1951 - FIXED BAYONETS, back to the Korean War.

Now working for 20th Century Fox and Darryl Zanuck,  Sam Fuller is getting bigger budgets for his films.  Although shot on a sound stage on the Fox lot, the film is a fairly gripping war film.

The story is about an American platoon left behind to fight a "rear guard" as the main division retreats.  The film in many ways covers the same territory as John Ford's The Lost Patrol as one by one the soldiers get picked off by the Chinese Army.

 

The film has an interesting cast starting with Richard Basehart as a corporal who has an aversion to killing the enemy.  There are the usual army soldier stereotypes, the know-it-all, the southerner, the green lieutenant etc.  Of course it wouldn't be a Sam Fuller war film without the appearance of Gene Evans playing tough guy NCO Sergeant Rock.

 

A good war film without the usual rah rah stuff these 50's war films usually contain.

Written by Fuller, the running time is 92 minutes