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IMDbPro

Battle Circus

  • 19531953
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
Battle Circus (1953)
Set in Korea and made during the war, this is the love story of a hard-bitten Army surgeon, and a new nurse ready to save the world.
Play trailer2:30
1 Video
28 Photos
  • Drama
  • Romance
  • War
Set in Korea and made during the war, this is the love story of a hard-bitten Army surgeon, and a new nurse ready to save the world.Set in Korea and made during the war, this is the love story of a hard-bitten Army surgeon, and a new nurse ready to save the world.Set in Korea and made during the war, this is the love story of a hard-bitten Army surgeon, and a new nurse ready to save the world.
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
1.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Richard Brooks
  • Writers
    • Allen Rivkin(story)
    • Laura Kerr(story)
    • Richard Brooks
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • June Allyson
    • Keenan Wynn
Top credits
  • Director
    • Richard Brooks
  • Writers
    • Allen Rivkin(story)
    • Laura Kerr(story)
    • Richard Brooks
  • Stars
    • Humphrey Bogart
    • June Allyson
    • Keenan Wynn
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 29User reviews
    • 7Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:30
    Official Trailer

    Photos28

    Battle Circus (1953)
    Battle Circus (1953)
    Battle Circus (1953)
    Battle Circus (1953)
    Battle Circus (1953)
    Battle Circus (1953)
    Battle Circus (1953)
    Humphrey Bogart in Battle Circus (1953)
    Humphrey Bogart and June Allyson in Battle Circus (1953)
    Humphrey Bogart and June Allyson in Battle Circus (1953)
    Humphrey Bogart and Keenan Wynn in Battle Circus (1953)
    June Allyson in Battle Circus (1953)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Humphrey Bogart
    Humphrey Bogart
    • Maj. Jed Webbeas Maj. Jed Webbe
    June Allyson
    June Allyson
    • Lt. Ruth McGaraas Lt. Ruth McGara
    Keenan Wynn
    Keenan Wynn
    • Sgt. Orvil Stattas Sgt. Orvil Statt
    Robert Keith
    Robert Keith
    • Lt. Col. Hilary Waltersas Lt. Col. Hilary Walters
    William Campbell
    William Campbell
    • Capt. John 'Rusty' Rustfordas Capt. John 'Rusty' Rustford
    Perry Sheehan
    • Lt. Laurenceas Lt. Laurence
    Patricia Tiernan
    Patricia Tiernan
    • Lt. Rose Ashlandas Lt. Rose Ashland
    Adele Longmire
    Adele Longmire
    • Lt. Jane Franklinas Lt. Jane Franklin
    Jonathan Cott
    Jonathan Cott
    • Adjutantas Adjutant
    Ann Morrison
    • Lt. Edith Edwardsas Lt. Edith Edwards
    Helen Winston
    • Lt. Gracianoas Lt. Graciano
    Sarah Selby
    Sarah Selby
    • Capt. Dobbsas Capt. Dobbs
    Danny Chang
    • Korean Childas Korean Child
    Philip Ahn
    Philip Ahn
    • Korean Prisoneras Korean Prisoner
    Steve Forrest
    Steve Forrest
    • Sergeantas Sergeant
    Jeff Richards
    Jeff Richards
    • Lieutenantas Lieutenant
    Dick Simmons
    Dick Simmons
    • Capt. Norsonas Capt. Norson
    Ralph Ahn
    Ralph Ahn
    • Korean Prisoneras Korean Prisoner
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Richard Brooks
    • Writers
      • Allen Rivkin(story)
      • Laura Kerr(story)
      • Richard Brooks
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Humphrey Bogart accidentally set his left thumb afire with lighter fluid while filming the scene in which his character burns some documents. The accident is visible in the film.
    • Goofs
      Helicopters of this era required constant attention to the collective/throttle as well as the cyclic. The pilot is shown numerous times reaching up and holding his helmet mounted microphone to speak for extended periods of time. This lack of attention to the controls would render the helicopter unstable resulting in a less than smooth flight.
    • Quotes

      Lt. Col. Hilary Walters: Nobody in this man's army can get himself in so much trouble as you in so short a time.

    • Connections
      Edited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)

    User reviews29

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    A quirky and realistic slice of Korea, with Bogie!
    "Battle Circus" is interesting to compare to the TV series M*A*S*H. On TV, the camp of the medicos was a little too clean, and the doctors, especially Hawkeye, were always a little too ready with a joke. The one-liners never stopped at the 4077th, and there were few characters, especially in the last few years, who were not ever-ready to spew out endless dreary puns galore. Battle Circus is interesting in that it shows, I imagine, a more sober and realistic view of life in a MASH unit.

    Because they are located near the ever shifting front of the Korean conflict, the MASH must constantly move with it. This brings out the greatest strength of this film: a large number of scenes in this movie are dedicated to showing the teamwork and bee-hive like energy of the grunts of the unit, taking tents down, putting tents up, moving the hospital here, then to there, often through or frighteningly near enemy fire, all the while dedicated to keeping their patients alive. The many minutes of film spent on these thankless and glory-less activities increases our appreciation of the realities of the soldiers' daily routine.

    Here, there are few luxuries (unlike on the TV MASH, where many of the characters seem to have as many possessions as the Howells did on Gilligan's Island). Conditions in the personal tents of the characters are especially Spartan. Bogie's only possession seems to be a bottle of Scotch. When there is no time to bring everything with them, the soldiers burn whatever they must leave behind. Again, the starkness of existence suggests to this viewer a wonder that not all of the MASH members didn't go insane on a regular basis.

    Now I am not a June Allyson fan, and while the romance between Bogie and her is not all that interesting or convincing, it is not a complete waste of film either. I don't believe I have ever seen Humphrey Bogart smile and laugh and be so un-pessimistic in a film before, and this is quite entertaining (Bogie even falls in the mud, losing his dignity, and laughs about it with June Allyson! Yikes!). There is no such thing as useless celluloid when Bogie is on screen. However, these episodes of light-hearted Bogie are surrounded by plenty of periods of brooding and cynical Bogie, so he is not completely out of character.

    Robert Keith's colonel with the high-pitched voice complements Bogie's doctor very nicely in their scenes together. Keenan Wynn is also a terrific surprise; I usually find his raspy voice and abrasive characters unpleasant, but here he plays perhaps the most likable character (a can-do sergeant) in the whole film. His affection for a wounded Korean boy has the potential to be hokey, but he pulls it off very nicely.

    One more MASH comparison. Bogie's character, like Hawkeye Pierce, is a woman-chaser and a man who wants no more authority than necessary, as well as a first rate surgeon. But unlike Hawkeye, who is afraid of guns, Humphrey Bogart is as willing to pick up a rifle and fire at the enemy as he is top pick up a scalpel. A real man's man.

    Don't expect Gone With the Wind, and you will find this a quite interesting and quirky little war film.
    helpful•10
    2
    • audiemurph
    • Jan 6, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 6, 1953 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • MASH 66
    • Filming locations
      • Fort Pickett, Blackstone, Virginia, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $1,201,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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