Carter's Army (1970 TV Movie) User Reviews

Admirable Effort, Cheap Production

[ewarn-1 · 4/10 · 5 January 2006]

The writers probably had no experience in the army, and probably never glanced at a history book, but I still give this cheaply produced war film some credit for taking a long-needed look at the role of black soldiers in the second world war.

The action is confused and unbelievable--any episode of Combat! has better production values, but the cast is interesting. Seeing New York Giant Rosie Greer was worth the buck I paid for this. The art direction is fifth rate--the men wear Korean War uniforms, and it was pretty lousy weather by the time the U.S. Army reached Germany in 1944, not sunny as they show here, and I don't think the terrain resembled Northern California. The script never does make clear why the black support troops are used as combat soldiers. There is a nice touch that shows some of the men carrying Springfield rifles instead of M-1s, which second rate troops probably would have been issued with.

This basic story idea(racist southern officer commanding black troops) should have been expanded into a big budget production back then, and its not too late to try it now. You have to take this for what it is, and I admire the creators of this film for making the effort.

I remember seeing this a while ago and thinking it was set in Italy, which would have made more sense because there were black combat troops operating there in 1944.

Seriously flawed, but not the joke it first appears

[ungy357 · 4/10 · 11 January 2010]

At first glance this gives the impression that it is going to be a laughable blaxploitation flick, and it does contain moments where it veers in that direction. However, the basic story idea is much stronger than might be expected, and is a respectable effort at portraying racial issues in the World War II era Army. The recognizable cast is hit and miss, with Glynn Turman, Richard Pryor and the underused Billy Dee Williams faring best. Stephen Boyd, however, stops just short of twirling his bushy mustache in an overindulgent star turn.

The obviously low budget leads to inconsistency in the production values. The locations are great, the effects and action are weak. Imagine if "Saving Private Ryan" had consisted of half the platoon getting killed exactly the same way Vin Diesel's Caparzo had (except we do get to see the shot because they effects can't handle it), then Hanks, Damon and Burns drove around in a jeep and shot five Germans for the climax. Yet, the denouement, with the heroic soldiers receiving no respect for their accomplishment because they are black, and Boyd's racist Captain being effected by this, is compelling, as are the sequences of of Turman's character writing in a journal of his imagined exploits if the soldiers were allowed to fight instead of digging latrines.

In short, "Black Brigade/Carter's Army" doesn't quite succeed. But it's a respectable failure, not a bad joke. It could be remade as a very good film, and, as it stands, is an interesting effort.

Very mediocre warfare movie follows a group of African-American soldiers played by all star cast

[ma-cortes · 4/10 · 13 August 2010]

So-so wartime movie deals with captain Carter (Stephen Boyd ) , a tough but racist commandant , he is assigned by General Matt Clark ( Paul Stewart) a dangerous mission whose aim is avoid to blow up a dam vital to the Allied in 1944 . Carter is parachuted and contacts ¨B¨ company formed by Africo-Americans who dedicate labors on kitchen , cleaning and latrines in trenches. The outfit is formed by a motley group , as the leader lieutenant (Robert Hooks) , a coward ( keep an eye out Richard Pryor) , a hight and corpulent (Grier), , an intelligent professor and cooker ( Moses Gunn ) who knows the German language , a N.Y. Harlem young (Billy Dee Williams) expert on knifes , an idealist and imaginative young ( Glyn Turman ) who writes in his bloc the following : ¨ The company fought magnificently , killing 23 of the enemy before taking the machine gun nest . Lieutenant Wallace cited 3 men , myself included for bravery under fire . I am continually awed by the heroism of this company , under the severest of battle conditions . I will receive medal of honor when we reach Berlin . The fighting has been hard , the strain almost exhausting . I will receive the medal of honor from General Eisenhower but the heroism of ¨ B ¨ company will be preserved by the men who have seen the fight and die ¨. Captain Carter along with Lieutenant Wallace as leaders of the all-black commando assigned to the suicide mission behind enemy lines must prepare the useful unit . After that , the saboteurs contact their allied partisan (Susan Oliver) at a farm . They wreak havoc and kill Nazis to earn the respect of military higher-ups in an exciting final .

This low-budgeted and short-runtime warlike Telefilm concerns about an incredible lesson of courage set in WWII ; retelling the racial background problem in the US army . The TV movie produced by Aaron Spelling packs thrills, suspense , lots of action sequences and climatic ending , but doesn't quite hang together . The film belongs to Commandos sub-genre whose maximum examples result to be the classics as ¨Dirty dozen¨ , ¨Guns of Navarone¨ , ¨When eagles dare ¨, ¨ and ¨Kelly's heroes¨ and group of movies that were made during the 60s and 70s regarding warlike adventures about special forces in risked missions . The motion picture is badly realized by George McGowan . He's an usual television director ( Returns to Fantasy island , Murder on flight 502 , Savage run ) and occasionally for cinema ( Frogs , The magnificent seven ride ) . Rating : Below average .

