Battle at Bloody Beach (1961)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Herbert Coleman

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay)
Richard Maibaum (story)

Release Date:

June 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

This is only the second Audie Murphy movie set in WWII after his autobiographical "To Hell and Back."...

Plot Keywords:

WWII | Philippines | Guerilla | Beautiful Woman | Love Triangle

Cast

Audie Murphy	...	Craig Benson
Gary Crosby	...	Marty Sackler
Dolores Michaels	...	Ruth Benson
Alejandro Rey	...	Julio Fontana
Marjorie Stapp	...	Caroline Pelham
Barry Atwater	...	Pelham
E.J. André	...	Dr. Van Bart
Dale Ishimoto	...	Blanco
Lillian Bronson	...	Delia Ellis
Miriam Colon	...	Nahni
Pilar Seurat	...	Camota
William Mims	...	M'Keever
Ivan Dixon	...	Tiger Blair
Sara Anderson	...	Mrs. Thompson
Kevin Brodie	...	Timmy Thompson

Also Known As:

Battle on the Beach (UK)

Runtime:

83 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Those With Reasonable Expectations Will Be Entertained

This movie gets beaten up on quite a bit by critics, so my expectations were as low as they could be before watching...perhaps that is why I was so surprised to find some nice moments in this film.

There is no question that this could never be considered a war classic, but to dismiss it outright simply by its reputation, or ones pre-conceived notions, is to do oneself a disservice. For being a low budget movie, there was some nice location shooting, quality set design, decent special effects (for the time), and good quality stock footage. There is some poor editing here and there, and a few technical goofs in the film, but, that aside, I must say that I found the direction to be quite good, overall, for a drive-in movie...and the score was nicely done, as well.

With only one or two exceptions, the cast was very competent, with Audie Murphy and Gary Crosby doing a nice job, as well as a few enjoyable performances supporting them. The plot had great potential, but the script was poorly written and we didn't get to spend enough time with the people we are supposed to care about. Dolores Michaels is gorgeous, so we can understand why Audie Murphy and Alejandro Rey would both be attracted to her, but she has no real chemistry with either man, so it is hard to get swept up in the love triangle. The characters are written to be very one-dimensional, so the plot points and drama never get a chance to make an impact.

The feeling I got at the end of watching this film was that all of the elements were there for a good movie, but it just missed. That being said, I give it a 5 out of 10 for the enjoyment of watching Audie Murphy, as well as a few nice acting and directorial moments. Prepare yourself for a 1960s drive-in movie level of quality, and you will find moments to enjoy throughout.