Between Heaven and Hell (1956)

The spoiled rich son of a wealthy Southerner is changed by his experiences in the Pacific during World War II.

Director:

Richard Fleischer

Writers:

Harry Brown (screenplay), Francis Gwaltney (novel)

Stars:

Robert Wagner, Terry Moore, Broderick Crawford

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Robert Wagner	...	Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford
Terry Moore	...	Jenny Gifford
Broderick Crawford	...	Capt. 'Waco' Grimes - 'G' Co. CO
Buddy Ebsen	...	Pvt. Willie Crawford
Robert Keith	...	Col. Cousins
Brad Dexter	...	Lt. Joe 'Little Joe' Johnson
Mark Damon	...	Pvt. Terry - Co. G
Ken Clark	...	Morgan
Harvey Lembeck	...	Pvt. Bernard 'Bernie' Meleski - Co. G
Skip Homeier	...	Pvt. Swanson - Co. G
L.Q. Jones	...	Pvt. Kenny - Co. G
Tod Andrews	...	Lt. Ray Mosby
Biff Elliot	...	Tom Thumb - Co. G
Bart Burns	...	Pvt. Raker - Co. G

Storyline

Sam Gifford remembers : In prewar years he was an arrogant southern cotton plantation owner, married to the daughter of a colonel. At the beginning of the war he was mobilized with his National Guard unit as a sergeant. Came the day when, revolted by the cowardice of his lieutenant, who had fired at his own men, he hit him. Downgraded, he was sent to a disciplinary battalion. Sam now discovers his new detachment, his new commanding officer, just another cowardly brute, Captain Waco Grimes. While in combat, Sam will gradually become closer to the privates, working-class people he used to despise. He will become another man, a better man.

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Plot Keywords:

tommy gun | gun | semiautomatic rifle | rifle | bolt action rifle | 

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Taglines:

From the best-selling novel of young love in war!

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Sturges was originally slated to direct before Richard Fleischer came on board.

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Goofs

In the cast listing, Robert Wagner is listed as Sfc/Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford. He should be listed as T/Sgt/Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford. The rank Sfc (Sergeant First Class) did not exist during WWII. At that time it was T/Sgt (Technical Sergeant).

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Quotes

Capt. 'Waco' Grimes - 'G' Co. CO: I've heard about you Gifford. First you go get yourself a Silver Star, then you get busted to Private. Oh it's a rough war, innit?
Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford: Yes sir.
Capt. 'Waco' Grimes - 'G' Co. CO: Didn't you hear what I said about calling me sir?
Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford: I'm sorry, uh, Waco.
Capt. 'Waco' Grimes - 'G' Co. CO: I don't want snipers taking potshots at me every time one of you guys call me sir.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits prologue: An Island in the Pacific 1945

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Connections

Referenced in Broadway by Light (1958)

User Reviews

Very underrated war movie

See it – A vastly underrated and reflective war movie starring Robert Wagner and Buddy Ebsen. This movie has been nearly forgotten over the years, and it's a shame. Much of the story is told in flashbacks. There's very good character development. And best of all, there was much more action than I expected. A bit slow toward the beginning, but there is a really cool action sequence in one of the flashbacks where Wagner and some of his men assault a cliff-side machine gun nest. When the current story picks back up after the flashbacks, there is plenty more action, including an exciting and desperate ending. 3.5 out of 5 action rating

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Japanese

Release Date:

December 1956 (UK)

Also Known As:

The Day the Century Ended

Filming Locations:

Kaua'i, Hawaii, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,520,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Color by Deluxe)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1