An Interesting TV movie....

[stalzz64 · 28 October 2004]

OK, first off I should say that I found this DVD for only $1.00 at Wal-Mart. That alone is scary-- I knew it might stink, but with the cast list, I thought it might actually be OK, and it is. It's a crappy DVD transfer though, but for 1 dollar I can't complain too much! It's what I thought it was, a TV movie originally aired on ABC from 1969 written by TV mogul Aaron Spelling and Produced by the great Danny Thomas Productions, who produced in such classic TV shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, The Andy Griffith Show, etc,.

This film stars Stephen Boyd, a great character actor/leading man known for his roles in such movies as 'Ben Hur' and 'Fantatstic Voyage'. It features young newcomers such as Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams & football star Rosie Grier in great supporting roles as members of an all-black WW II US Army company ('B' Company) in France who are doing the 'grunt' work of the Army. Digging latrines, digging graves, dealing with garbage, etc. Basically getting No Respect.

Blacks were considered second class citizens during WW II. The story shows how Racist Redneck Major Carter (Boyd) is asked to go on a dangerous mission to blow up a Dam held by the Nazis and the only company of men to help accomplish the task are 'B' Company, (the all black company). They appear lazy and shiftless to Lieutenant Carter, who doesn't believe they can help him blow up the dam. Little does he know, they are more than up for the job. Carter asks their lieutenant in charge for 'volunteers', and he picks 6 men, including Pryor, Williams & Grier.

It's fairly standard TV movie fare, and it's kind of neat to see Pryor and Williams in early roles, as well as great black character actors Moses Gunn & Glynn Thurman (Cooley High)--as well as Susan Oliver, a great blonde character actress who appeared in lots of TV drama in the 60's on shows like 'Star Trek', 'Mannix', 'The Wild Wild West',etc.

I think it's a nice forgotten addition to black cinema, and shows that black men in WWII could be just as heroic as their white brothers. It's an interesting look at race relations in the late 60's context too, what with the Black Panther movement and all. It's kind of funny how all the black actors have big afros and a few have mustaches/goatees--not typical of WWII U.S.Army standards, but more like1969 fashion. Pryor sports a natty red beret throughout the whole story, too. I guess I recommend it as a piece of nostalgia. Again, The DVD transfer is Horrid, but viewable.

Sort of like Blacksploitation and "The Dirty Dozen" combined.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 28 February 2014]

The idea of "Carter's Army" is a good one, though awfully reminiscent of the contemporary film "The Dirty Dozen". However, the execution of the plot is, at best, sub-par. Too many of the characters seem like caricatures and often they seem more like 1970 actors than WWII soldiers by the way they talk and look. I call this sloppy. It's a shame, as a group of black soldiers proving themselves in combat is a great concept.

An oddly cast Stephen Boyd (the Irishman) plays a redneck captain during WWII who is told they only soldiers available for a special assignment are some ragtag black infantrymen with zero combat experience and very little discipline. Considering how important the assignment is, giving the Captain these men really seemed very contrived.

Among the black soldiers is a very nice group of actors--with Rosy Grier, Richard Pryor, Robert Hooks, Moses Gunn, Billy Dee Williams and Robert Turman among the soldiers. The problem, however, is that the dialog and situations they are given really don't given them much chance to show their acting talents. With too many clichés and some illogical characters (one is deaf....how many DEAF soldiers served in WWII?!?!?!).

In many ways, this film might have worked better had it been a Vietnam War drama--because often the characters acted like folks from the civil rights generation of the 60s and 70s. As it is, it's mildly entertaining but also a bit stupid.

