To Hell and Back (1955)

Director:

Jesse Hibbs

Writers:

Gil Doud (written for the screen by)
Audie Murphy (autobiography "To Hell And Back")

Release Date:

18 October 1955 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Drama | Romance | War

Tagline:

The Exciting True-Life Story Of America's Most Decorated Hero

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Honor | Medal Of Honor | Italy | Bravery | Heroism

Cast

Audie Murphy	...	Audie Murphy
Marshall Thompson	...	Johnson
Charles Drake	...	Brandon
Jack Kelly	...	Kerrigan
Gregg Palmer	...	Lieutenant Manning
Paul Picerni	...	Valentino
David Janssen	...	Lieutenant Lee
Richard Castle	...	Kovak
Bruce Cowling	...	Captain Marks
Paul Langton	...	Colonel Howe
Art Aragon	...	Sanchez
Felix Noriego	...	Swope
Denver Pyle	...	Thompson
Brett Halsey	...	Saunders
Susan Kohner	...	Maria
Anabel Shaw	...	Helen
Mary Field	...	Mrs. Murphy
Julian Upton	...	Steiner
Gordon Gebert	...	Audie as a Boy
Walter Bedell Smith	...	Himself (as General Walter Bedell Smith USA {Ret.})
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jimmy Baird	...	Preston Murphy - Older (uncredited)
Nan Boardman	...	Maria's Mother (uncredited)
Rand Brooks	...	Lt. Harris (uncredited)
John Bryant	...	Jim Houston (uncredited)
Alexander Campbell	...	Rector (uncredited)
Joey Costaretta	...	Vincenzo (uncredited)
Maria Costi	...	Julia (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan	...	Scottish Soldier (uncredited)
Hugh E. Davis	...	British Soldier (uncredited)
Gine De Bard	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Bobby Diamond	...	Gene Murphy - Age 10 (uncredited)
Bruce Frichtl	...	Richard Murphy - Age 11 (uncredited)
Anthony Garcen	...	Lt. Burns (uncredited)
Patty Ann Gerrity	...	Beatrice Murphy - Age 6 (uncredited)
Karen Green	...	Beatrice Murphy - Older (uncredited)
Harold 'Tommy' Hart	...	Sgt. Klasky (uncredited)
Dale Hartleben	...	Gene Murphy - Older (uncredited)
Edna Holland	...	Mrs. Edna Houston (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	...	Jennings (uncredited)
Vito Jacobellis	...	Urchin (uncredited)
Barbara James	...	Exotic singer / dancer Cleopatra (uncredited)
Gayle Kellogg	...	Air Force Sergeant (uncredited)
Don Kennedy	...	Marine Recruiting Sergeant (uncredited)
Henry Kulky	...	Sgt. Stack (uncredited)
Andrea Lee	...	Nadine Murphy - Age 8 (uncredited)
Rankin Mansfield	...	Dr. Snyder (uncredited)
William Marks	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
John McIntire	...	Narrator (uncredited)
James McLaughlin	...	MP (uncredited)
Madge Meredith	...	Corinne (uncredited)
Mort Mills	...	Soldier in Bunk (uncredited)
Terry Murphy	...	Preston Murphy - Age 4 (uncredited)
John Pickard	...	MP (uncredited)
Tao Porchon	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Howard Price	...	Truck Driver (uncredited)
Didi Ramati	...	Carla (uncredited)
Otto Reichow	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
Ralph Sanford	...	Chief Petty Officer (uncredited)
Gisele Verlaine	...	French Girl (uncredited)
Joan Vie	...	Nadine Murphy - Older (uncredited)
Lee Warren	...	MP (uncredited)
Howard Wright	...	Mr. Ben Houston (uncredited)
Lloyd L. Wyatt	...	Pierce - Tank Commander (uncredited)

Directed by
Jesse Hibbs

Writing credits
Gil Doud		(written for the screen by)
Audie Murphy		(autobiography "To Hell And Back")

Produced by
Aaron Rosenberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Irving Gertz		(uncredited)
William Lava		(uncredited)
Henry Mancini		(uncredited)
Lou Maury		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Maury Gertsman		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Edward Curtiss

Art Direction by
Robert Clatworthy
Alexander Golitzen

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin
Russell A. Gausman

Makeup Department
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lew Leary	....	unit production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Shaw	....	assistant director
Phil Bowles	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Terence Nelson	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
John A. Bolger Jr.	....	sound
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound

Visual Effects by
Monty Phillips	....	digital artist (digital restoration) (uncredited)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital restoration supervisor (uncredited)
Brad Reinke	....	digital restoration producer (restored version) (uncredited)

Stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	music supervisor

Other crew
William Fritzsche	....	technicolor color consultant
Leonard E. Murray	....	technical advisor (as Major Leonard J. Murray Infantry U.S.A.)
Michael Paulick	....	technical advisor (as Colonel Michael Paulick Infantry U.S.A.)
Bob Forrest	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI) (presents) (as Universal - International)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1955) (USA) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Comet Video (????) (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Deluxe Digital Studios  DVD transfer
• Department of Defense, The  we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of
• Department of the Army  we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of (as The Department of the Army)
• Officers and Men of Fort Lewis, Washington, The  we gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of
• Technicolor  prints

Also Known As:

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Western Electric Recording) | 4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #17377) | UK:PG | Iceland:12 | West Germany:18 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Fort Lewis, Washington, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Audie Murphy's feats of heroism and much decorated status has likened him to be considered a World War II version of World War I's Sgt. Alvin Cullum York, whose feats of heroism and much decorated status was the subject of its own earlier Hollywood movie in Sergeant York (1941).

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Kerrigan tells Audie "Come on, I got just the thing to do it!" His mouth never moves.

Quotes:

Kerrigan:[Observing the starving Italian orphans picking through garbagr cans] They picked a great time to be born, didn't they?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Medal of Honor (1955)

Soundtrack:

Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean

"To Hell and Back" one of the best war movies ever made !

In my opinion 'To Hell and Back' is one of the best war movie ever made, (right next to 'Saving Private Ryan') because it was about a true story of a kid from Texas with a run-a-way Father and a dead Mother, wanted to do something for the war effort but was turned down by every other service except the Army, and the Army had second thoughts. What makes this movie very special is the fact that the most ever to date decorated US soldier (two dozen of the highest medals) and a Congressional Medal of Honor receiver, not only lived through the war, but in fact played himself ! after being talked into it, seems he didn't want to play himself, he thought it would degrade the Medal of Honor.

I watched a run of this movie on the History Channel, it was a show called, is it 'History or Hollywood' where by at the end of the show 3 Historians discuss a movie for Historic correctness, every one said if anything this movie was under stated of what Audie Murphy truly did in Europe during WWII, one said it was down played because of Audie Murphy himself, because his Army recorded as witness by others has him doing lots more, but that was the personality of Audie Murphy, imagine watching a movie were the battle's and the deeds are true, they called out a seen where Audie's best friend gets shot, he really did go ballistic charging at the German machine gun nest that killed him, picks up a German Machine gun then proceeds to take out 2 or 3 more gun sites, by using the German gun it didn't give a warning to the Germans, he saved countless American lives coming up that mountain, a brilliant movie.

My only wish is for this movie to come out on DVD, please release 'To Hell and Back' on DVD !