1962 - HELL IS FOR HEROES, a very good antiwar film

 This is a very good antiwar film.  A squad of American soldiers has to hold the line from some German soldiers.  Along with excellent battle scenes the interactions of the soldiers are well developed particularly with the heightened presence of the Germans.

The film has a great cast of character actors.  Singer Bobby Darrin is a private, James Coburn is a corporal, Nick Adams a Polish refugee from the Germans.  Even more great character actors show up, Mike Kellin, Fess Parker, Harry Guardino, and L.Q. Jones.  In a very strange piece of casting comedian Bob Newhart is a soldier/clerk now assigned to the squad.  Newhart probably has the dumbest scene in the film doing one of his comedic telephone bits.

 Probably the most fascinating performer is Steve McQueen as a former Master Sergent busted down to the rank of private.  This is a classic McQueen role, a malcontent who can't get along with anyone but is highly skilled at his occupation in this case killing Germans.  During the making of the film McQueen was quite a handful for the production.

The director was Don Siegel who was kind of a bruiser of a filmmaker guy himself when dealing with actors and studio executives.  Siegel was a replacement for Robert Pirosh the screenwriter who initially tried to direct this film but ran into major issues dealing with McQueen.  Only a tough guy like Siegel could handle him.

  

The battles are well staged and for what could have been a rah rah war movie they have a tough intensity to them.  The final battle with the Americans attacking a German pillbox is particularly intense.  To paraphrase Shakespeare there's no honor in dying in combat, you just end up dead.  Highly recommended.

Written by Robert Pirosh and Richard Carr, the running time is a tight 90 minutes.