Clichéd And Suffers From A Poor Start

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 16 July 2013]

An army officer is given a dangerous mission to go behind German front lines . What makes this WW2 different ? Well it involves some funky black dudes kick some Nazi ass and we are talking right on funky bro , so much so it's almost like the black anti-thesis to THE ETERNAL JEW but that would be a compliment and the first ten minutes are patronising as to be insulting not only to black people but anyone watching THE BLACK BRIGADE . Try and imagine Richard Pryor in a relatively semi serious role and you can see where the film's flaws lie

This is a pity because despite being far from a classic WW2 actioner or even a classic TVM THE BLACK BRIGADE is a much better film than I thought possible once I got past the dreadful first ten minutes . Okay it's not great , it's made on a very limited budget in some woodland in California somewhere and it has that seen it all before usually done better . That said it does make some important points about soldiering . Soldiering isn't all about charging machine gun nests and wiping out the enemy single handed , soldiering you see often involves long period of boredom and mundane tasks like digging latrines . A jobs a job and a soldier is a soldier and someone wearing an army uniform is worthy of respect regardless of what regiment he belongs to and what his tasks are . THE BLACK BRIGADE occasionally touches upon these points and one wishes it had concentrated on these points more rather than being a bit too funky for its own good

A political statement movie

[pastyboyz · 3/10 · 22 July 2006]

This movie has Richard Pryor, Rosey Grier and others. It's a curious WW2 movie, and serves as a statement about racism. It is worth watching to understand the fact that Movies reflect how we feel about the issues when they are produced and not about the period of time they portray. Meaning this is a 70's movie not a 40's movie (WW2). Still, there is some good action scenes of 7 seven black men led by a white captain trying to capture a Dam. The story centers on the Captain learning that these men are soldiers and not just a service company. There is a scene that could be from a Civil War movie and not a WW2 movie that reflects what the movie is all about. The Black Lt. gives a German women a innocent peck on the cheek, and the white Capt becomes upset. I enjoyed the movie from a curiosity stand point since the stars and the Genre were interesting to me.

I Was Ready to Cut it Off

[view_and_review · 6/10 · 4 December 2019]

I was damn near ready to turn this movie off when I saw that "B" company, the Black Brigade, was a bunch of back alley fools shooting dice, drinking wine, and acting foolish. Did I mention that this was at an outpost in Europe during WWII? Oh, I forgot to mention that? Now you know. They were so uncouth and ignorant they couldn't behave like soldiers during the war. They looked like F Troop except dumber and lazier. Pretty much every negative stereotype that you'd have about a black soldier: too old, too fat, too scared, too dumb, too shiftless, too lazy, and overall incompetent.

A company of clowns. But, the blame wasn't entirely on them. They were ill-prepared from the start. They never went through basic training, never given duties other than manual labor, they were never even properly screened (one soldier was deaf and another was well over 270 pounds)! So, even though they were a company of clowns it was almost as if they were set up to be so.

Finally, they were given a captain and a mission. Their new captain was a white Georgian named Captain Carter (Hence the movie title Carter's Army). Their mission: take a dam and hold it for reinforcements.

Their captain was a racist to be sure, but he definitely had some valid complaints. He wasn't given soldiers he was given a circus. Nevertheless, he was responsible for taking this band of unprepared personnel on a suicide mission.

This movie wasn't a total waste though. It needed to be longer with more character development, but this is what we got. With actors like Richard Pryor, Billy Dee (sans mustache, lye, and relaxer), Glynn Turman, and Robert Hooks I was expecting something better. They were given so little to work with though. There was a slight redemption for the movie at the end, yet nothing enough to completely rescue this film. The movie plot was a noble one and I can only assume that intentions were good. Still, I think Glory did a lot better with the same concept.

Home of the Brave and the not so brave.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 12 January 2022]

This was not the first World War II movie to deal with black soldiers. That credit goes back to the Warriors themselves, although the most impressive one came with 1949's "Home of the Brave", based on a Broadway play. That film stands out as a classic among War films in general, and in dealing with the issues it does racially, it is greatly ahead of its time. This TV movie may not stand up to that classic, but it is interesting because of its cast of then unknowns who have since gone on to greater things. It also deals with serious racial issues of the time, something that even with the war on as people on the same side of different racial backgrounds having friction.

For a southerner like Captain Steven Boyd to be in command of a black troop, it's going to be a challenge because of his racism but he has grown up with. But he has no choice but to get to know his men, and he finds he has to depend on them I didn't think we'd make it even more they depend on him because they are more so depending on each other for support. They include Moses Gunn, Billy Dwe Williams, Robert Hools, Richard Pryor, Glynn Thurman and Rosey Grier, and not a bad actor in the bunch. A key scene shows them mocking Boyd, unaware that he is watching them. Just then, one of the men is shot, and that's when they have to go into action to work together.

There's a moment when Pryorr starts to act somewhat cowardly, and it is not in the stereotypical way that black men were portrayed back in the 1930's and 40's. His fear of war some things are many soldiers had to deal with, and it's up to another one of the black soldiers to help him find his courage. If it was up to Boyd however, he'd shoot him right then and there for cowardice. But losing learned prejudices is itself a learning situation, and we get to see Boyd come around slowly but necessarily. The film unfolds in only 70 minutes, so there's not really a lot of time for great character detail but it is interesting but the way it presents his story and is non-stop action. Not much different then other war movies of varying missions, but the way it is presented with an interracial theme as a little different touch. Maybe not a classic TV movie, but one definitely worth seeing for this great cast early in their career and veteran actor Boyd cast against type.

