave. But he kept going out. Sometimes he shot the guards and then talked the soldiers and civilians into coming out of the cave. He became known as the “Pied Piper of Saipan”. July 7 marked the largest banzai attack of the war.  On July 8, 1943, Gabaldon talked to a Japanese officers and convinced them the battle was over and he should surrender. Around 800 Japanese came in. He was credited with 1,500 on both Saipan and Tinian. (There has been  some disputing of his record and some argue that he was a self-promoter.)  I found no reference to his cracking and killing a lot of Japanese. Guy Gabaldon was the technical adviser on the film (and later named one of his kids after Jeffrey Hunter).  He did not put a stop to the sequence where he became a mass-killer.

 

GRADE  =  C-

Pride of the Marines (1945)

                   Al Schmid was one of the most famous Marine heroes from WWII.  He was blinded defending a machine gun position against a massive Japanese banzai attack on Guadalcanal.  He was a good choice for a biopic to boost morale during the war.  Warner Brothers took up the task.  The book “Al Schmid Marine” by Roger Butterfield was adapted.  The screenplay was nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.  It was directed by Delmer Davis (“Destination Tokyo” and “Task Force”).  It was a box office success.

                   The movie opens with narration by Schmid.  We get a tour of his home town of Philadelphia, including the Liberty Bell and Betsy Ross’ home.  Patriotism!  Early on we get a “gee willikers!”  It’s that kind of movie.  The first part of the movie establishes Schmid as the confirmed bachelor, but quite the ladies’ man.  He lives with a married couple.  Al:  “I live alone and like it.”  Jim:  “You  live alone and look it.”  Oh, 1940’s snap!  May sets up Al with a feisty woman named Ruth (Eleanor Parker).  She thinks he’s a “drip” and they hate-banter, so you know they are cinematicly destined.  After Pearl Harbor, Al enlists because “shooting Japs will be more fun than shooting bears.”  The second part skips the boot camp montage and plunges Schmid into Guadalcanal where one Marine says:  “I’m gonna dig this hole so deep it will be just short of desertion.”  Some of the slang we get:  dope, scuttlebutt, chow, smokes. The Japanese are called “nips” or “shambos”.  On the fateful night of the Battle of Tenaru, Schmid and two mates are in a fox hole with a M1917 Browning machine gun.  The night starts with “Maline, tonite you die!”  Response:  “Eat dirt, Tojo!”  Or if you want to be more specific:  “I’ll give you blood poisoning, you ring-tails!”  Unfortunately, one of those ring-tails throws a grenade that blinds Al.  The third part has Schmid dealing with his blinding and determined to avoid Ruth.  “Dear Ruth, I’m not coming back.  Good luck”. 

                   “Pride of the Marines” is slightly better than your typical WWII biopic.  The acting is fine from a good cast.  Garfield was a pretty big star back then.  He befriended the Schmids so he took the role seriously.  He really did not have the range for the role, but he’s appealing.  The dialogue has some good cracks in it, but it is fairly standard.  It keeps the patriotism down, except for one cringe-worthy scene among disabled veterans in the hospital which concludes with a terribly schmaltzy speech.  There is a clear theme of accepting wounded veterans back into society.  Give them a job!  Although a war movie, there is only one brief combat scene.  It is done on a sound stage, so don’t expect much.  It is pretty accurate in covering his Navy Cross-worthy effort.  The Japanese attack involved 800 men.  Schmid was wounded several times, but continued to fire for four hours, even after he was blinded.  200 bodies were found in front of their position.  He did go through a rough rehabilitation period, but I could not find out if the melodramatic romantic developments occurred.  I would assume Hollywood had some say on how his relationship with Ruth was portrayed.

                   “Pride of the Marines” is very much a product of its time.  Contrast it with more recent disabled veteran movies like “Born on the 4^th of July” and “Coming Home”.  In “Pride”, the hospital is almost like a frat house.  We’ve come a long way in handling the subject realistically.  But we have also become more cynical in handling our heroes.  Schmid deserved a movie and it does him justice, even though it is simplistic and overly patriotic.

