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To Hell and Back (1955) 7.2
The true WWII story of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. Based on the autobiography of Audie Murphy who stars as himself in the film. Director:Jesse Hibbs |
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Title: To Hell and Back (1955)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Audie Murphy | ... | ||
| Marshall Thompson | ... |
Johnson
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Charles Drake | ... |
Brandon
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| Jack Kelly | ... |
Kerrigan
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Gregg Palmer | ... |
Lieutenant Manning
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| Paul Picerni | ... |
Valentino
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| David Janssen | ... |
Lieutenant Lee
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Richard Castle | ... |
Kovak
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Bruce Cowling | ... |
Captain Marks
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Paul Langton | ... |
Colonel Howe
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Art Aragon | ... |
Sanchez
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Felix Noriego | ... |
Swope
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| Denver Pyle | ... |
Thompson
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| Brett Halsey | ... |
Saunders
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| Susan Kohner | ... |
Maria
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
True-life account of the military career of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in WWII. Native of Texas, he was placed in charge of his many younger siblings on the death of his mother and decided to join the military at the age of 18 to provide for them. His many acts of bravery and heroism during the US military advance through Italy, France and into Germany earn him increasing rank and responsibility as well as the respect of his comrades in arms. Eventually he receives two dozen of the highest medals the US and France can bestow, culminating in the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor. Written by Doug Sederberg <vornoff@sonic.net>
Taglines:
The Exciting True-Life Story Of America's Most Decorated HeroParents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
18 October 1955 (Japan) See more »Also Known As:
L'enfer des hommes See more »Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Western Electric Recording)| 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)Color:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.55 : 1
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Audie Murphy: I think you can count on it, Lieutenant.
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Did You Know?
Trivia
A total of 50,000 rounds of ammunition, 300 pounds of TNT, 600 pounds of blasting powder and 10 cases of 40% dynamite were required for the filming of the battle scenes. See more »Goofs
In the combat scene for which Murphy earned the Medal of Honor, he is shown on an abandoned and burning M4 Sherman tank, firing its .50-caliber machine gun at the German attackers. In fact, Murphy performed this heroic action on an M10 tank destroyer, not an M4 tank. See more »Quotes
Lt. Manning: At 0500 we'll open up with small arms fire. The 7th will move across at the same time. I'm sure the Jerries will throw some entertainment our way.Audie Murphy: I think you can count on it, Lieutenant.
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Audie Murphy, the greatest hero of World War II, was always a seriously underrated actor, and he had a great screen presence. This movie was a chance to make film history by featuring Murphy in his own exciting story, something that's never been done before or since. Well, Universal blew it! Not by their standards, of course, they made a lot of money. But as time goes on, this movie hasn't been well regarded, and it falls flat on contemporary viewers. Future generations will generally dismiss it.
The battle scenes play like a Disney version of the war, so sanitized the main role might have been played by Hayley Mills. Murphy adopts this curiously detached and semi- bored manner throughout the story, looking uneasy in his own uniform. You might have thought this film would have plenty of technical advisors, including Murphy himself, but everything---the gear, the scenery---looks and feels wrong. The Italian campaign, it seems, was fought in a sunny backlot, against fake Germans wearing fake uniforms with fake weapons.
Most of the other actors fit blandly into their goofy patterned innocent/naive American farmboy roles, and it wears thin after a while. Halfway through, I got the feeling that this could have been a great war classic if it had been aimed a little higher than the junior ROTC crowd. A more bitter and savage tone, tempered with American optimism, the kind of attitude that I understand Mr. Murphy actually had later in life, would have worked.
Even though I was disappointed, I still recommend watching this film because of my admiration for Audie Murphy, and to observe a particular attitude about war that was common in 1950s America. In some ways, after the crusade in Europe, that attitude was justified.