The Glory Brigade

Last updated
The Glory Brigade
Glbdepos.jpg
Original film poster
Directed by Robert D. Webb
Written byFranklin Coen
Produced byWilliam Bloom
Starring Victor Mature
Cinematography Lucien Ballard
Edited by Mario Morra
Music by Lionel Newman
Production
company
20th Century-Fox
Distributed by 20th Century-Fox
Release date
  • May 20, 1953 (1953-05-20)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$850,000 [1] [2]

The Glory Brigade is a 1953 American war film directed by Robert D. Webb. It stars Victor Mature and Alexander Scourby.

Contents

The film was referred to in M*A*S*H (1970), directed by Robert Altman.

Plot

US Army engineer Lt. Pryor's detachment is assigned to work with Greek troops during the Korean War. The Greek forces are led by Captain Charos and Lieutenant Niklas.

Cast

Real soldiers were cast as extras, [3] and all Greek characters were portrayed by actors of Greek descent. However, none are listed in the screen credits. [4]

Production

The film's original title was Baptism of Fire. [5] Victor Mature was to have been loaned to RKO for Split Second , but Fox decided to keep him to star in The Glory Brigade. Filming began on September 15, 1952. [6]

The film was shot at the United States Army Engineer School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. The opening scene in which the bridge is blown up was filmed on the Osage River in Tuscumbia, Missouri.[ citation needed ]

While filming a scene at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, a demolition charge exploded underneath a boat, killing the boatman and injuring two others. [7]

The Glory Brigade was Mature's first role as a combat soldier, [8] and it was the only film in which Lee Marvin wore glasses in all of his scenes. [9]

Background

The film is based on the exploits of the Greek Expeditionary Force. While the Greek government had intended to send a full brigade to Korea, the UN victories in the autumn of 1950 led the expeditionary force to be downgraded to a battalion consisting of just under 900 men, named the Spartan Brigade. It was placed under the overall command of the US 1st Cavalry Division and later under the overall command of US 3rd Infantry Division. Though small in number, they played a crucial role in a handful of ultimately important operations. The unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by President Harry Truman, and led one American commander to say: "Other than the Brits and the Aussies, nobody else was with us as much as the Greeks." [10]

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times , critic Howard Thompson wrote that the film is "short in general impact and conviction" but contains "unpretentious, graphic realization of battle tension and movement" and is commendable for its "frank, sincere plea for true democratic understanding and harmony." [11]

Lillian Blackstone of the St. Petersburg Times wrote: "It is forcibly told, with realistic fervor and hostilities that seem never-ending until the jubilation of final scenes." [4]

Film critic Leonard Maltin called the film "passable." [1] In his review for DVD Talk, Paul Mavis called it "[Disposable] entertainment posing as something important." [3] Robert J. Lentz wrote that it was a "routine war film with an agreeable premise." [9]

Richard Egan won the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male in 1953. [12]

The film was released on DVD by 20th Century-Fox's Cinema Archives. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Marvin</span> American actor (1924–1987)

Lee Marvin was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Although initially typecast as the "heavy", he later gained prominence for portraying anti-heroes, such as Detective Lieutenant Frank Ballinger on the television series M Squad (1957–1960). Marvin's notable roles in film included Charlie Strom in The Killers (1964), Rico Fardan in The Professionals (1966), Major John Reisman in The Dirty Dozen (1967), Ben Rumson in Paint Your Wagon (1969), Walker in Point Blank (1967), and the Sergeant in The Big Red One (1980).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victor Mature</span> American actor (1913–1999)

Victor John Mature was an American stage, film, and television actor who was a leading man in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. His best known film roles include One Million B.C. (1940), My Darling Clementine (1946), Kiss of Death (1947), Samson and Delilah (1949), and The Robe (1953). He also appeared in many musicals opposite such stars as Rita Hayworth and Betty Grable.

<i>A Hill in Korea</i> 1956 British film

A Hill in Korea is a 1956 British war film based on Max Catto's 1953 novel of the same name. The original name was Hell in Korea, but it was changed for distribution reasons—except in the US. It was directed by Julian Amyes and produced by Anthony Squire. Incidental music was written by Malcolm Arnold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Egan (actor)</span> American actor (1921–1987)

Richard Egan was an American actor. After beginning his career in 1949, he subsequently won a Golden Globe Award for his performances in the films The Glory Brigade (1953) and The Kid from Left Field (1953). He went on to star in many films such as Underwater! (1955), Seven Cities of Gold (1955), The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956), Love Me Tender (1956), Tension at Table Rock (1956), A Summer Place (1959), Esther and the King (1960) and The 300 Spartans (1962).

<i>Miss Sadie Thompson</i> 1953 film by Curtis Bernhardt

Miss Sadie Thompson is a 1953 3-D American musical romantic drama film directed by Curtis Bernhardt and starring Rita Hayworth, José Ferrer, and Aldo Ray. The film was released by Columbia Pictures. The film is based on W. Somerset Maugham's 1921 short story "Miss Thompson". Other film versions include Sadie Thompson (1928) starring Gloria Swanson, Rain (1932) starring Joan Crawford, and Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. (1946).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elaine Stewart</span> American actress and model (1930–2011)

Elaine Stewart was an American actress and model.

<i>One Minute to Zero</i> 1952 film by Tay Garnett

One Minute to Zero is a 1952 American romantic war film starring Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth, set during the opening phases of the Korean War, and produced by Howard Hughes as his last film as producer. Victor Young's score for the film includes the first appearance of "When I Fall in Love", as the instrumental titled "Theme from One Minute to Zero". The film showcases the contributions of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force, the South Korean Army, the United Nations, the British Army and the Royal Australian Air Force during the early days of the Korean War. The effects of air power in the Korean War were also vividly depicted through the use of combat footage.

