''Battle at Bloody Beach'', (aka ''Battle on the Beach'' in the UK and Australia), is a 1961 drama directed by

Herbert Coleman Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herb ...

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''. The film was shot on Santa Catalina Island by Robert Lippert's

Associated Producers Incorporated Robert Lenard Lippert (March 31, 1909 – November 16, 1976) was an American film producer and cinema chain owner. He was president and chief operating officer of Lippert Theatres, Affiliated Theatres and Transcontinental Theatres, all based in ...

and was released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. The film was produced and co-written by Richard Maibaum along with frequent Audie Murphy collaborator Willard W. Willingham.

Plot

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 lead 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

* 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 Elmore Joseph Andre, also known as E.J. André (August 14, 1908 – September 6, 1984) was an American writer, director, and actor on stage, film and television, perhaps best known for portraying Uncle Jed on ''Little House on the Prairie'', ...

as Dr. Van Bart * Dale Ishimoto as Blanco * Lillian Bronson as Delia Ellis * Míriam Colón as Nahni * Pilar Seurat as Camota * William Mims as M'Keever * Ivan Dixon as Tiger Blair * Sara Anderson as Mrs. Thompson * Kevin Brodie as Timmy Thompson * Lloyd Kino as Japanese lieutenant

References

External links

* * * *
Review of film
at Cinema Retro 1961 films 20th Century Fox films CinemaScope films American war drama films Audie Murphy Films set in the Philippines Pacific War films American black-and-white films 1960s English-language films Films with screenplays by Richard Maibaum 1960s war drama films 1961 drama films 1960s American films {{WWII-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links