Hell to Eternity (1960)

When his adoptive Japanese-American family is sent to Manzanar after Pearl Harbor, a young Chicano enlists in the marines to become a hero in the Battle of Saipan.

Director:

Phil Karlson

Writers:

Ted Sherdeman (screenplay), Walter Roeber Schmidt (screenplay),

Stars:

Jeffrey Hunter, David Janssen, Vic Damone

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jeffrey Hunter	...	Guy Gabaldon
David Janssen	...	Sgt. Bill Hazen
Vic Damone	...	Cpl. Pete Lewis
Patricia Owens	...	Sheila Lincoln
Richard Eyer	...	Guy, as a boy
John Larch	...	Capt. Schwabe
Bill Williams	...	Leonard
Michi Kobi	...	Sono
George Shibata	...	Kaz Une
Reiko Sato	...	Famika
Richard Gardner	...	Polaski
Bob Okazaki	...	Papa Une
George Matsui	...	George, as a boy
Nicky Blair	...	Martini
George Takei	...	George Une (as George Takai)

Storyline

True life story of Guy Gabaldon, a Los Angeles Hispanic boy raised in the 1930s by a Japanese-American foster family. Later, during the war, as his foster parents are interned at a camp for Japanese Americans, Gabaldon's ability to speak Japanese helps him become a lone-operating Marine hero. During the bloody capture of the island of Saipan, he convinces 800 Japanese to surrender after their general commits suicide.

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Plot Keywords:

japanese american | saipan | surrender | suicide | 1930s | 

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Taglines:

The guts! Glory! Gallantry of America's hell-bent for victory Marines!

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

1 August 1960 (USA)

Also Known As:

Beyond the Call

Filming Locations:

Okinawa, Japan

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures, Atlantic Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The age of the principal actors was a challenge. At the time of the combat events portrayed in this film, Guy Gabaldon was approximately 18 years old. At the time of production of this film (completed April 1960), Jeffrey Hunter was 33 years old and looked nothing like a teenager or even anyone in his early 20s. Furthermore, David Janssen, portraying veteran Sgt. Bill Hazen, and Vic Damone playing veteran Cpl. Pete Lewis, were supposed to be older than Gabaldon. However, this was not the case, since Hunter was two years older than Damone and five years older than Janssen. Fortunately, Damone and Janssen both looked older than Hunter, but not by much. Also, George Takei, playing Gabaldon's foster brother George who was approximately the same age as Gabaldon (18), was ten years younger than Hunter. In addition, George Shibata, playing Gabaldon's much older foster brother Kaz, was actually only 11 days older than Hunter.

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Goofs

When David Janssen's character Bill Hazen is killed, and Jeffrey Hunter's Gabaldon, enraged, rushes the Japanese position, shooting his M1 Carbine continuously, and killing all of the Japanese soldiers in sight. However, he fires more than the maximum thirty shots that could have been held by the largest magazine available for the M1, which held 30 rounds, without any evidence that he might have reloaded.

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Quotes

Capt. Schwabe: Lewis? How's it going? Says here you were shot in the ashcan.
Pete: Not bad, sir. Could have been a howitzer.

User Reviews

A true story that is drama filled and heartbreaking

I saw the movie many years ago and would love to have this movie on DVD. Jeffrey Hunter looses his best friend, David Janson, to the enemy and after that develops a deep hatred for the Japeneese. At times risking his own life to flush them out of their hiding places and kill them. At one point where he is watching the japeneese women and children hurl themselves off of the cliffs rather then be captured, he sees his own adopted Japenese family back in the states. An excellent movie that I would go the the movies to see again.