Battle on the Beach
(1961)
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Battle on the Beach
(1961)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Audie Murphy | ... |
Craig Benson
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Gary Crosby | ... |
Marty Sackler
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| Dolores Michaels | ... |
Ruth Benson
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Alejandro Rey | ... |
Julio Fontana
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Marjorie Stapp | ... |
Caroline Pelham
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Barry Atwater | ... |
Pelham
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E.J. André | ... |
Dr. Van Bart
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Dale Ishimoto | ... |
Blanco
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Lillian Bronson | ... |
Delia Ellis
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| Miriam Colon | ... |
Nahni
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Pilar Seurat | ... |
Camota
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William Mims | ... |
M'Keever
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| Ivan Dixon | ... |
Tiger Blair
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Sara Anderson | ... |
Mrs. Thompson
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Kevin Brodie | ... |
Timmy Thompson
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This is only the second Audie Murphy movie set in WWII after his autobiographical "To Hell and Back." Here Murphy steps out of his usual kid-Western role to play a civilian working for the Navy helping supply guerilla insurgents in the Philippines. His sole motive is not politics nor bravery, but to find his bride from whom he was separated during the Japanese invasion two years before. Written by Anonymous
I've often wondered how WWII action flicks played with audiences of the early 1960s--did movie-goers still feel patriotic about them or was there a sense that it was time to move on from stories pitting Americans against the ruthless Japanese? Here, married Audie Murphy sails the Pacific searching for his missing spouse, eventually finding her on an island in the Phillipines along with a band of Americans and Polynesians being threatened by the relentless Japanese army. In Audie's absence, his Mrs. has taken up the guerrilla fighter's cause--and with thin-but-swarthy soldier Alejandro Rey!--but when they're surrounded by bloodthirsty Japs, the group must put aside their differences long enough to survive. Typical war movie, though with the added pleasure of some campy action and not-bad black-and-white cinematography. Murphy was never much of an actor, but here his stolid manner is a relief from all the hysteria. The director shows absolutely no sympathy for the dead or the dying (on either side), but the central romantic situation is handled with surprising skill and the climactic battle, though hurt by choppy editing, is nevertheless involving. ** from ****