Between Heaven and Hell (1956)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Harry Brown (screenplay)
Francis Gwaltney (novel)

Release Date:

5 December 1956 (Japan)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

From the best-selling novel of young love in war!

Plot:

The spoiled rich son of a wealthy Southerner is changed by his experiences in the Pacific during World War II.

Plot Keywords:

Sergeant | Colonel | Cotton | National Guard | Bravery

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Robert Wagner	...	Sfc. / Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford
Terry Moore	...	Jenny Gifford
Broderick Crawford	...	Capt. 'Waco' Grimes, CO Co.G
Buddy Ebsen	...	Pvt. Willie Crawford
Robert Keith	...	Col. Cousins
Brad Dexter	...	Lt. Joe Johnson aka Little Joe
Mark Damon	...	Pvt. Terry Co. G
Ken Clark	...	Morgan
Harvey Lembeck	...	Pvt. Bernard "Bernie" Meleski (Co. G)
Skip Homeier	...	Pvt. Swanson Co.G
L.Q. Jones	...	Pvt. Kenny Co.G
Tod Andrews	...	Lt. Ray Mosby
Biff Elliot	...	Tom Thumb Co.G
Bart Burns	...	Pvt. Raker Co.G

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

South Korea:12 | USA:Approved (certificate #18043) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Malibu Creek State Park - 1925 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Tod Andrews character is named Lt. Ray Mosby. Andrews would later portray Maj. John Singleton Mosby in the television series "The Gray Ghost" (1957).

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the cast listing, Robert Wagner is listed as Sfc/Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford. He should be listed as T/Sgt/Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford. The rank Sfc (Sergeant First Class) did not exist during WWII. At that time it was T/Sgt (Technical Sergeant).

Great Early Widescreen

Considering that Cinemascope had been introduced only three years earlier, this is one of the outstanding examples from the 50s of a director and cinematographer composing shots for widescreen. I've been teaching film for almost 40 years and would unhesitatingly show excerpts from this in any basic course on movies. Just to sample some, check out Minutes 40-50, especially the quartets of lounging soldiers in medium shot. Sometimes the compositions seem a little self-conscious, but overall this is a remarkable film stylistically. It's wonderful to be able to see it again in widescreen format, as well as other movies that go back to my teenage years. That's why DVD is so great.