Fixed Bayonets!
| Fixed Bayonets! | |
|---|---|
Original film poster
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| Directed by | Samuel Fuller |
| Produced by | Jules Buck |
| Written by |
John Brophy (novel) Samuel Fuller |
| Starring |
Richard Basehart Gene Evans Michael O'Shea Richard Hylton Craig Hill Skip Homeier |
| Music by | Roy Webb |
| Cinematography | Lucien Ballard |
| Edited by | Nick DeMaggio |
| Distributed by | Twentieth Century-Fox |
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Release date
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1951 U.S. release |
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Running time
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92 min. |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1,450,000 (US rentals) |
Fixed Bayonets! (1951) is a war film written and directed by Samuel Fuller and produced by Twentieth Century-Fox during the Korean War. It is Fuller's second film about the Korean War. In his motion picture debut, James Dean appears briefly at the conclusion of the film. In 1972, it was the last program to air on WHDH-TV before it went off the air and WCVB-TV launched.
The film is set in the first winter of the Korean War during the Red Chinese intervention. The story follows the fate of a lone 48 man platoon left as a rear guard to defend a choke point, to cover the withdrawal of their division over an exposed bridge. The subplot explores the psychological makeup of the individuals charged with leadership of the platoon, and therein examines the nature of service and valor. Ultimately command of the platoon falls upon Cpl. Denno (Richard Basehart), who has an innate aversion to responsibility for the lives of others.
Roy Webb composed the film's score using two songs.
Music by James F. Hanley
Lyrics by Ballard MacDonald
Fixed Bayonets! was the first film of a seven picture deal between Twentieth Century-Fox and writer/director Fuller. Fox had been impressed with Fuller's The Steel Helmet and sought to better the imitations of that film on the contemporary subject of the Korean War.
Having had problems with Fuller's The Steel Helmet, The U.S. Army assigned Medal of Honor recipient Raymond Harvey as the film's technical advisor. Samuel Fuller, himself a decorated World War II veteran, forged a lasting bond with Harvey, who again served as technical adviser in the 1958 film Verboten!. Fixed Bayonets! also included the first appearance, albeit uncredited, of James Dean in a feature film.
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Wikipedia