Beachhead (film)

Beachhead
1954 theatrical poster
Directed by	Stuart Heisler
Produced by	Howard W. Koch
Written by	Richard Alan Simmons Richard G. Hubler novel I've Got Mine
Starring	Tony Curtis Frank Lovejoy Mary Murphy Skip Homeier
Music by	Arthur Lange Emil Newman
Cinematography	Gordon Avil
Edited by	John F. Schreyer
Distributed by	United Artists
Release date	5 February 1954
Running time	90 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	US$450,000
Box office	US$1,400,000

Beachhead is a 1954 Technicolor war film based on Captain Richard G. Hubler USMCR's 1945 novel I've Got Mine. It was filmed in Kauai by Aubrey Schenck Productions, released through United Artists and directed by Stuart Heisler.

In late October 1943, a battalion of US Marines have landed on Choiseul Island to create a diversion for the impending Allied invasion of Japanese held Bougainville Island.

Four of them (Frank Lovejoy, Tony Curtis, Skip Homeier and Alan Wells) have been selected to carry out a reconnaissance patrol and find a French planter (Eduard Franz) and his daughter (Mary Murphy). They have sent a message to the Allies. The patrol must confirm that the message is authentic, and that the planter is still alive, as he can give the Marines valuable information needed for a successful amphibious landing by the Allied forces.

Filmed on Hawaiian locations on Kaua'i, including Hanalei Pier, the film was budgeted at US$450,000 with the producers arranging to release Tony Curtis from his contract with Universal-International studios. The producers used Hawaiians for many of the roles in the film such as Sam "Steamboat" Mokuahi,Democratic Party organiser Dan Aoki, and Akira Fukunaga, the latter two being veterans of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.