I love the ending of this movie. Always have.
I'd take Taylor's sergeant over any of the Sheen characters and most of the toughest soldier candidates any day.
wtf are you talking about, thats one of the worst endings for a film Ive ever seen!
shareDitto here. When taken in context for the WWII 1943 audience and the ongoing Pacific campaign it was just what the public needed. Particularly since the Bataan survivors were still imprisoned.
share Robert Taylor's character was not allowed to used the actual line in the script./something like------ Come on you sons of bitches---he did actuallly say it, BUT the noise of the machine guns prevented it being heard.
The film was shown a US Saving Bond droves & Thousands of dollars were raised each time. The cheapest bond cost $18.75, Audiences left the screening cheering & the film made much money at the time. Averave ticket price iin 1943 was approx. 50 cents for adults & 10 cents for kids.
TODAY the film is very dated, The film also was famous for many cliches that we are still plagued with.
One more note: Barry Nelson had a nice role. He was a big star on the Broadway stage for many years, BUT somehow he never was able to do much in films. I liked him very much,he played mostly romantic leads & comedy roles. I never could figure what he was not more famous in films.
Of course Desi Arnaz was a better drummer than an actor.
& we all know he was Lucy's better half.
as always
SIR JAY HARRIS---SIRBOSSMAN
To thine own self be true
Sir Jay Harris---Sirbossman
I have to agree. The ending was incredible. There he was, standing in the grave he'd dug and marked for himself, firing on the enemy while shouting obscenities at them. I know that the censors of the time wouldn't allow him to curse, but I kinda figured that's what they were going for, especially with the part muted by the chain gun fire.
As for the context of it, I thought it was handled pretty well. It wasn't depicting the final fight for Bataan, but rather a patrol that had become separated and held off the enemy for as long as was humanly possible. The soldiers in the film were symbolic of those who had fought and died. With segregation still in effect throughout much of the US, I doubt that we would have actually seen such a racially diverse unit during World War II, but the producers of the film wanted to make sure that they paid homage to all who had died and so people of various ethnic backgrounds were depicted in order to tell all who died that their efforts would be remembered.
It's easily one of the better World War II films made during the war.
Thanks
We also must remember who the executive producer was DORE SCHARY,
many of his films were loaded with themes of brotherhood & racial equality.
BATAAN was made to instill courage in us civilian at home. The war had not yet turned in our favour.
Today I find more humour than I did when first seen in 1943, I was not yet 15.
It was on many 10 best list in 1943, today it would still be a good war film like another same year same studio/ THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER.
still a good film but not as good as it was then
To thine own self be true
Sir Jay Harris---Sirbossman
Yea, Shary seemed like a pretty cool guy. Looking over the list of films he produced, it seems he's also responsible for Go for Broke!, a film about the Japanese-American soldiers who fought for the US during WWII. It's nice to see that he was a part of two of my favorite WWII films. I wasn't around in '43, but I'm sure that the film had even greater significance than it would now. I couldn't think of a more inspiring message and it was likely just what this country needed.
sharethanks
I was around then, I fully agree on GO FOR BROKE the year released was later than 1943 tho closer to 1950, I saw it at a Sneak Preview, It was apacked house of over 2500 people & at the conclusion there was much aplause. The preview cards we filled mostly were raves. I doubt then there were anty negative reviews.
I notice you are a fan of the older films, SO am I.
Thanks again
sir jay harris-sirbossman
To thine own self be true
Sir Jay Harris---Sirbossman