Men in War
| Men in War | |
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Original film poster
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| Directed by | Anthony Mann |
| Produced by |
Sidney Harmon Anthony Mann (uncredited) |
| Written by | Philip Yordan |
| Based on |
Day Without End (Combat) 1949 novel by Van Van Praag |
| Starring |
Robert Ryan Aldo Ray |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Ernest Haller |
| Edited by | Richard C. Meyer |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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100-102 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US) |
Men in War is a 1957 war film about the Korean War directed by Anthony Mann and starring Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray as the leaders of a small detachment of American soldiers cut off and desperately trying to rejoin their division. The events of the film take place on one day; 6 September 1950. The picture was based on a 1949 World War II novel of the Normandy campaignDay Without End by Van Van Praag that was retitled Combat in 1951.
Some sources claim that credited screenwriter Philip Yordan was actually fronting for the blacklisted Ben Maddow. The Pentagon refused any cooperation with the producer and condemned the film for its depicition of a US Army unit without discipline.
Most of the same cast and crew made God's Little Acre the following year.
On 6 September 1950, an isolated and exhausted platoon of the 24th Infantry Division is cut off. In addition to losing radio contact, the platoon is harassed by unseen North Korean infiltrators who silently kill the Americans and take their weapons. Platoon leader Lieutenant Benson (Robert Ryan) has only vague instructions to reach a certain hill to link up with American forces.
The patrol stops a jeep driven by Sergeant "Montana" (Aldo Ray) and shell shocked passenger "the Colonel" (Robert Keith) from the First Cavalry Division. The Colonel is unable to speak and is tied to his seat. After the Battle of the Nakdong River, where "our men fell like rain", the tough experienced Montana decided he and his Colonel, whom he treats like his father, have had enough of the war. Benson commandeers their jeep for his platoon's equipment and the battle-fatigued Corporal Zwickley (Vic Morrow).
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Wikipedia