Pork Chop Hill (1959)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

James R. Webb (screenplay) and
S.L.A. Marshall (book)

Release Date:

25 July 1959 (Japan)

Genre:

War | Drama | Action

Tagline:

Bold! Blunt! Blistering! The battle picture without equal!

Plot:

American GI's must retake a barren hill in Korea that has been overrun by Red Chinese troops. The ensuing...

Plot Keywords:

Hill | Food In Title | Bunker | Heroism | Negotiation

Cast

Gregory Peck	...	Lt. Joe Clemons
Harry Guardino	...	Pvt. Forstman
Rip Torn	...	Lt. Walter Russel
George Peppard	...	Cpl. Chuck Fedderson
Carl Benton Reid	...	American Admiral at Peace Conference
James Edwards	...	Cpl. Jurgens
Bob Steele	...	Col. Kern
Woody Strode	...	Pvt. Franklin
George Shibata	...	Lt. Suki Ohashi
Norman Fell	...	Sgt. Coleman
Lew Gallo	...	Lieutenant, Division Public Relations
Robert Blake	...	Pvt. Velie
Cliff Ketchum	...	Cpl. Payne (radio operator)
Biff Elliot	...	Pvt. Boven
Charles Aidman	...	Lt. Harrold

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #19212) | West Germany:16 (f) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16

Company:

Melville Productions

Trivia:

Martin Landau's first movie role.

Goofs:

Continuity: Just before the American attack on the hill, the commanding officer is pointing out positions on a 3D clay model of the hill with his M4 bayonet. He lays his bayonet on the table and covers it with a paper map, then steps over to the radio man in conversation. He then steps back to the map table and the paper map has disappeared.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Clean Slate (1994)

All in all, a great war movie

I like this movie and while it lacks the realistic and detailed gore of modern war films, and it does have its glitches and goofs, it did not do a bad job for a 1959 production.The attention to detail given to King Company's organizational structure, and many other technical aspects of the platoon and company level combat operation portrayed was outstanding thanks to Captain Joseph G. Clemons Jr., the movies' technical director and actual commander of King Company during the battle. In addition, there was also an in your face, down in the dirt grittiness about the film that many other war films even to this day lack. One of my favorite parts of this movie was the on going confrontation between Lieutenant Clemons and Private Franklin. The way the conflict played out in the movie brought out the motivational traits from Clemons that makes a great leader and the final acceptance of Franklin of his obligation as a soldier and his willingness to share the fate of his brother in arms, what ever it may be; I love Woody Strode. As one living in the real world, I shaped my views of this film not from the anti-war intent of director Milestone, but from a war movie fan, and real life Grunt perspective. While it does have anti-war overtones courtesy of director Milestone and others, Pork Chop Hill was based on an actual Korean War battle, and book of the same title by U.S. Army historian S.L.A. Marshal, and the movie does contain many factual events such as the friendly fire incident at the command post. I like Pork Chop Hill for the Hollywood production that it is, and would recommend that its critics be ignored, and enjoy the movie.