Battleground

US (1949): War/Action/Drama

Director William A. Wellman offered up this 1949 treatment of the Battle of the Bulge, which won Oscars for best screenplay and best cinematography. The film concentrates on the camaraderie and the divisions between the troops as they ready for the big offensive. Told in a taut narrative, the men of the 101st Airborne, led by Van Johnson, wait out the winter in the Ardennes forest to confront the German army in what would be the last major offensive of World War II. The men are demoralized and trapped, with no hope of support from the Allies as they are forced to band together and defend their position. A classically assembled war drama that nevertheless manages to be both engrossing and entertaining, Battleground is a mainstay of the genre. Cast also includes John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Marshall Thompson, James Whitmore, Leon Ames and Richard Jaeckel. (Amazon.com)

Screenwriter Robert Pirosh based this story on his experiences as an infantryman in the 101^st Airborne during the Battle of Bastogne. Consequently many of the incidents in the film - such as Pvt. Kippton's habit of always losing his false teeth, or the Mexican soldier from Los Angeles who had never seen snow until he got to Belgium - that have always been derided as "typical Hollywood phony baloney" actually happened. Douglas Fowley, who plays Pvt. Kippton (he of the continually lost false teeth) served in the Navy in the South Pacific in World War II and lost all his own teeth in an explosion aboard an aircraft carrier during battle.(MGM)

 Use this link to view the original theatrical trailer for Battleground on TCM.com.

6 nominations, 2 Awards