War Is Hell (film)

War is Hell
War is Hell
Directed by	Burt Topper
Written by	Burt Topper
Produced by	Burt Topper
Starring	Baynes Barron; Michael Bell
Narrated by	Audie Murphy
Cinematography	Jacques Marquette
Edited by	Ace Herman
Music by	Ronald Stein
Distributed by	Allied Artists
Release date	September 6, 1961 (international release) October 23, 1963; (US release)
Running time	81 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

War is Hell is a 1961 American war film written, produced and directed by Burt Topper. The film stars Baynes Barron and Michael Bell and is narrated by Audie Murphy. A featured cast member is Judy Dan.

Plot summary

Set during the Korean War, the film depicts the atrocities of battle. Sgt. Garth (Barron), an egomaniacal, blood thirsty leader, neglects to tell his soldiers that there has been a cease fire. The Sergeant sends his unit into an enemy bunker, where they are fiercely attacked by the enemy. The few who survive secure the bunker, and Garth attempts to take credit for their actions. Further chaos ensues, resulting in the deaths of many in the platoon, as well as the mortal wound to the Sergeant himself.

Cast

Baynes Barron as Sgt. Garth
Michael Bell as Seldon
Bobby Byles as Gresler
Wally Campo as Laney
Kei Thin Chung as Korean Lieutenant (as Kei Chung)
J.J. Dahner as Koller
Judy Dan as Yung Chi Thomas
Robert Howard as Connors
Audie Murphy as Narrator
Russ Prescott as Bender
Tony Rich as Miller
Tony Russel as Sgt. Keefer
Paul Sheriff as Thurston
Burt Topper as Lt. Hallen

Release

United Artists released the second James Bond film From Russia with Love, with War Is Hell as the second feature of a double bill in the United States on May 27, 1964.^[1]

In popular culture

War Is Hell was the second of two features (along with Cry of Battle) playing at the Texas Theatre in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. After fatally shooting United States President John F. Kennedy and Dallas Police Officer J. D. Tippit that day, Lee Harvey Oswald sneaked into this theater without paying. After box office cashier Julie Postal received a tip on Oswald from nearby shoe store employee John Brewer, she called Dallas Police. Despite attempting to shoot the arresting officer, Oswald was arrested before the movie ended.^[2] (Coincidentally, lead actor Baynes Barron was born on May 29, 1917—the same day as the fallen president.) Oswald was fatally shot two days later by club owner Jack Ruby^[3] while being transferred to another jail.

Notes

^ Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (1997). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond 007 Film Companion. Batsford. p. 27. ISBN 0-7134-8182-X.
^ Johnson, Donald (February 21, 1964). "'Lee was the leader of our playground'". Life. 56 (8). Time, Inc.: 80. ISSN 0024-3019.
^ Flowers, R. Barri; Flowers, H. Loraine (2004). Murders in the United States: Crimes, Killers and Victims of the Twentieth Century. McFarland. p. 84. ISBN 0-7864-2075-8.

External links

War is Hell at IMDb
War is Hell at the TCM Movie Database

This article about a film on the Korean War is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[1] Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (1997). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond 007 Film Companion. Batsford. p. 27. ISBN 0-7134-8182-X.

[2] Johnson, Donald (February 21, 1964). "'Lee was the leader of our playground'". Life. 56 (8). Time, Inc.: 80. ISSN 0024-3019.

[3] Flowers, R. Barri; Flowers, H. Loraine (2004). Murders in the United States: Crimes, Killers and Victims of the Twentieth Century. McFarland. p. 84. ISBN 0-7864-2075-8.

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v t e The films of Burt Topper
As director	Hell Squad (1958) Tank Commando (1959) Diary of a High School Bride (1959) War Is Hell (1963) The Strangler (1964) The Devil's 8 (1969) The Hard Ride (1971) Soul Hustler (1976)
As producer only	Space Probe Taurus (1965) Fireball 500 (1966) Thunder Alley (1967) Devil's Angels (1967) Wild in the Streets (1968) C.H.O.M.P.S. (1979)