Darby’s Rangers [The Young Invaders] *** (1958, James Garner, Etchika Choureau, Jack Warden, Edd Byrnes, Venetia Stevenson, Torin Thatcher, Peter Brown) – Classic Movie Review 8327

‘MAVERICK himself – in his first starring big-screen role!’ The young James Garner plays Major (later Colonel) William Darby and Jack Warden co-stars as Master Sergeant Saul Rosen, and they are among the members of a top wartime US ranger unit who seem to spend most of their time with the British women rather than training for battle in North Africa and Italy in World War Two.

With its dull stretches, slack pacing and lack of fire, director William Wellman’s 1957 black and white Warner Bros movie Darby’s Rangers [The Young Invaders] is a slightly bumpy war drama, because director Wellman surprisingly cannot do anything very much to lift Guy Trosper’s ordinary, predictable script, based on the book by James Altieri, in a fictionalised account of the formation of the US Army’s First Ranger Battalion.

But Garner is already a reliably winning hero, even way back then, as the ranger unit’s first commanding officer, and the fight combat scenes, when they finally come, are compelling.

Also in the cast are Etchika Choureau, Edd Byrnes [Edward Byrnes], Venetia Stevenson, Torin Thatcher, Peter Brown, Stuart Whitman, Andrea King, Frieda Inescort, Reginald Owen, Murray Hamilton, David Janssen, Joan Elan, Corey Allen, William Wellman Jr [Bill Wellman Jr], Adam Williams, Philip Tonge, Edward Ashley, H B Warner (final film, unbilled bit part) and Raymond Bailey.

Darby’s Rangers runs 121 minutes or 105 minutes (theatrical release).

Warner Bros dumped Charlton Heston as star and gave Garner his role after he signed to a new seven-year contract with them. Heston sued. Garner was originally cast in the supporting role of Sergeant Hank Bishop and Stuart Whitman took over.

Tab Hunter quit.

Tab Hunter quit as Lieutenant Dittmann and Edd Byrnes took over.

Edd Byrnes took over.

It was shot in black and white to blend in with the wartime stock footage and to make the sets more believable.

 © Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8327

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