The Naked and the Dead (1958)

In the Pacific during World War 2, the officers live a comfortable life with good food, good drink and good quarters. To them, war is a game which they know they will win and the common ... See full summary »

Director:

Raoul Walsh

Writers:

Denis Sanders (screenplay), Terry Sanders (screenplay),

Stars:

Aldo Ray, Cliff Robertson, Raymond Massey

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aldo Ray	...	Sgt. Sam Croft
Cliff Robertson	...	Lt. Robert Hearn
Raymond Massey	...	Gen. Cummings
Lili St. Cyr	...	Willa Mae aka Lily
Barbara Nichols	...	Mildred Croft
William Campbell	...	Brown
Richard Jaeckel	...	Gallagher
James Best	...	Rhidges
Joey Bishop	...	Roth
Jerry Paris	...	Goldstein
Robert Gist	...	Red
L.Q. Jones	...	Woodrow 'Woody' Wilson
Max Showalter	...	Col. Dalleson (as Casey Adams)
John Beradino	...	Capt. Mantelli (as John Berardino)
Edward McNally	...	Cohn

Storyline

In the Pacific during World War 2, the officers live a comfortable life with good food, good drink and good quarters. To them, war is a game which they know they will win and the common soldiers are the pawns on the board. When the campaign slows down, the Commander sends a squad to the top of a mountain behind enemy lines to report on the Japanese troop movements. The squad is commanded by a tough cynical Sergeant who takes no prisoners and even takes the gold from the teeth of the enemy dead. Before the mission starts, the lieutenant, who has had a cushy job due to a life of wealth and privilege, criticizes the Commander over his attitude towards the common soldier and is re-assigned to lead the squad. The veteran Sergeant wants to complete this mission as ordered, and he will do everything he can do to see that it is successful.

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Plot Keywords:

infidelity | conga line | stripper | playboy | colonel | 

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 October 1958 (Japan)

Also Known As:

A Morte Tem Seu Preço

Filming Locations:

Panama

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paul Gregory Productions, RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film was originally to be released by RKO Pictures, but by the time it was ready for release, that studio had closed down and the film was distributed by Warner Bros. It may be the only instance where the logos of both companies appear on the same film

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Goofs

The tanks shown are M-26 Pershings, a tank that didn't come into use until the last months of the war, and never deployed in the island war of the Pacific theater.

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Connections

Referenced in Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing and Charm School (1990)

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Soundtracks

"If I Could Be with You"
(uncredited)
Music by James P. Johnson
Played during Lt. Hearn's dream sequence

User Reviews

Very different, surprising non Hollywood movie way better than book

This movie seems like one made because of a much hailed and overrated author, in which the director has the nerve to actually make changes to give a novel look at war and life.

The book is exactly like a Hollywood movie. Bullets cannot find bad guys, and if you're evil enough, you live forever. We get this from 99% of films. No wonder Americans bend over backwards to be sadistic. In short, that's about all the book is. Very Hollywood.

This movie gives a fresh look for the viewer. Instead of the mass depression we're used to, we get an intelligent look at war. The hero is caught between two equally vicious men, one higher in rank, and one lower. Much of the rest of the movie deals with the characters, like in the older war movies.

Not to give away the ending, but you will be shocked and surprised. The film still shows the horror and depravity of war without getting preachy, as many later films did.