Good Old Movie

[jed-estes · 7/10 · 17 August 2006]

I bought this for a dollar at a local chain store and was a little surprised by the good storytelling in this. The reasons I happened upon buying this was because A, I'm trying to own 1000 movies, and B it had great actors on the cover. When i saw that Billy Dee Williams was in this all I could think was how cool it was going to be to see a young Lando Calersion type fighting in the second world war. But he really had no vigor in him in this film. He was serious and to the point which is probably more real life as what this film needs to be showcased proper. Richard Pryor was the second actor who influenced me into buying this because I thought his comedy would shine through the move. Again it did not. He is the cut up of the unit but he is still serious in this which I believe is one of first roles. Robert Hooks who is an actor I had never heard of and have still yet to see any follow ups to this is very good in his performance of a red neck put in charge of an all black squad only to realize that they fight just as hard as any white man for what the believe in. The film does a good job of showcasing racial tensions during a 1940's setting. It is hard to take that we actual segregated that little back in our history. If your on the look out for a film that will grow your mind this is it. I recommend it for war buffs.

Absurd portrayal--not even remotely possible real-life event.

[[e-mail] · 1/10 · 25 February 2005]

This movie is a waste of film stock. Do you believe that the map of a plan of a military mission would be placed on an easel on a patio in broad daylight for anyone with binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens to see? It happened in this film. Do you believe that a DEAF person would actually be enlisted in the active duty army in Europe during WWII to serve in a "Negro" unit...cooking, supply services, burial detail, etc.? It happened in this film. Do you believe that a black (and supposedly intelligent) officer would select this same DEAF K.P. to be part of an active combat mission to protect a dam from being destroyed by the Germans before the allies arrived? It happened in this film. Would you be surprised that the DEAF soldier didn't realize that a German plane was approaching from behind and would strafe and kill him? It happened in this film. Would you be surprised that a group of American soldiers hold-up in a barn at a farmhouse that the Germans happened upon would SHOUT out their emotions at the sight of the German soldiers who were just 50' away? They did it in this film, and left any possible entrances to the barn the Germans might check totally unprotected. Would you believe that, over the airwaves and in clear English, the Captain mentioned the General's rank, if not his name, as the person he was speaking with and that the general, in plain English over open airwaves, said that the dam had to be protected the next day? Maybe they should have just sent in an emissary to tell which direction the American attack would be coming from just to make it a little easier on the Germans. This so-called movie should be placed on a list of the top 50 worst films. If it were, I'm sure it would do well. Watch it at your own risk.

A Forgotten Stephen Boyd Gem!

[tvpanic22 · 10/10 · 19 March 2005]

Was a kid when I saw this movie first air on ABC television as it introduced me to a World War II U.S. Army that I didn't know existed. Yes, the mysterious, wooden and often referred to obnoxious Stephen Boyd is in it along with superstars Rosie, Richard and Billy Dee. One of Ireland's most famous Hollywood actors, Boyd was a genuine thespian who shines in his role as the angry officer. The wonderful Susan Oliver's not too shabby either. Neat little drama for fans of the "Ben-Hur" and "Fantastic Voyage" guy. It's a sad note that Stephen died before he had successfully comeback into the arms of Tinsel Town after knocking about in Europe doing no-money/no fame work, but that was his thing. See him in "The Oscar" as he's a hoot in the bomb and he'd be the first to tell ya.

Not bad

[jt_3d · 6/10 · 26 August 2009]

I consider anything other than a rough plot outline a spoiler so... ***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS***

I liked this movie. I watched it twice, just to make sure. I'd never heard of it before acquiring it with a lot of WWII films in a 20 pack. Again, the theme of a white 'cracker' being put in charge of a group of soldiers he considers inferior, similar to Go for Broke but more outright racism. Said cracker grows to respect his men, only for this one he only takes seven men instead of the whole company. An odd choice, most likely made by the director, to either focus more on the 'talent', Grier, Williams and Pryor. Or just so he wouldn't have to pay a bunch more actors to be cannon fodder. Whatever the reason, trying to take and hold a dam with seven guys is stupid. As is the lieutenant allowing a deaf guy to go with. I can understand a deaf guy wanting to serve and somehow finding a way to sneak into the army, especially into a so-called service unit. But for the C.O., either one, to allow him on a real combat mission is again, stupid.