<i>Violent Saturday</i> 1955 film by Richard Fleischer

Violent Saturday is a 1955 American CinemaScope crime film directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Victor Mature, Richard Egan and Stephen McNally. Set in a fictional mining town in Arizona, the film depicts the planning of a bank robbery as the nexus in the personal lives of several townspeople. Filmed on location in Bisbee, Arizona, the supporting cast was particularly strong, with Lee Marvin, Sylvia Sidney, and Ernest Borgnine.

<i>War Arrow</i> 1954 film by George Sherman

War Arrow is a 1954 American Technicolor Western film directed by George Sherman and starring Maureen O'Hara, Jeff Chandler and John McIntire. Filmed by Universal Pictures and based on the Seminole Scouts, the film was shot in Agoura, California.

<i>Prisoner of War</i> (film) 1954 film

Prisoner of War is a 1954 American war–drama film directed by Andrew Marton and starring Ronald Reagan, Steve Forrest, Dewey Martin and Oskar Homolka.

<i>M*A*S*H</i> (film) 1970 film by Robert Altman

M*A*S*H is a 1970 American dark war comedy film directed by Robert Altman and written by Ring Lardner Jr., based on Richard Hooker's 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors. The picture is the only theatrically released feature film in the M*A*S*H franchise.

<i>Timbuktu</i> (1959 film) 1959 US adventure film by Jacques Tourneur

Timbuktu is a 1959 American black-and-white adventure film directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Victor Mature and Yvonne De Carlo. It is set in Timbuktu (Africa), but was filmed in the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in Kanab, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Stuart</span> American actress (1924–1996)

Randy Stuart, was an American actress in film and television. A familiar face in several popular films of the 1940s and 1950s, and later in western-themed television series, she is perhaps best remembered as Louise Carey, the wife of Scott Carey, played by Grant Williams, in The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).

Sabre Jet is a 1953 American drama war film set during the Korean War, directed by Louis King and starring Robert Stack, Coleen Gray, Richard Arlen, Julie Bishop and Leon Ames. It was shot in Cinecolor using United States Air Force footage. Sabre Jet was based on a story by the producer Carl Krueger with the screenplay written by the husband and wife playwright and screenwriting team of Dale Eunson and Katherine Albert. The opening credits state: "This picture is dedicated to the air force wives who shared their men with a world made desperate by the most brutal aggressor in history."

<i>The Veils of Bagdad</i> 1953 American adventure film by George Sherman

The Veils of Bagdad is a 1953 American adventure film directed by George Sherman and starring Victor Mature and Mari Blanchard.

<i>Voodoo Tiger</i> 1952 film by Spencer Gordon Bennet

Voodoo Tiger is a 1952 American adventure film directed by Spencer G. Bennet and starring Johnny Weissmuller in his ninth performance as the protagonist adventurer Jungle Jim. It was written by Samuel Newman and produced by Columbia Pictures. It features James Seay as the film's antagonist. Jean Byron also stars.

The Reluctant Heroes is a made-for-TV movie and war film set in the period of the Korean War. It was directed by Robert Day and starred Ken Berry, Jim Hutton, Trini López, Don Marshall, Ralph Meeker, Cameron Mitchell and Warren Oates.

Tetsu Nakamura, born Satoshi Nakamura, was a Japanese film actor and opera singer active from the 1940s to the 1980s. He featured in over 40 films.

<i>Mr. Walkie Talkie</i> 1952 American film

Mr. Walkie Talkie is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Fred Guiol and starring William Tracy, Joe Sawyer and Margia Dean. Released by Lippert Pictures, it is the final film of the Doubleday and Ames army comedy films originally produced by Hal Roach with the pair returning for service in the Korean War.

References

  1. 1 2 "The Glory Brigade (1953)". Turner Classic Movies . Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  2. Solomon, Aubrey (2002). Twentieth Century-Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 248. ISBN   978-0-8108-4244-1.
  3. 1 2 3 Mavis, Paul (January 23, 2014). "The Glory Brigade (Fox Cinema Archives)". DVD Talk . Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  4. 1 2 Blackstone, Lillian (June 30, 1953). "'Glory Brigade' Realistic Chapter Of Korean War". St. Petersburg Times . p. 41. Retrieved January 6, 2016 via Google News Archive.
  5. Pryor, Thomas M. (1952-08-22). "METRO BARS LANZA FROM RADIO SHOWS". The New York Times . p. 12.
  6. THOMAS M. PRYOR (Aug 21, 1952). "HUSTON WILL FILM NOVEL BY CONRAD: Director-Producer Buys Rights to 'Matador,' Best Seller -- Author to Work on Script". The New York Times . p. 16.
  7. Lentz 2003, p. 137.
  8. McKay 2012, p. 17.
  9. 1 2 Lentz 2006, p. 29.
  10. Sandler, Stanley (1995). The Korean War: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. ISBN   0-8240-4445-2, pg. 136-138
  11. Thompson, Howard (1953-08-15). "The Screen in Review: 'Glory Brigade' at Palace Combines Good Fighting Scenes of Korean War With Plea for Harmony". The New York Times . p. 8.
  12. Boggs, Johnny D. (2011). Jesse James and the Movies. McFarland. p. 125. ISBN   978-0-7864-8496-6.

Bibliography