The Red Badge of Courage (TV 1974)

During the Civil War, a young man enthusiastically joins the Union army thirsting to find glory and honor, but his first battle opens his eyes to the reality of how un-glorious and dishonorable war really is.

Director:

Lee Philips

Writers:

John Gay (teleplay), Stephen Crane (novel)

Stars:

Richard Thomas, Michael Brandon, Wendell Burton

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Thomas	...	Pvt. Henry Fleming
Michael Brandon	...	Pvt. Jim Conklin
Wendell Burton	...	Pvt. Wilson
Charles Aidman	...	The Tattered Man
Warren Berlinger	...	The Cheery Soldier
Lee de Broux	...	The Sergeant
Hank Hendrick	...	The General
George Sawaya	...	The Colonel
John Henry Cox	...	The Lieutenant (as John Cox)
Norman Stone	...	The Corporal
Tiny Wells	...	The Fat Soldier
Daniel Levens	...	A Soldier
Tom Henschel	...	A Soldier
Robin Armstrong	...	A Soldier
Sam Reader	...	A Soldier

Storyline

During the Civil War, a young man enthusiastically joins the Union army thirsting to find glory and honor, but his first battle opens his eyes to the reality of how un-glorious and dishonorable war really is.

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Plot Keywords:

battle | civil war | remake | flashback | shot in the stomach | 

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Genres:

Drama | War | Western

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 December 1974 (USA)

Also Known As:

La roja insignia del valor

Filming Locations:

Arizona, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

20th Century Fox Television, Norman Rosemont Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

74 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Narrator: Into this wilderness came two great armies - 190,000 men... all of them expendable. The company of the 304th New York was among the smallest, the greenest and the most expendable of all.

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Connections

Remake of The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

User Reviews

A Valiant Effort

The 1974 TV version directed by Lee Phillips is a fine attempt to bring Crane's novel to life. All the actors are good and the film is generally well-directed. The score by Jack Elliot is a highlight as well.

But this film does not compare favorably with John Huston's great, tragically truncated masterwork from 1951. Even with the supposed great death scene for Royal Dano and other legendary moments lost forever, and its superfluous narration, Huston's film is a great, unforgettable experience. It captures the terrible fear and self-doubt within so many young men in a combat situation. And its visual style is deeply poetic and expressive. As good as Richard Thomas is in 1974, he cannot approach the performance of Audie Murphy (later shown to be a much more limited actor than Thomas) who conveys an amazing immediacy and truth throughout.

This TV version is well worth seeing, but the Huston film must not be ignored in its favor.