Anyway, the unit is a mess. This is directly the fault of the commander, a black lieutenant. He's the one who let the men turn into a band of hobos. Lousy assignments or not, these men were supposed to be soldiers. Thus it makes the cracker captain's job that much harder. Still you can see him start to at least consider that he might be wrong as soon as he finds out that the second man he encounters (the first is a rather shiftless Richard Pryor) and threatens for not saluting, is actually an officer and the unit commander. Of course, the lieutenant is still out ranked and should have maybe saluted but since the captain was such a jerk, he didn't really deserve one.

But I digress, this is a war movie and war movies should have action. This one does and it's pretty well done. But there's the getting to the mission part, where we encounter a German Frau who is a contact of sorts. She is also the girl from the Star Trek pilot, Vena. Still looking nice. She is wise about war and says stuff that makes the black lieutenant want to give her a peck on the cheek. Naturally cracker captain catches him and scolds him about touching white women. Said white woman proceeds to smack him in the mouth for acting like the racist Nazis she is opposed to. This is really the start of cracker boy's turn around. He apologizes to the black lieutenant and says 'I didn't ask (for this mission) but I expected soldiers'. And as well he should have.

Why they assigned this mission to a service unit, who knows. Maybe they were the only unit close enough, maybe they were just expendable. It's never explained. At any rate, they did the job. They took it to the enemy and won the day. Most were lost. Being famous didn't save you in this movie, just like some of the biggies. All in all a solid war film.

There is one LOL moment at the end, when Pryor is being helped to the medic jeep. Watch his right hand.

Some Decent Action Mixed with Typical Racial Overtones

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 5 October 2013]

The American army desperately needs to take a dam in Nazi Germany during World War II. Because it is the closest military unit the assignment is given to Company B of the 3rd Regiment to secure it long enough for the rest of the army to cross to the other side. This particular company, however, is an undisciplined black unit that is completely ill-prepared for this mission. To make matters even more complicated, the decision is made to place a white, southern officer by the name of "Captain Beau Carter" (Stephen Boyd) in command. Anyway, what follows is a basic made-for-television film which contains some decent action mixed with typical racial overtones seen quite often during this time. Overall the film is okay but only because of the acting of Stephen Boyd and the presence of several notable black actors to include Roosevelt Grier (as "Big Jim"), Billy Dee Williams ("Private Lewis"), Richard Pryor ("Jonathan Crunk"), Robert Hooks ("Lieutenant Edward Wallace") and Moses Gunn ("Private Doc Hayes").

Black Lite

[Poseidon-3 · 11 July 2006]

Producer Spelling was quite an amazing person. Somehow, he always seemed to have his finger on the pulse of whatever TV and social trends were happening or were about to happen. His list of hit television series (despite a few misses as well along the way) is staggering. Here, he proves himself ahead of the curve in that he co-wrote and produced a form of Blaxploitation before that genre had fully erupted into being. (Spelling's 60's and 70's series tended to be racially-integrated affairs, though that did taper off as the 80's were underway.) Boyd (utilizing a bad southern twang) plays an Army Captain in WWII Germany who is assigned to save a dam from being destroyed by the retreating Nazis. His only aid comes in the form of seven black soldiers who belong to a troop that's been placed in charge of trench-digging and clean-up duty. Their Lieutenant (Hooks) selects six of them (at random!) to join himself and Boyd in the mission. Demonstrating another one of Spelling's talents, which would be using actors who are either famous or on the verge of becoming so, every one of the six soldiers is a black actor of some note. Burly Grier, veteran Gunn, inexperienced Turman, insolent Williams, goof-off Pryor and deaf (!) Whiting make up the unit. The preposterousness of selecting an old, deaf man for a mission of this nature is short-lived as Whiting (best-known as the Barkley's butler on "The Big Valley") is dispensed with early on. The remaining men make their way to Oliver's farm house where she gives them access to a radio for the next installment of their orders. Oliver, sporting an atrocious accent and making no attempt whatsoever to disguise her patently 60's hair and makeup, then has to entertain a Nazi officer in a bid to distract him while the US soldiers move out. The team faces a sniper and full-on German assault as it attempts to secure the dam while racist Boyd butts head with its black members until a grudging respect is finally won (with those who survive the mission!) Although this TV-movie is clearly aimed at showing the ugliness of racial inequality and the benefit of harmony, it still offers up some unattractive qualities within the characters. Practically Hooks' entire platoon is made up of sloppy, lazy, dice-throwing, chain-smoking, buffoonish "soldiers". Yes, they act that way because they are considered second-rate men who aren't given a chance to see combat, but even after they are assigned to an important mission, one of them threatens to desert and two of them get drunk on some pilfered bottles of wine. Another has cigarettes in his belt in lieu of ammunition! Fortunately, some of the men prove their valor by the end of the story. This isn't Blaxploitation proper as the language is toned down for TV (although the "N-bomb" is dropped at least once!) and the clothing and subject matter aren't on par with the later crime/drug/hooker types of flicks that would help define the genre, but it's an interesting precursor that goes down easy thanks to it's all name brand cast and it's brief running time.

