Breakthrough (1950 film)

1950 film by Lewis Seiler

Breakthrough

Original film poster

Directed by| Lewis Seiler
Written by| Joseph Breen Jr
Bernard Girard
Ted Sherdeman
Produced by| Bryan Foy
Starring| John Agar
David Brian
Frank Lovejoy
Narrated by| Frank Lovejoy
Cinematography| Edwin DuPar
Edited by| Folmar Blangsted
Music by| William Lava

Production
company

Warner Bros.

Distributed by| Warner Bros. Pictures

Release date

* November 17, 1950 (1950-11-17)

Running time

| 91 minutes
Country| United States
Language| English
Budget| $784,000[1]
Box office| $3,015,000[1]
$1,900,000 (US rentals)[2]

Breakthrough is a 1950 American war film directed by Lewis Seiler and starring John Agar about an American infantry unit in World War II. Approximately one-third of the film was assembled from preexisting footage.[3]

## Plot

[edit]

Captain Hale leads a company of infantrymen from the 1st Infantry Division from the D-Day landings through the Normandy campaign. They resent the presence of fresh lieutenant Joe Mallory.[4]

## Cast

[edit]

* David Brian as Capt. Tom Hale
* John Agar as Lt. Joe Mallory
* Frank Lovejoy as platoon Sgt. Pete Bell
* William Campbell as Cpl. Danny Dominick (as Bill Campbell)
* Paul Picerni as Pvt. Edward P. Rojeck
* Greg McClure as Pvt. Frank Finley
* Richard Monahan as Pvt. 'Four-Eff' Nelson
* Edward Norris as Sgt. Roy Henderson (as Eddie Norris)
* Matt Willis as Pvt. Jumbo Hollis
* Dick Wesson as Pvt. Sammy Hansen
* Suzanne Dalbert as Collette
* William Self as Pvt. George Glasheen
* Danny Arnold as Pvt. Rothman
* Danni Sue Nolan as Lt. Janis King
* Howard Negley as Lt. Col. John Lewis
* Drue Mallory as Betsy

## Production

[edit]

The picture includes official American and British military films as well as captured German footage. Some scenes were filmed on location at Fort Ord near Monterey, California.[5]

## Reception

[edit]

The film was profitable, earning $2,095,000 domestically and $920,000 foreign.[1]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Warner Bros financial information in The William Schaefer Ledger. See Appendix 1, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, (1995) 15:sup1, 1-31 p 31 DOI: 10.1080/01439689508604551
2. ^ 'The Top Box Office Hits of 1950', Variety, January 3, 1951
3. ^ Richard Harland Smith, 'Breakthrough', Turner Classic Movies accessed May 17, 2012
4. ^ Breakthrough (1950) - Lewis Seiler | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related | AllMovie
5. ^ Breakthrough (1950) - Notes - TCM.com

## External links

[edit]

* Breakthrough at IMDb

* v
* t
* e

Works based on Operation Overlord

Films|

* I See a Dark Stranger (1946)
* Breakthrough (1950)
* The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel (1951)
* D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)
* Screaming Eagles (1956)
* The Longest Day (1962)
* The Americanization of Emily (1964)
* 36 Hours (1964)
* Up from the Beach (1965)
* A Matter of Resistance (1966)
* Hell in Normandy (1968)
* Overlord (1975)
* The Big Red One (1980)
* Eye of the Needle (1981)
* D-Day Remembered (1994)
* Saving Private Ryan (1998)
* Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004)

Plays|

* Pressure (2014)

TV series|

* The World at War, Episode 17 (1974)
* Band of Brothers (2001)

* v
* t
* e

Films directed by Lewis Seiler

* Darwin Was Right (1924)
* No Man's Gold (1926)
* The Great K & A Train Robbery (1926)
* The Last Trail (1927)
* Outlaws of Red River (1927)
* Tumbling River (1927)
* Wolf Fangs (1927)
* Square Crooks (1928)
* A Song of Kentucky (1929)
* The Ghost Talks (1929)
* Deception (1932)
* Frontier Marshal (1934)
* Charlie Chan in Paris (1935)
* Here Comes Trouble (1936)
* The First Baby (1936)
* Career Woman (1936)
* Turn Off the Moon (1937)
* Crime School (1938)
* Penrod's Double Trouble (1938)
* Heart of the North (1938)
* The Kid from Kokomo (1939)
* King of the Underworld (1939)
* You Can't Get Away with Murder (1939)
* Hell's Kitchen (1939)
* Dust Be My Destiny (1939)
* It All Came True (1940)
* Murder in the Air (1940)
* Flight Angels (1940)
* Tugboat Annie Sails Again (1940)
* South of Suez (1940)
* Kisses for Breakfast (1941)
* The Smiling Ghost (1941)
* You're in the Army Now (1941)
* The Big Shot (1942)
* Pittsburgh (1942)
* Guadalcanal Diary (1943)
* Something for the Boys (1944)
* Molly and Me (1945)
* Doll Face (1945)
* If I'm Lucky (1946)
* Whiplash (1948)
* Breakthrough (1950)
* The Tanks Are Coming (1951)
* The Winning Team (1952)
* Operation Secret (1952)
* The Bamboo Prison (1954)
* Women's Prison (1955)
* Battle Stations (1956)
* Over-Exposed (1956)
* The True Story of Lynn Stuart (1958)

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