Halls of Montezuma (1950)

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  • HALLS OF MONTEZUMA


    DIRECTED BY LEWIS MILESTONE
    PRODUCED BY ROBERT BASSLER
    TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX FILM CORPORATION



    Infoormation from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    The marines attack a strongly held enemy island in the Pacific.
    We follow them from the beach to a Japanese rocket site through enemy infested jungle
    as their ex-school teacher leader is transformed into a battle veteran
    and his squad becomes a tight fighting unit.
    Written by Derek Picken


    Full Cast
    Richard Widmark ... Lt. Anderson
    Jack Palance ... Pigeon Lane (as Walter {Jack} Palance)
    Reginald Gardiner ... Sgt. Johnson
    Robert Wagner ... Coffman
    Karl Malden ... Doc
    Richard Hylton ... Conroy
    Richard Boone ... Lt. Col. Gilfillan
    Skip Homeier ... Pretty Boy
    Don Hicks ... Lt. Butterfield
    Jack Webb ... Correspondent Dickerman
    Bert Freed ... Slattery
    Neville Brand ... Sgt. Zelenko
    Martin Milner ... Whitney
    Philip Ahn ... Nomura
    :Richard Allan ... Pvt. Stewart (uncredited)
    Edward Binns ... First soldier in final tracking shot (uncredited)
    Robert Board ... Marine (uncredited)
    Robert Bohannon ... Soldier (uncredited)
    Michael Capanna ... Marine (uncredited)
    Harry Carter ... Bosun's Mate (uncredited)
    Shirley Christensen ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Howard Chuman ... Capt. Ishio Makino (uncredited)
    John Close ... Marine (uncredited)
    Fred Coby ... Capt. McCreavy (uncredited)
    Pat Combs ... Marine (uncredited)
    George Conrad ... Corpsman (uncredited)
    Fred Dale ... Pharmacist's Mate (uncredited)
    Chris Drake ... Frank (uncredited)
    Jerry Fujikawa ... Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
    Don Gordon ... Marine (uncredited)
    Helene Hatch ... Aunt Emma (uncredited)
    William Hawes ... Pascowicz (uncredited)
    Buster Hobbs ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Frank Iwanaga ... Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
    Frank Kumagai ... Romeo (uncredited)
    Charles Lee ... Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
    Jack Lee ... Courier (uncredited)
    Paul Lees ... Capt. Seaman (uncredited)
    Benito Marcus ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Juan Marcus ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Marion Marshall ... Nurse (uncredited)
    Harris Matsushige ... Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
    Roger McGee ... Davis (uncredited)
    John McKee ... Marine (uncredited)
    Harry McKim ... Radioman (uncredited)
    Bob McLean ... Marine Guard (uncredited)
    Rollin Moriyama ... Fukado (uncredited)
    Ralph Nagai ... Willie (uncredited)
    Al Negbo ... Marine (uncredited)
    George Offerman Jr. ... Marine (uncredited)
    Trueman Oshima ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Mrs. Po ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Mrs. Poo Sai ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Mike Road ... Ship's Captain (uncredited)
    Ishizo Sano ... Japanese Soldier (uncredited)
    Fred Shellac ... Marine (uncredited)
    Marcus Silva ... Minor Role (uncredited)
    Buster Slaven ... Marine (uncredited)
    Clarke Stevens ... Recruit (uncredited)
    Joe Turkel ... Marine (uncredited)
    William Yokota ... Old Japanese Man (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Michael Blankfort


    Original Music
    Sol Kaplan


    Cinematography
    Winton C. Hoch
    Harry Jackson


    Trivia
    Richard Boone's film debut.


    The landing craft are coming out of the USS Sedgwick County (LST-1123), which saw action in WW2, Korea, and Viet Nam.


    This movie's dedication seen during the opening credits states: "To the United States Marine Corps-This story is dedicated in gratitude for its help in making it possible-But most of all for its stalwart defense of all we hold dear to our lives, our people, and our future."


    This movie had simultaneous premieres in Los Angeles and New York according to 'The Hollywood Reporter'. Both premieres were attended by US Marine veterans, marines and officials whilst both were also charity aid benefits raising funds for charities relating to the Marine Corps


    Twentieth Century-Fox film studio publicity reveals that studio mogul Darryl F. Zanuck and producer Robert Bassler derived this movie's story from a short Marine film called "Objective-Prisoners" labeling this as "the key". The essence of this short film's plot was the high importance of capturing prisoners-of-war for interrogation as part of the military intelligence rationale.