Worthy subject given shabby treatment

[Wizard-8 · 3/10 · 5 June 2020]

The premise for this made for TV movie had a lot of promise - there haven't been a lot of movies made concerning African Americans who fought in World War Two, and the production managed to round up some serious talent in front of the camera.

But the cast really deserved a lot better than what they actually got. Since the production was made for television in the early 1970s, you can imagine how the movie looks and feels. If for some reason you are not able to, I'll just say that the locations are inappropriate (California does NOT look like Europe), there is a bare minimum of props in most sequences, and often the props that are used don't seem to fit the time and place (such as the uniforms the soldiers wear.)

The fact that the production doesn't seem to have bothered to hire any kind of military advisor doesn't just apply to the production values, but also with the battlefield maneuvers and interplay with fellow troops; even those who have never been in the military will get a strong feeling that all of this is simply inaccurate. It's also sometimes insulting, because most of the African American soldiers in the movie come across as lazy and undisciplined; I am sure real African American soldiers in this war were trying extremely hard to prove themselves to the Caucasian soldiers.

The biggest disappointment, however, is that most of the movie is really dull and slow, even though its running time is only about 70 minutes. The thin story is ridiculously padded out. There also isn't any real action until the last twenty minutes, which certainly doesn't help things.

Is there anything worthy to see here? Well, the movie does provide the chance to see some then unknown African American actors who later became famous, such as Robert Hooks, Billy Dee Williams, Rosie Grier, and Richard Pryor. Speaking of Pryor, you also get to see him in a rare serious role. But apart from that, the movie is so poorly done that you'll understand why no one renewed its copyright, resulting in the movie being widely available in DVD bargain bins at Wal-Mart and other retailers.

It needs more action and less drama

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 17 September 2023]

(1969) Black Brigade/ Carter's Army WAR

Made for TV movie centering on "only" one small aspect of a lot of roles African Americans had on WWII- this focuses on a suicide mission of protecting a specific bridge, only that it was told convoluted with a lot of second rate acting with some very accomplished actors and comedians, most notably known comedian Richard Pryor on one of few dramatic roles and Lawrence Fishbourne of "The Matrix" films. And because it was made for TV - it was sugar coated and way too dramatic for a war film. They're some good lines, but wasn't effective enough to carry this film throughout.

A forgotten film!

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 2 July 2019]

Originally entitled Carter's Army, this made for TV movie debuted on ABC on January 27, 1970. It was written by David Kidd, who would also write The Swinging Cheerleaders, and Aaron Spelling, who would go on to dominate 1970's TV with Mod Squad, The Rookies, S.W.A.T., Starsky and Hutch, Family, Vega$, Charlie's Angels, Fantasy Island, Hart to Hart and many more.

Captain Beau Carter (Stephen Boyd, who was the main bad guy in Ben-Hur as well as appearing in The Devil Has Seven Faces/Bloody Mary) is placed in charge of a unit of African American soldiers, including comedian Richard Pryor, football player/needlepoint enthusiast/apprehender of Sirhan Sirhan Rosey Grier, Trouble Man Robert Hooks, Glynn Turman from Cooley High, Billy Dee Williams (do I need to tell you who he is?) and Moses Gunn, who is Detective Turner in Amityville II: The Possession.

These soldiers have been relegated to cleaning latrines and removed from the front lines, but now they must secure an important dam or the Allied advance will be delayed. Carter must get past his racism to lead the men to victory.

Susan Oliver - whose life may be more interesting than any movie, is also in this film. After a near-disaster on a plane the day Buddy Holly died, she got hypnotized to get around her fear of flying. She became an incredibly competitive pilot, finally the 2760-mile transcontinental race known as the "Powder Puff Derby" and becoming 1970's Pilot of the Year. She also was one of the original 19 women admitted to the American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women and left most of her estate to that organization.

Black Brigade is an intriguing film to include on a blaxploitation box set, as it does anything but glorify violence or combat. It was a real surprise to me and it's definitely worth your time.

