War Is Hell (film)

1961 film by Burt Topper

War is Hell

Film poster

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 (1963-10-23)

(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

[edit]

Set during the Korean War, the film depicts the atrocities of battle. Sgt. Garth (Barron), a bloodthirsty egomaniac, 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 a mortal wound to the sergeant.

## Cast

[edit]

* 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

[edit]

The film ran in Japan and West Germany in late 1961, sometimes titled War Hero. Its release in the US was delayed, with some of the cast and crew suspecting that distributors were put off by the depiction of an American war criminal.[1] It was finally released in 1963, with Audie Murphy's narration added to soften the film's message,[1] and distributed by United Artists the next year on a double bill below the James Bond film From Russia with Love.[2]

## Legacy

[edit]

War Is Hell has been noted as the last Hollywood Korean War film, coming just as the United States was building its presence in Vietnam. However, its artistic aspects have been overshadowed by the coincidence that it was playing (along with Cry of Battle) at the Texas Theatre in Dallas the afternoon of November 22, 1963, when Lee Harvey Oswald hid there after shooting President John F. Kennedy and police officer J. D. Tippit.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ a b Herzberg, Bob (2021). Hollywood and the Military Bureaucracy. p. 132.
2. ^ Barnes, Alan; Hearn, Marcus (1997). Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond 007 Film Companion. Batsford. p. 27\. ISBN 0-7134-8182-X.

## External links

[edit]

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

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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)

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