Bataan (1943)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Tay Garnett

Writer:

Robert Hardy Andrews (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 April 1944 (Sweden)

Genre:

War

Tagline:

THE STORY OF A PATROL OF 13 HEROES

Plot:

Japan has just invaded the Phillipines and the US Army attempts a desperate defence. Thirteen men are...

Plot Keywords:

U.S. Army | Bridge | Japan | Bataan | Attack

Cast

Robert Taylor	...	Sergeant Bill Dane
George Murphy	...	Lieut. Steve Bentley
Thomas Mitchell	...	Corp. Jake Feingold
Lloyd Nolan	...	Corp. Barney Todd
Lee Bowman	...	Capt. Henry Lassiter
Robert Walker	...	Leonard Purckett
Desi Arnaz	...	Felix Ramirez
Barry Nelson	...	F.X. Matowski
Phillip Terry	...	Matthew Hardy
Roque Espiritu	...	Corp. Juan Katigbak
Kenneth Spencer	...	Wesley Eeps
Alex Havier	...	Yankee Salazar (as J. Alex Havier)
Tom Dugan	...	Sam Malloy
Donald Curtis	...	Lieutenant

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish | Latin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:G | Norway:16 | Finland:K-16 (1964) | Finland:S (1945) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #9122) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review)

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer paid RKO $6,500 for the right to use scenes from The Lost Patrol (1934) in this movie. In his autobiography, M-G-M executive producer Dore Schary refers to this film as a remake of that one.

Goofs:

Continuity: Although the American soldier may have been a great coconut tree climber, it is nigh on impossible to sit atop a coconut tree. Many Filipinos to this day fall when attempting this.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Biography: Jennifer Jones: Portrait of a Lady" (2001)

Soundtrack:

St. Louis Blues

Good early WWII action

Robert Taylor gives a gritty performance as the leader of a thrown together unit fighting a delaying action during the fall of the Philipines. Lloyd Nolan does a good job as a professional soldier with a past, Thomas Mitchell is good as the older career soldier, perhaps a bit out of shape from years of peace time duty. Robert Walkers portrayal of a young homesick sailor is a good start on his career. This 1943 movie features some of the best hand to hand combat scenes to come out of any war movie, regardless of era. The exhaustion afterwards is strikingly realistic. This movie, dialogue included, is patriotic. At the time of Bataan, there wasn't much good news as the US had suffered some devastating defeats. The characters, regardless of race or creed, are treated equally which is a real plus for that time. I first saw this movie in a theatre when I was 9, (and yes, after the movie was over, the house lights came on and the ushers passed thru the audience selling War Stamps). I liked the movie then, and like it even more now. I give it a 9.

NOTE: A previous persons comment stated that they were not even wearing American helmets. In fact, the helmets worn in the movie ARE correct for the American Army in the early 1940's.