Carter's Army (1970) (TV)

Director:

George McCowan

Writers:

Aaron Spelling (written by) and
David Kidd (written by)

Release Date:

27 January 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

A redneck officer is put in charge of a squad of black troops charged with taking an important bridge from the Nazis. |

Plot Keywords:

WWII | ABC Movie Of The Week | Behind Enemy Lines | Dam | African American

Cast

Stephen Boyd	...	Capt. Beau Carter
Robert Hooks	...	Lt. Edward Wallace
Susan Oliver	...	Anna Renvic
Roosevelt Grier	...	Big Jim
Moses Gunn	...	Doc Hayes
Richard Pryor	...	Pvt. Jonathan Crunk
Glynn Turman	...	Pvt. George Brightman
Billy Dee Williams	...	Lewis
Paul Stewart	...	Gen. Clark

Also Known As:

Black Brigade

Runtime:

USA:70 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Company:

Thomas/Spelling Productions

Quotes:

[reading from Pvt. Brightman's notebook]
Lt. Edward Wallace: "July 25. We have been assured by Major Wallace that there will be a rest for us when we reach Berlin. The fighting has been hard, the strain almost unbearable. I will receive the Medal of Honor from General Eisenhower but the heroism of 'B' Company will be preserved by the men who have seen us fight and die."

Carter's Army (or The Black Brigade) is an interesting account of a World War II event

In commenting on African-Americans in film and television in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1970 with the TV movie Carter's Army (a.k.a. The Black Brigade which is the title on my double-sided $1 DVD which has Bill Cosby's To All My Friends on Shore on the other side). A racist white army captain played by Stephen Boyd is assigned to recruit several black men to guard a bridge that the Germans want to take over. Of course, he changes through the course of the movie. Robert Hooks is the Leutenant who has among his men: Moses Gunn, Glynn Turman, Billy Dee Williams, Rosie Grier, and Richard Pryor. Susan Oliver is the German lady who brings out the worst in Boyd after he sees Hooks plant her a kiss in thanking her for advice and compliments. The other men have some good scenes and lines before their fates are revealed. I was amused at some of the comedy between Grier and Pryor with Pryor making us wonder after a while what kind of man he really is. Co-written and produced by Aaron Spelling, he does what he can in presenting a compelling dramatization of a World War II event in less than 90 minutes with commercial breaks. Worth a look for both as a depiction of a historical event and in seeing Pryor and Williams before their roles in feature films like Lady Sings the Blues, Hit, and The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars & Motor Kings.