Battle Cry *** (1955, Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, Tab Hunter, Mona Freeman, Dorothy Malone, Raymond Massey, Anne Francis, James Whitmore) – Classic Movie Review 6487

Robust action director Raoul Walsh’s rough, tough, overlong rabble-rousing 1955 war movie Battle Cry follows the dramatic World War Two story of US Marines Major Sam Huxley (Van Heflin), Private Andy Hookens (Aldo Ray) and Corporal Danny Forrester (Tab Hunter). It is based on the wartime US Marine best-selling novel by Leon M Uris, the author of Exodus, writing his own screenplay.

The story centres on major Heflin, who guides the raw recruits from their training in Saipan to combat in New Zealand. Episode relentlessly follows episode in the familiar pattern – training, fighting, loving, and then more fighting. In the loving department, notably Hookens gets involved with New Zealand widow Mrs Pat Rogers (Nancy Olson).

Walsh’s well-made, eventful epic war film is far too over-extended at two and a half hours (149 minutes). But it packs in a lot of affecting human moments as well as battle thrills. And performances like Hunter’s sincere soldier Danny Forrester and Dorothy Malone’s loving lady Mrs Elaine Yarborough (USO Manager in San Diego) provide striking little oases.

Also in  the cast are Mona Freeman as Kathy (later Mrs Danny Forrester), Raymond Massey, James Whitmore, Anne Francis, William Campbell, Fess Parker as Private Speedy, John Lupton, Tommy Cook, Carleton Young, Chick Chandler, Frank Ferguson, Gregory Walcott, Rhys Williams, Willis Bouchey, Perry Lopez, Jonas Applegarth, L Q Jones and Glen Denning.

L Q Jones, billed here in his film debut under his real name Justus E McQueen, plays Private L Q Jones, and thereafter adopted the name of his character.

Battle Cry is shot in WarnerColor and CinemaScope by Sid Hickox, produced by Raoul Walsh and scored by Max Steiner.

RIP Dorothy Malone (1925–2018).

RIP Dorothy Malone, Oscar winner for Written on the Wind, who died on 19 January 2018, aged 92.

RIP L Q Jones (Justus Ellis McQueen Jr): August 19, 1927-10 July 2022 (aged 94). He became a member of Sam Peckinpah’s stock company, appearing in Ride the High Country (1962), Major Dundee (1965), The Wild Bunch (1969), The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970), and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6487

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com