Fixed Bayonets! **** (1951, Richard Basehart, Gene Evans, Michael O’Shea) – Classic Movie Review 3476

Cult favourite writer-director Samuel Fuller delivers a tough, rough and robust Korean War action thriller, starting with his intelligent, thoughtful screenplay telling the story of a separated platoon of weary American infantrymen. It is set in 1950 during the first winter of the Korean War.

Richard Basehart stars as the sensitive Corporal Denno, who has to take command responsibility and overcome his fear of killing after all his superiors are killed one by one. Gene Evans and Michael O’Shea also star as Sergeant Rock and Sergeant Lonergan. Fuller previously collaborated with Evans on his earlier 1951 movie about the Korean War, The Steel Helmet, playing a similar tough character under a different name, Sergeant Zack.

There’s still plenty of impact and excitement coming off the screen from this realistic, thought-provoking war film from the deservedly admired, expert auteur Fuller. Lucien Ballard’s black and white cinematography is a classy asset.

A pre-stardom James Dean, aged 20, appears in his first movie (uncredited), playing a GI, one of the doggies. Also in the cast are Richard Hylton, Craig Hill, Skip Homeier, Henry Kulky, Richard Monohan, Paul Richards, Tony Kent, Don Orlando, Patrick Fitzgibbon, George Wesley, Mel Pogue, George Conrad, David Wolfson, John Doucette, Bill Hickman, Pat Hogan, Glenn Corbett, Paul Burke, John Drexel, George Lynn and Buddy Thorpe.

Fuller’s screenplay is suggested by a novel by John Brophy.

The US Army appointed Raymond Harvey as technical advisor after their concerns with Fuller’s The Steel Helmet. He was awarded the Distinguish Service Cross, two Silver Stars and two Purple Hearts, during World War Two and won the Medal of Honour in the Korean War.

A production assistant located dancers in a musical and they were fitted out in costumes as extras for the opening retreat sequence. For realism, Fuller stacked their military packs and uniforms with weights.

The movie starts: ‘This is the story of American troops in Korea early in 1951. It is dedicated to the Queen of Battles – the United States Infantry. We give our grateful thanks to the Department of the Army for its encouragement, advice, and active cooperation in the preparation and production of this picture.’

The Masters of Cinema Series presents new 4K restoration of the film by Twentieth Century Fox in a new Dual-Format special edition on 15 February 2016.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3476

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