An above-average Columbia programmer that came out the year after that Broadway comedy with a touch of tragedy took Hollywood by storm and became a box office hit. This one doesn't have the benefit of color or an A budget, but it is a simple down-to-earth story of what happens before an important mission during World War II against the Japanese. The story is told through the perspective of the ship's chaplain, John Lund, and through his narration you get to know each of the major players of War, some of the top: Captain Richard Boone, tough-talking drill sergeant William Bendix, and enlisted men and low ranking officers played by Claude Akins, Keefe Brasselle and young hopeful Jimmy Lydon among them. The first half of the film shows them going through their daily routines, their friendships and struggles with missing life at home, and a few power struggles. The film takes a more serious turn when they get closer to their mission, and the fast pacing keeps the audience intrigued.
William Bendix of course is a scene-stealer, but he still basically playing William Bendix, not necessarily a bad thing. Tough-talking but genuinely concerned about the recruits oh, he's that big lug with the heart of gold that you want on your side. Captain Richard Boone is also a good guy, certainly not egotistical and tyrannical like James Cagney captain in "Mister Roberts", but approachable and often thoughtful. Scenes with him and Bendix, and later with him and Lydon, shows that he is the epitome of the officer who realizes that he needs everybody on the ship, not just the experienced men. A reference to Captain Bligh highlights Boone's scene with Bendix, and later, he takes a lighthearted interest in the enthusiastic Lyndon who hasn't seemed to have aged since he played Henry Aldrich. When the mission really explodes, the film completely changes gears, but it is not at all jarring. A terrifically enjoyable War film made a decade after the war ended, but not too little too late. Quite a little sleeper and one of the surprises of 1956.
William Bendix of course is a scene-stealer, but he still basically playing William Bendix, not necessarily a bad thing. Tough-talking but genuinely concerned about the recruits oh, he's that big lug with the heart of gold that you want on your side. Captain Richard Boone is also a good guy, certainly not egotistical and tyrannical like James Cagney captain in "Mister Roberts", but approachable and often thoughtful. Scenes with him and Bendix, and later with him and Lydon, shows that he is the epitome of the officer who realizes that he needs everybody on the ship, not just the experienced men. A reference to Captain Bligh highlights Boone's scene with Bendix, and later, he takes a lighthearted interest in the enthusiastic Lyndon who hasn't seemed to have aged since he played Henry Aldrich. When the mission really explodes, the film completely changes gears, but it is not at all jarring. A terrifically enjoyable War film made a decade after the war ended, but not too little too late. Quite a little sleeper and one of the surprises of 1956.