    Script treatments written by Sy Bartlett, Harry Kleiner and Major George A. Gilliland USMC held in the Twentieth Century-Fox Scripts Collection at the UCLA Arts Special Collections Library were not apparently used for this movie though Gilliand did stay on as a credited technical consultant to this movie's production.


    Second-unit filming of Marine Corps action maneuvers for this movie was shot between 1-12 May 1950 on location at Camp Pendleton, Southern California.
    Share this
    US Marine and Navy units participated in the filming of this movie and after their work was finished, they went to fight in Korea.


    The meaning and relevance of this movie's title Halls of Montezuma is that it represents the first line of the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps which is known as the Marine's Hymn. This song is the oldest official song in the United States military. The first few lines go like this: "From the Halls of Montezuma, To the shores of Tripoli; We fight our country's battles In the air, on land, and sea; First to fight for right and freedom And to keep our honor clean; We are proud to claim the title Of United States Marine." The second line, To the Shores of Tripoli is also an American military movie as well.


    'The Los Angeles Times' announced on 27 January 1949 that this movie would be starring Dana Andrews, Paul Douglas and Anne Baxter. However, none of these actors ended up being in this picture.


    20th Century-Fox studio publicity announced that this was the movie debut of Robert Wagner (as Private Coffman in this film). However, Wagner had previously appeared in debut but uncredited as Cleaves Catcher Adams in The Happy Years. Nonetheless, this movie, Halls of Montezuma, still represents Wagner's credited movie debut.


    This movie was utilized as a recruitment film for the US Marine Corps under the cooperation with the Twentieth Century-Fox studio.


    The novel 'Under Fire' (2002) by W.E.B. Griffin has the production of this movie as one of it's story elements. The novel is Book IX of The Corps Series which feature the United States Marine Corps.


    This movie was made with the extensive cooperation of the United States Marines Corp.


    This movie's title is taken from the first opening line lyric of the Marine's Hymn, the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. In turn, the phrase "Halls of Montezuma" in that hymn is taken from the September 1847 Mexican-American War's Battle of Chapultepec when American Marines attacked the Chapultepec Castle (Spanish: Castillo de Chapultepec) west of Mexico City and later occupied that city. The Chapultepec Castle is also known as the Halls of Montezuma. The castle was depicted in the movie Vera Cruz and was an actual filming location in the film Romeo + Juliet.


    'The Hollywood Reporter' announced on 11 January 1951 that during the San Francisco premiere of this movie, a full company of new US Marines would be sworn-in at a special military ceremony at the film's launch.


    Sy Bartlett and Harry Kleiner "wrote an 'original treatment'-based on 'nothing' in which to utilize actual combat film-which the Marines offered us-of the invasion of certain Islands", according to the UCLA Legal Department's 20th Century Fox Records Collection.


    This movie was directed by Lewis Milestone who was a veteran of the war movie by the time he made this movie. His other war films had included by that time Arch of Triumph; The Purple Heart; The North Star aka Armored Attack; Edge of Darkness; Our Russian Front and All Quiet on the Western Front.


    This US Marines war movie was apparently studio head Darryl F. Zanuck and 20th Century Fox's response to Warner Brother's earlier US Marines war movie, Sands of Iwo Jima which was made a year prior to this film. Both movies utilized filming at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, Oceanside, California, USA.


    The current Marine Corps hymn uses the line "We fight our country's battles, in the air, on land and sea." The Marine Corp had no air wing until after WW2 and the song was originally "We fight our country's battles, on the land and on the sea."


    Goofs
    Character error
    While speaking to his superiors on his walkie-talkie, Lt Anderson twice closes his conversation with "Over and out." This is incorrect. He should have said either "Over" (if he was turning the conversation over to the other speaker), or "Out" (if he was ending the talk). Interestingly, Anderson uses the correct term "Out" later in the film.


    Continuity
    After Anderson sees Pretty Boy was shot dead, he stands up and shoulders his rifle under his arm, but the next camera shot shows his rifle behind his arm.


    Coffman is listed as "Coffman" in the credits, but the name on his jacket is spelled "Koffman."


    During the battle at the cave, one of the "dead" Japanese soldiers at the cave entrance can be seen jumping up and going back into the cave. This appears to be the same soldier who is ultimately taken prisoner and interrogated.


