Battle at Bloody Beach (1961)

Audie Murphy was actually a better actor than he was usually given credit for--he did excellent work in "The Red Badge of Courage" and his own biography, "To Hell and Back"--but you couldn't tell by this low-rent war picture. Murphy pretty much walks through the picture, although co- star Alejandro Rey tries to breathe some life into it. The sloppy direction, poor script, overacting by Gary Crosby (as usual), tired performance by a tired-looking Dolores Michaels and its overall cheesiness combine to make this picture definitely one of Murphy's lesser efforts. A burst of not particularly well done action at the end can't really save it. The ending is predictable, trite and not even remotely believable. Overall, pretty much of a dud.

Small-scale story of individuals caught up in a giant war, as opposed to a big WWII blockbuster. Low-budget black and white movie, but that's OK since it is not a blockbuster. However, the combination of low budget, poor script and below-average direction prevents this film from being worthwhile. It appears to have been filmed very quickly, maybe in a matter of days or a couple of weeks.Audie Murphy has a lot of screen "presence" and he elevates what is otherwise not much here. Dolores Michaels is great as always and very watchable. Her leading-lady talent is far above this insignificant movie. Alejandro Rey is watchable as he again elevates one of his many B-movie roles and TV appearances (he had a remarkable ability to do this).The cheap California island location filming is surprisingly adequate as a substitute for the real would-be scene of the action.Can't really recommend this, but the movie's stars outshine the material and are individually fine.

Although only 45 years since it was made, almost everyone associated with the "Battle AT (not of) Bloody Beach" (actors-writers-directors) has been dead for a while now. It is unlikely that this project was given a prominent spot in any of their obits.I'm one of the unlucky few who paid to see this in a theater during its original summer of 1961 release. This type of low budget black and white junk was typical Saturday matinée fodder-although I think "Battle At Bloody Beach" was weak even by those standards. As a ten year-old who loved to play army the title was a real draw. We were driven to the theater by my friend's uncle who had us laughing the whole trip with funny variations on the title. The trip to the theater was a lot more entertaining than the movie. There is a beach, Catalina Island impersonating a small island in the Philippines during WWII, but there is no blood-just some fake looking combat and "day for night" filming. The middle (65% of the total running time) of the movie showcases a long hike by an assorted group of civilians from one side of the island to the other. The Japanese invaded the Philippines and other territories as part of their plans to create what they called a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. Basically the idea was to expel foreign economic and military interests and to set up governments agreeable to Japan's plans for the region. Japan's industrial development was dependent on these areas for raw materials like oil, rubber, and iron ore. The Japanese are essentially faceless and behave moronically (tactically and otherwise), about the same treatment Japan got in propaganda films made during the war. There is a plot of sorts. Sgt. Marty Sackler (Gary Crosby) of the U. S. Army is living on a Japanese occupied island supplying Filipino insurgents with weapons to resist the Japanese occupation. Craig Benson (Audie Murphy), a civilian, comes to the island by submarine to set up a resistance network. He is also looking for his wife Ruth (Dolores Michaels) who he had to leave behind when he evacuated the place at the start of the war. Meanwhile she has fallen for Alejandro Rey who seems to be some kind of revolutionary insurgent. This is an incredibly lousy film which is rarely shown, so it should be easy to avoid. If you are forced to watch just be glad you are not a 10-year-old who just blew part of his meager allowance for a ticket.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

This movie gets beaten up on quite a bit by critics, so my expectations were as low as they could be before watching...perhaps that is why I was so surprised to find some nice moments in this film.There is no question that this could never be considered a war classic, but to dismiss it outright simply by its reputation, or ones pre-conceived notions, is to do oneself a disservice. For being a low budget movie, there was some nice location shooting, quality set design, decent special effects (for the time), and good quality stock footage. There is some poor editing here and there, and a few technical goofs in the film, but, that aside, I must say that I found the direction to be quite good, overall, for a drive-in movie...and the score was nicely done, as well.With only one or two exceptions, the cast was very competent, with Audie Murphy and Gary Crosby doing a nice job, as well as a few enjoyable performances supporting them. The plot had great potential, but the script was poorly written and we didn't get to spend enough time with the people we are supposed to care about. Dolores Michaels is gorgeous, so we can understand why Audie Murphy and Alejandro Rey would both be attracted to her, but she has no real chemistry with either man, so it is hard to get swept up in the love triangle. The characters are written to be very one-dimensional, so the plot points and drama never get a chance to make an impact.The feeling I got at the end of watching this film was that all of the elements were there for a good movie, but it just missed. That being said, I give it a 5 out of 10 for the enjoyment of watching Audie Murphy, as well as a few nice acting and directorial moments. Prepare yourself for a 1960s drive-in movie level of quality, and you will find moments to enjoy throughout.