Battle_at_Bloody_Beach Knowpia

Battle at Bloody Beach
Battle at Bloody Beach
	Original film poster
Directed by	Herbert Coleman
Screenplay by	Richard Maibaum; Willard W. Willingham
Story by	Richard Maibaum
Produced by	Richard Maibaum
Starring	Audie Murphy; Gary Crosby; Dolores Michaels; Alejandro Rey
Cinematography	Kenneth Peach
Edited by	Jodie Copelan
Music by	Henry Vars
Color process	Black and white
Production; company	Associated Producers Incorporated
Distributed by	20th Century Fox
Release date	June 1, 1961;
Running time	80 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$430,000

Battle at Bloody Beach, (aka Battle on the Beach in the UK and Australia),^[2] is a 1961 American CinemaScope drama war film directed by Herbert Coleman and starring Audie Murphy who had previously worked together in Posse from Hell. The film also features Gary Crosby and introduces Alejandro Rey. Battle at Bloody Beach is only the second Audie Murphy movie set in World War II, after his autobiographical To Hell and Back.^[3] The film was shot on Santa Catalina Island^[4] by Robert Lippert's Associated Producers Incorporated and was released by 20th Century Fox.^[5] The film was produced and co-written by Richard Maibaum along with frequent Audie Murphy collaborator Willard W. Willingham.^[6]^[7]^[8]

Plot edit

Craig Benson (Audie Murphy) is a civilian working for the Navy helping arm and supply guerrilla insurgents in the Philippines. His main purpose, however, is to find his wife Ruth (Dolores Michaels), from whom he was separated by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines.

Coming ashore Benson kills two Japanese soldiers who have ambushed his contact Sgt. Marty Sackler (Gary Crosby). The two initially meet a band of dubious guerrillas who act as bandits led by a renegade American M'Keever (William Mims) who desires the weapons Benson brought but concealed. Realising M'Keever is a dead loss, the two fight but actual guerrillas led by Julio Fontana (Alejandro Rey) and an American boxer trapped in the Philippines Tiger Blair (Ivan Dixon) defeat M'Keever's bandits and kill him.

Benson agrees to arm Fontana's guerrilla band and meets a group of American civilians he will evacuate to Australia including his wife Ruth (Dolores Michaels) who believed him killed and is romantically involved with Fontana.

Cast edit

Audie Murphy as Craig Benson
Gary Crosby as Marty Sackler
Dolores Michaels as Ruth Benson
Alejandro Rey as Julio Fontana
Marjorie Stapp as Caroline Pelham
Barry Atwater as Pelham
E. J. André as Dr. Van Bart
Dale Ishimoto as Blanco
Míriam Colón as Nahni
Pilar Seurat as Camota
Lillian Bronson as Delia Ellis
William Mims as M'Keever
Ivan Dixon as Tiger Blair
Kevin Brodie as Timmy Thompson
Sara Anderson as Mrs. Thompson
Lloyd Kino as Japanese lieutenant

Production edit

Heavy seas caused the budget to go $130,000 over the original $300,000 estimate.^[1]

References edit

^ ^a ^b "As 20th All-Big Lippert Helms Budget Features". Variety. 12 April 1961. p. 4.
^ "BATTLE ON THE BEACH (1961)". Monthly Film Bulletin. Vol. 28. p. 113. ProQuest 1305828545.
^ Battle at Bloody Beach at Audie Murphy Memorial Site
^ p. 171 Larkins, Bob & Magers, Boyd The Films of Audie Murphy McFarland, 1 May 2016
^ McGee, Mark Thomas Talk's Cheap, Action's Expensive – The Films of Robert L. Lippert BearManor Media
^ "Miss stapp signed". Los Angeles Times. Jun 22, 1961. ProQuest 167915846.
^ Dexter, Maury (2012). Highway to Hollywood (PDF). p. 122.
^ Larkins, Bob; Magers, Boyd (2009). The Films of Audie Murphy. McFarland. p. 169. ISBN 9781476609270.