Battle Cry (1955)

The Marine Corps F4-U4 Corsairs filmed in this movie belonged to squadrons, VMF-217 and VMF-322. Based at the Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro, California. The two squadrons were unofficially dubbed "The Battle Cry Squadrons:" I was an enlisted Marine (PFC) assigned to VMF-217 as a mechanic.That was in 1954. A group of enlisted and officers from the squadrons were invited to Hollywood for a luncheon and to meet the movie's cast. It was a way of thanking the squadrons for their contribution to the film. I was lucky enough to be chosen to go with the group.Members of the cast included Van Heflin, Tab Hunter, Aldo Ray along with many others were there and all were most gracious. Everyone fell in love with Dorothy Malone, including me. Photos were taken but due to many moves over a 30 year Marine Corps career, those photo were lost to the ages. Semper Fi, Masta Guns

I saw this film in 1959 in a theater in Oceanside, Ca. I was in ITR, Los Polgas, Camp Pendleton. It was great then, but now, this 70 y/o watches it with a sad heart and a yearning for being back in. I recognized every building at Camp Pendleton, and much of the terrain. I'd walked, crawled and run over, around and through most of it. The San Diego ferry, now gone, was so neat. Believe it or not I used to catch to Grey Hound from Oceanburg to Dago, I had a sister that live at Imperial Beach. I'd take the ferry to Coronado. It was such a peaceful, serene short voyage, chance to gather one's thoughts. I do think the combat was well enough done, done so sure about all this blood and guts they show now. Even more so, the absence of the absolutely filthy language they feel they have to use now,aka "sewer pipe for a mouth", my analogy. We used a little profanity, but never filth like they do now. Didn't used to have to put that "some scenes my be objectable" stuff, the whole family could watch. Great movie, Semper Fi, especially to my brothers, the former Marine's. Keep your K-bar whet, and your haversack dry>

Not the world's best movie But not its worst. What I am especially interested in this movie is that much of it is set in my home city of Wellington, New Zealand, and features the U.S. Marines saving us from invasion by the Jpanese. Leon Uris's novel, on which the movie is based, catches very much the mood of the 1942-1943 period when the men of successive Marine divisions passed through Wellington en route to the fighting in Guadalcalal and elsewhere in the Soloman Islands. The movie makes a fair effort to translate this to the screen. What also interests me is that a previous comment I made on this movies along the above lines has not been retained among the user comments in International Moview Date Base. I greatly admire IMDb and make much use of it. Has Amaerica's paranoia grown to the extent that even favourable comments are not welcome if they come from outside the United States ?

My father was a Marine and a writer for the entertainment section of the Stars & Stripes. My dad, Staff Sargent Charles R. Cain, my mom, and sister and I, went daily, to where outside scenes were being rehearsed and filmed. I was 6 yrs. old. My dad and L.Q. became long time friends. My dad still has letters from Mr. Jones. In one he writes that he can't imagine himself in a mustache. Years later he did wear a mustache. It looks great! At one point during a scene, a rattlesnake made it's unwanted appearance. The filmmakers and actors were at a momentary loss about how to take care of the matter, so my dad, being the ham that he is, grabbed the snake behind the head and carried it off beyond harms way. On another assignment, Jack Webb offered my dad a part in the movie "The D.I." but my dad turned it down. That's part of the reason we're not rich and famous today.