Actually not bad

[raypdaley182 · 6/10 · 24 January 2008]

In this made for TV movie we get a mainly black cast with a few token white guys. The guy playing the white Major sent to take the unit to the dam, I've never seen before or heard of before.

It's the black cast I knew. Billy Dee Williams (pre-Empire Strikes Back), Moses Gunn and Richard Pryor trying to play a straight version of himself.

Basically this is a bigoted officer sent to command a brigade of black soldiers on a dangerous mission. So dangerous in fact 3 of them get killed before they ever get to the dam itself.

The deaf guy was always going to die first, the big guy (who, it turns out used to be a pro footballer) is killed by a sniper and Billy Dee Williams gets blown up after stepping on a land mine.

The same land mine injures Moses Gunn and Pryor looks like he deserts so only the black officer, 1 of his men and the white officer actually end up trying to attack the dam.

Pryor uses a cart full of hay to get onto the dam and leads the attack only to be injured. The other black soldier is shot and killed during the skirmish with the Germans. Pryor throws the detonator for the explosives over the side of the dam.

This is a film about 1 man who comes to change his point of view about black people, it's a good exploration of the themes of racism and bigotry.

The film itself isn't very long and might have benefited from being at least 20 minutes longer and them having taken the entire brigade only for 2 men to survive.

Still worth a look though to see Richard Pryor playing a more serious role for a change.

Carter's Army isn't a great film, but the characters' charm is worthwhile

[kevin_robbins · 5/10 · 9 February 2024]

I recently watched Carter's Army (1970) on Prime. The storyline revolves around a racist officer tasked with leading an all-black brigade to capture a bridge from the Germans. Can the troops and the officer overcome their differences to achieve this challenging mission?

Directed by George McCowan (Frogs), the film features Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), Glynn Turman (Super 8), Billy Dee Williams (Return of the Jedi), Paul Mooney (Bamboozled), and Stephen Boyd (Ben-Hur).

Despite a stellar cast, this wartime picture is a bit of a mixed bag. The cinematography falls short, and many lines come off as cliché. However, Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor deliver solid performances, and witnessing a young Glynn Turman is enjoyable. The depicted animosity feels authentic, and Pryor's action scenes add a touch of humor. While the mission execution and final sequence lack impact due to a low budget, the characters' charm makes it worth a watch.

In conclusion, Carter's Army isn't a great film, but the characters' charm is worthwhile. I would score this a 4.5-5/10 and recommend giving it a watch at least once.

Carter's Army (or The Black Brigade) is an interesting account of a World War II event

[tavm · 6/10 · 22 February 2008]

In commenting on African-Americans in film and television in chronological order for Black History Month, we're now at 1970 with the TV movie Carter's Army (a.k.a. The Black Brigade which is the title on my double-sided $1 DVD which has Bill Cosby's To All My Friends on Shore on the other side). A racist white army captain played by Stephen Boyd is assigned to recruit several black men to guard a bridge that the Germans want to take over. Of course, he changes through the course of the movie. Robert Hooks is the Leutenant who has among his men: Moses Gunn, Glynn Turman, Billy Dee Williams, Rosie Grier, and Richard Pryor. Susan Oliver is the German lady who brings out the worst in Boyd after he sees Hooks plant her a kiss in thanking her for advice and compliments. The other men have some good scenes and lines before their fates are revealed. I was amused at some of the comedy between Grier and Pryor with Pryor making us wonder after a while what kind of man he really is. Co-written and produced by Aaron Spelling, he does what he can in presenting a compelling dramatization of a World War II event in less than 90 minutes with commercial breaks. Worth a look for both as a depiction of a historical event and in seeing Pryor and Williams before their roles in feature films like Lady Sings the Blues, Hit, and The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars & Motor Kings.

Interesting, fun, campy, politically progressive--a wonderful surprise

[reesr2 · 8/10 · 6 May 2005]

If you appreciate Blaxploitation, you'll love this film. Yes, as one reviewer points out, it has its logic gaps, but what Hollywood films don't? You'll miss the fun and interest of this film if your primary criterion is historical accuracy. For me, the goofy elements, like putting an elderly deaf man into a combat situation (where he is killed within minutes) is part of the fun of these kinds of low-budget films. And the over-the-top dramatic soundtrack may seem a little ridiculous now. So while there is funny stuff like that to laugh at as some have pointed out, there is some really admirable stuff here too.

