Battle Circus (1953)

Director:

Richard Brooks

Writers:

Allen Rivkin (story) and
Laura Kerr (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

6 March 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | War | Drama

Tagline:

M-G-M's great drama of desire under fire!

Plot:

Set in Korea and made during the war, this is the love story of a hard-bitten Army surgeon, and a new nurse ready to save the world.

Plot Keywords:

Korean War

Cast

Humphrey Bogart	...	Maj. Jed Webbe
June Allyson	...	Lt. Ruth McGara
Keenan Wynn	...	Sgt. Orvil Statt
Robert Keith	...	Lt. Col. Hilary Walters
William Campbell	...	Capt. John Rustford
Perry Sheehan	...	Lt. Laurence
Patricia Tiernan	...	Lt. Rose Ashland
Adele Longmire	...	Lt. Jane Franklin
Jonathan Cott	...	Adjutant
Ann Morrison	...	Lt. Edith Edwards
Helen Winston	...	Lt. Graciano
Sarah Selby	...	Capt. Dobbs
Danny Chang	...	Korean child
Philip Ahn	...	Korean prisoner
Steve Forrest	...	Sergeant
Jeff Richards	...	Lieutenant
Dick Simmons	...	Capt. Norson
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ralph Ahn	...	Korean Prisoner (uncredited)
Patrick Allen	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Robert Board	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Division Surgeon (uncredited)
Wen Ti Chang	...	Korean Father (uncredited)
Jim Cronin	...	Enlisted Man (uncredited)
Victor Desny	...	French U.N. Soldier (uncredited)
Roger Etienne Everaert	...	French U.N. Soldier (uncredited)
Michael Galloway	...	Enlisted Man (uncredited)
Ted Jordan	...	Casualty (uncredited)
Joseph Keane	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Richard Landry	...	Phone Operator (uncredited)
Tony Layng	...	English Casualty (uncredited)
Mickey McCardle	...	Technician (uncredited)
Roger McGee	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Sammy McKim	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Steve Mitchell	...	Driver (uncredited)
Alvy Moore	...	Runnker (uncredited)
Roland Morris	...	Corporal (uncredited)
Leo Needham	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Major General (uncredited)
Robert Nichols	...	Pvt. Sommers - Patient (uncredited)
William Self	...	Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
John Sheffield	...	British Officer (uncredited)
Jamshid Sheibani	...	Turkish Soldier (uncredited)
Arthur Space	...	Colonel (uncredited)
Richard Tyler	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Tommy Walker	...	Technician (uncredited)
William Yip	...	Korean (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Brooks

Writing credits
Allen Rivkin		(story) and
Laura Kerr		(story)
Richard Brooks		(writer)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Lennie Hayton

Cinematography by
John Alton

Film Editing by
George Boemler

Art Direction by
James Basevi
Cedric Gibbons

Set Decoration by
Alfred E. Spencer
Edwin B. Willis

Makeup Department
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist
Vera Peterson	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Al Jennings	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording supervisor

Special Effects by
A. Arnold Gillespie	....	special effects

Stunts
Yakima Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Mary Couch	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Mary Couch)
K.E. Van Buskirk	....	technical advisor (as Lt. Col. K.E. Van Buskirk)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1953) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• CBS Television (1979) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

MASH 66 (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16175)

Filming Locations:

Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The film originally had a different title but the studio and the director thought that title would mislead audiences, so the title "Battle Circus" was instead chosen. The title that was rejected: "MASH".

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The aircraft strafing the hospital at the beginning of the movie have USAF markings.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Bacall on Bogart (1988) (TV)

like a bland episode of MASH without the laughs and it gets worse each time I see it!

This is indeed a strange movie. Apart from MASH, I can't think of another film that deals with Korean War mobile hospitals. This COULD have been interesting, but it wasn't. Most of it is because the war is really secondary. The primary focus of the film is the horny character played by Bogart in his never-ending quest to get inside June Allyson's underwear! And he is SO unconvincing in this role and her character is such an idiot!! Mostly because Bogey frankly looked too old to be playing a young horn-dog and the dialog they gave him was unbelievably corny and filled with sleazy double-entendres! And, because he is the lead, you KNOW that regardless of how unappealing his character is and how much he SHOULD be taken up on sexual harassment charges, he'll get the girl by the end of the picture. As for June Alysson, she plays a complete dummy, as each time Bogey makes totally inappropriate advances on her, she blames herself for his pig-like behaviors!!

The only positives in the film were the performance by Keenan Wynn as well as the behind the scenes portions (such as showing the MASH unit packing and moving). Unfortunately, these positives are hugely outweighed by the negatives. So, unless you are a MAJOR Bogart fan, avoid this picture.