    Factual errors
    Sergeant Johnson, the interpreter, wears a revolver in a shoulder holster. But the gun's grips are made of bright white ivory, making him a perfect target for the Japanese, especially in low-light conditions. No real Marine would be this careless, and no superior would tolerate such a safety violation by one of his men.


    Revealing mistakes
    During the invasion of the enemy island, several actual World War II film clips are spliced in for realism. But in these clips, the large hull numbers on two of the ships are backwards.


    The pockets of the ammunition belts worn by most of the Marines who carry M1 Garand rifles are obviously empty, since they are flat. No real Marine would go into combat with an empty ammo belt.


    As his platoon is approaching an enemy-held cave, Lt Anderson checks his watch and tells his men that the time is 0530 (5:30 a.m.). However, rather than being filmed near dawn and in semi-darkness, this scene and the ones immediately following are in bright daylight.


    Memorable Quotes


    Filming Location
    20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA


    Watch the Trailer


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    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 2 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Halls of Montezuma is a 1951 World War II war film starring Richard Widmark,
    Jack Palance
    and Karl Malden.
    The film, which is about U.S. marines fighting on a Japanese-held island,
    was directed by academy-award winner Lewis Milestone.
    It also starred Robert Wagner in his first credited screen role
    and was also Richard Boone's film debut.


    Real color combat footage from the war in the Pacific
    was incorporated into the film's cinematography.


    The film, like Darryl F. Zanuck's 1949 production Sands of Iwo Jima,
    was filmed on location at Camp Pendleton, California, with the full cooperation of the USMC.
    Its title is a reference to the opening line from the Marines' Hymn.


    User Review
    A more realistic war movie
    9 July 2000 | by sunking

    Quote

    Many war movies just following WWII were of the John Wayne tough guy type.
    However, Halls of Montezuma, is refreshing in that it looks in depth at the psychology of the soldier.
    Really at how men change when laying there lives on the line.
    The cinematography was also well done when you consider this movie was made half a century ago.
    You won't see the blood and guts as in a Saving Private Ryan,
    but the movie may make you think twice before signing up for active duty.

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 2 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • Halls of Montezuma with, Richards, Widmark, Boone, Hylton, Robert Wagner, Walter (Jack) Palance, Bert Freed, Philip Ahn, Reginald Gardner, Robert Wagner, Martin Milner, Skip Homeier, Jack Webb, Neville Brand and Karl Malden:

    Widmark with Robert Wagner:

    Martin Milner:

    Milner (back) with Bert Freed (Slattery)

    Milner and Webb carrying Doc (Karl malden)

    Reginald Gardner (Interpreter/Sergeant) Widmark and Webb:

    Great shot of Widmark (Lt. Carl Anderson)

    Great shot of a Japanese Machine gunner:


    Great shot of Pvt Slattery (Bert Freed) on a flame-throwing Sherman tank:

    Good shot of a blinded Nevill Brand (the Platoon Sergeant:

    Richard Boon (Col Gilkillion) left side:

    Nice shot of the Interpreter-Sergeant (Reginald Gardner)

    Classic shot of Richard Hylton (Conroy) w/ his Garand:

    Robert Wagner and Doc (Karl Malden:

    Widmark, Webb and Boone:


    Palance with dying Homeier:

    B.A.R. gunner: Pretty Boy (Skip Homeier:

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • I know! I just want it to get a fair shake!!


    It's a great series, and close to my heart. My dad was in the Navy in the South Pacific, and piloted a Higgins Boat - most notably at Okinawa.



    Im a fan of Pacific War stuff-in fact--just watched the Marines best the Japanese in: Halls of Montezuma. ;-))

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..

  • Thank you Keith. Also, in the Factual Errors thing about Sgt. Johnson and his white-handled revolver saying no real Marine would wear something like it in combat--he is wrong. Sgt. Johnson was NOT a combat Marine but an interpreter--which means his job was in intelligence and interrorgating prisoners which means--he spent 99% of his time far behind the lines and would never have been a target for a Japanese Sniper--let alone anything else. Also, folks like Patton and countless others-wore handguns with grips that were customized with Ivory or Sandstone handles.


    PS, after I get me mitts on more stills for Pork Chop Hill, im going to focus on getting some for this movie ;-))

    Es Ist Verboten Mit Gefangenen In Einzelhaft Zu Sprechen..