This film will remind you of Blaxploitation in its black cast, low-budget action plot, and commentary on white racism, but check it out--this is 1970. Before Shaft! Before Blaxploitation really even takes off! There is so much of interest here such as the cast--Billy Dee, Prior and Rosie as young men, the fact that this was an Aron Spelling project. This film puts the "early" Spelling to the left of Norman Lear. This is a view at how far left and anti-racist television was back in those days--I consider myself familiar with American TV history and when I found out Carter's Army was a made for TV movie, it knocked my socks off. I defy anyone to identify American TV programming that is more straight-ahead anti-racist. Yes, including Roots (which was also years later). This film is historically accurate on an important matter--the US military in WWII was segregated and the black units were given the worst assignments.

There is a sustained critique of white supremacist thinking thought-out this film. One of my favorite moments is when the white cracker Capt. is worried about one of the black soldier's intentions toward a white woman (who is their local spy contact). The black Lt. says, "There are 8 men's lives at stake and you're worried about the honor of one white woman," or something close to that. If you know something about racial politics, you know this scene offers a rare statement about the way white male patriarchal sexism works glove in hand with white antiblack racism, one of the sad political patterns of oppression in American history. Eventually the white cracker learns his lesson and after fighting alongside the "Black Brigade" he comes to respect the bravery and valor of these black soldiers. At the end, we find that nothing is likely to change in the condition or status of this black unit, but we are supposed to be happy that one white racist has seen the error of his ways. Oh, and check out the sequence where Rosie Grier mocks the white officer and is shot suddenly by a sniper and killed. Watch closely and see what you think this section is saying.

So there are problems and contradictions in this film but the acting is really pretty good (you'll see Richard Prior steal at least one scene as he freaks out in the face of danger and maybe you'll wonder if he is on drugs at the time), Boyd and Hooks are very fine, and the anti-racist goals are laudable. This is a surprising little gem.

You're not in Georgia anymore

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 6 November 2017]

Capt. Beau Carter (Stephen Boyd) is tasked with leading "B" Brigade to secure a dam. The group is unorthodox and ill equipped as soldiers.

Perhaps the sell point of the film is the iconic cast of Pryor, Grier, Moses Gunn, Billy Dee Williams, and Susan Oliver. The film reveals the stereotypes and attitudes of the era. Decent film

A must for the blaxploitation expert

[drtturner · 23 April 2004]

I thought I knew it all when it came to Blaxploitation films and for that matter tv shows such as White Shadow and What's Happening. I came across this film in a chain video store and had to make a command decision. It was necessary to determine whether to buy and risk losing the few dollars or more arguably having an eyesore of an item that second hand stores would not even give money for. That would mean throwing it away if it were truly dreadful. I decided to pass at first b-lining home to read online reviews to see the scoop. Fortunately, the critics were kind enough, prompting me to return to the store with renewed vigor and confidence that I was not buying a total turkey. I played the first half of the tape on several occasions only halfway paying attention to ensure that it worked at least functionally. Well finally I had an audience and played it from beginning to end, and was not just impressed but very impressed. I grade on a curve considering the time period and budget put into the project. I really liked the character development in which the subtle differences of personalities remains consistent. The best friend twosome of Pryor and Grier is formable and yet handled in a subtle manner. The other allstars of Moses Gunn, Glynn Thurman, and Billy Dee Williams make this a film that a film expert of black cinema should not miss.

Weird In More Than One Way, Good Cult Film

[verbusen · 6/10 · 16 March 2009]

I got this as part of a 50 Movie Pack Combat Classics on amazon.com and for the price of the whole set this movie and Commando's which is on it also, are worth it alone, it's a good deal. Is this a low budget cheesy made for TV war movie with an over the top racism message? Absolutely! And why not make another over the top war movie with a racism message? Seems good to me, by the way white males must be the most educated when it comes to race relations since there are so many war movies made with the racism card played out and I don't think many other groups watch war movies. Anyway this is the first blaxploitation made for TV movie I ever saw, and man has it got a cast of black stars in it! I stayed with it all the way, despite how stupid it was sending a few men to take over a large dam, and men from a sanitation unit at that! If I was black I would probably rate it even higher although I think I'm being pretty generous giving it a 6 of 10 rating. I would have liked this a lot better if it was made for the movie theater because then we would have had a real street sense movie with all the colorful language and lord knows what else thrown in, being made for TV did make it a little PC in that I think that southern white officer would have been fragged and here he is not, lol. On a white guy geek note, there are prominent actor's from both the Star Wars and Star Trek universe's in here! I bet you can guess Billy D Williams as the first one (from Star Wars), but the lady in the farm house is none other then Vina from the Star Trek pilot, Susan Oliver (getting close to 40 and not so hot with her lack of green body paint on). I thought that was as Johnny Carson might say, "Some weird wacky stuff!". Black Brigade is definitely cult material and worth a viewing!