A Walk in the Sun (1945)

During WWII, a platoon of American soldiers trudge through the Italian countryside in search of a bridge they have been ordered to blow up, encountering danger and destruction along the way.

Director:

Lewis Milestone

Writers:

Harry Brown (by), Robert Rossen (screenplay)

Stars:

Dana Andrews, Richard Conte, George Tyne

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dana Andrews	...	Sgt. Bill Tyne
Richard Conte	...	Pvt. Rivera
George Tyne	...	Pvt. Jake Friedman
John Ireland	...	Pfc. Windy Craven
Lloyd Bridges	...	Sgt. Ward
Sterling Holloway	...	McWilliams
Norman Lloyd	...	Pvt. Archimbeau
Herbert Rudley	...	Sgt. Eddie Porter
Richard Benedict	...	Pvt. Tranella
Huntz Hall	...	Pvt. Carraway
James Cardwell	...	Sgt. Hoskins
George Offerman Jr.	...	Pvt. Tinker
Steve Brodie	...	Pvt. Judson
Matt Willis	...	Sgt. Pete Halverson
Chris Drake	...	Rankin

Storyline

In the 1943 invasion of Italy, one American platoon lands, digs in, then makes its way inland to blow up a bridge next to a fortified farmhouse, as tension and casualties mount. Unusually realistic picture of war as long quiet stretches of talk, punctuated by sharp, random bursts of violent action whose relevance to the big picture is often unknown to the soldiers.

---

Plot Keywords:

national film registry | italy | reference to norman rockwell | mental breakdown | stone wall | 

---

Taglines:

THEY FOUGHT BEST WHEN IT WAS HOPELESS! (print ad for 1951 reissue "Salerno Beachhead" - all caps)

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

25 December 1945 (USA)

Also Known As:

Salerno Beachhead

Filming Locations:

Agoura Ranch, Agoura, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lewis Milestone Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The footage of the platoon attacking the German armored car--which was actually a US Army halftrack--has been used in many subsequent war movies and TV shows.

---

Goofs

An American half-track is portraying its German counterpart.

---

Quotes

Windy: Hey, Tinker? How do you spell "Mare Nostrum?"
Tinker: What's that?
Windy: The Mediterranean. It's what the Eye-ties call it. It means "our sea."
Tinker: Why?
Windy: I'm writing to my sister.
Tinker: Whattya mean, you're writing to your sister? You're packed on a landing barge, bouncing on your Mare Nostrum, and waiting to hit the beach like the rest of us slobs.

---

Crazy Credits

Opening credits: It was just a little walk In the warm Italian sun But it was not an easy thing And poets are writing The tale of that fight And songs for children to sing

---

Connections

Referenced in Hollywood Mouth (2008)

---

Soundtracks

It Was Just a Little Walk in the Sun
(uncredited)
Music by Earl Robinson
Lyrics by Millard Lampell
Sung by William Gillespie

User Reviews

One of the best WWII films

I first saw "A Walk in the Sun" as a child. It was one of the first VHS recordings I bought, and I also have a DVD copy. I have always regarded it as one of the most authentic depictions of small-unit actions of the period. The cast is excellent, and - although the language is toned down compared to post-1960s films, as with Richard Conte's character using the expletive "loving" where a more recent film would use a cruder synonym - one has the sense of being there with the group of GIs, with the same constricted vision of what is happening. This is not a grand epic. It is not the more modern grittier down-and-dirty story; but it is as close to what happened to the platoon depicted as a 1945 movie could get. It does not glamorize the war; but neither does it hyperbolize visually or verbally to denigrate the conflict. Critics, I am sure, would say many better films have been made since. I am not so certain of that. I am certain that this is one of my favorite films.