GRADE  =  C

Ambush Bay (1966)

 

                    “Ambush Bay” was a B-movie directed by Ron Winston (usually a TV director).  It was filmed in the Philippines.  Mickey Rooney became ill during the filming and while he was laid up, his wife was killed by her lover in a murder-suicide.

                    The movie is set in the Philippines in October, 1944.  Nine men from a recon team are being sent in to make contact with a spy.  These dudes are serious.  They put camouflage on their faces on the plane.  They wear camo uniforms and have silencers.  One of the nine is a radio operator who is coopted for the mission.  PFC Grenier (James Mitchum) narrates, so we know he is going to survive.  The rest of the nine, don’t bet on them.  The whittling begins almost immediately as their commanding officer (played by Lt. Col. Clement Stadler -  Navy Cross recipient and technical adviser) is killed.  Sgt. Corey (Hugh O’Brian) takes over and leads his crew through the jungle.  Corpses #2 and #3 come from a fire fight with Japanese that have a tank.  #4 dies from a punji trap.  Another fire fight claims #5 and #6.  And #7 is Mickey Rooney.  He dies from a grenade, for the third war movie in a row.  In between all this bloodshed Corey makes contact with the spy (Tisa Chang) in a tea house.  Since there is still some film available, a new mission involving blowing up a mine field is added for a big finish and because Corey is still alive.

                    “Ambush Bay” breaks no new ground in the commando mission subgenre, but it entertained drive-in movie audiences.  However, for a low-rent crowd-pleaser, it is surprisingly downbeat.  Besides the very low survival rate of the crew, the crew leader is not likeable.  Corey is supposed to be a role model, but he is actually a hard-ass bastard.  Grenier is a typical cinematic military whiner.  He and Corey do not get along so we get some dysfunction.  Humor is provided by Mickey Rooney, who is basically playing the same character that he played in “The Secret Invasion”.  His humor does not change the fact that the movie is pretty grim.  The acting is not a detriment.  Mitchum, O’Brian, and Rooney dominate as none of the other soldiers register.  Chang plays an interesting female character.  The combat is above average and the deaths are not melodramatic.

                    “Ambush Bay” is a forgettable “who will survive?” behind the lines action flick.  Although the body count is predictable, it does veer away from tropes a bit.  If you remind yourself it is not a documentary and are just interested in a popcorn (Jiffy Pop would be time appropriate) picture, it will kill some time. 

GRADE  =  C+

THE PACIFIC - Episodes 9 & 10

 

EPISODE 9 (Okinawa)  -  Sledge is sent to Okinawa with his unit replacing an Army unit.  This episode concentrates on the difference between replacements and veterans.  Sledge and Snafu have to deal with a naïve private named Hamm who gradually earns their respect by trying to do what’s right and standing up to their hazing.  Hamm represents the green Sledge and his unrusted humanity is contrasted to Sledge’s descent into wanting to kill all Japs.  The episode has a dominoes falling subplot involving Snafu’s “trading” his old, hole-filled pancho for a newbie’s brand new one.  This will have tragic results. This episode also focuses a lot on the effect of war on civilians.  The combat has a no man’s land feel to it with the Japanese civilians caught in the middle.  There is an incident where Japanese use civilians as human shields.  Some of the grittiest battle scenes occur in this episode plus the added affronts to humanity.  The set is amazing -  full of mud and dead bodies. Sledge goes to the edge of barbarism, but pulls back from the brink in a heartbreaking scene involving a dying woman in a hut Sledge had hit with a mortar round.  This is the best episode of the series and the acting by Joseph Mazello and Raimi Malek is outstanding.   

 Grade = A+

EPISODE 10 (Home)  -  The war is over and Leckie is convalescing in a hospital.  Sledge is still on Okinawa, but has been out of combat for weeks.  He and Snafu celebrate the wars end.  Leckie returns home and starts dating the girl next door and renews his career as a journalist.  Lena visits Basilone’s family and they have some bitter sweet moments.  Sledge returns to his caring parents, but is suffering from PTSD and has trouble adjusting to civilian life.  This episode is a lackluster post script to the series.   

Grade = C