Merrill's Marauders (film)
Encyclopedia
Merrill's Marauders is a 1962
Cinemascope
war film
directed and co-written by Samuel Fuller
based on the exploits of the jungle warfare
unit of the same name
in the Burma Campaign
. The source is the non-fiction
book The Marauders, written by Charlton Ogburn Jr.
, a communications officer who served with Merrill's Marauders
. Filmed on location in the Philippines
, the economical historical epic film
stars Jeff Chandler
(in his final role) as Frank Merrill
and several actors from the Warner Brothers Television stock company
who were then the lead actors in American television shows.
begins with black and white historical stock footage
and maps
as a narrator
gives the audience the "big picture" by explaining the world situation of the time. The narration continues with the Burma campaign
, crediting the British Army
and Imperial
Forces involved to avoid giving offence like Objective, Burma!
but does not mention the contributions of the Chinese X Force. The narrator
continues to explain the presence and mission of the Marauders with a map
showing their line of march in three columns spearheaded by a military intelligence
and reconnaissance
(I&R) platoon
, led by Lt. Stockton or "Stock" (Ty Hardin
). The black and white film segue
s into Technicolor
as we see the platoon
moving through the jungle
.
Hiding from a Japanese plane, Brigadier General
Frank Merrill
(Jeff Chandler
) says that keeping his 3,000 G.I. jungle fighters hidden from the enemy for 200 miles is "driving me nuts". They have been discovered and the main column is soon under artillery
fire. Lt Stock's platoon
take out the artillery battery
with platoon
sniper
"Bullseye" (Peter Brown
) shooting the commander and the platoon
destroying the emplacement with covering fire and the use of grenades.
Stock reports to the fatherly pipe smoking
Merrill. Their interpersonal relationship
is like father and son; however both Merrill and Stock's platoon sergeant
Kolowicz (Claude Akins
) think that Stock is too close to his men. Meanwhile, platoon
scout
Taggy (Pancho Magalona
), a Filipino Japanese speaking veteran of Bataan
and Guadalcanal
taps into enemy telephone
wires to hear that the Japanese have discovered the American presence but do not know the size or mission of the unit. Merrill orders his men to drop their backpacks and hurry to their objective (goal) before the enemy reinforces it. The unit thinks they have volunteered for only "one dangerous and hazardous mission....somewhere"; the capture of a town called Walawbum that the platoon leads the attack on. After the successful battle, the mood is one of anticipation of going home, with light hearted moments of meeting a British Army
unit of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment who ask whether the "Five thousand three hundred and seventh Composite Unit...PROVISIONAL!" is a Quartermaster
unit.
The troops celebrate their victory by having a mule
race and are preparing to leave Burma to return home when General
Joseph Stilwell
(John Hoyt
) arrives to brief Merrill that his men have to seize another objective, Shaduzup. They then must capture the strategic airstrip at Myitkyina
before the monsoon
arrives, a trek of over 500 miles through jungle
, swamp
s, and mountain
s. Merrill summons Stock and explains that his men have to do just one more mission ("All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and take just one more step") and watches from his window as he sees Stock's excited platoon gather in front of him then shamble off dejected when they hear the news leaving Stock alone.
The Marauders attack Shaduzup that is a railyard with massive maze-like concrete blocks that the Americans and Japanese fight at close contact in. An aerial shot following the pyrrhic victory
shows the massive losses on both sides. As the Marauders sit exhausted and in shock, locals creep out to bring the jungle fighters food. When tough bearded platoon sergeant
Kolowicz looks up to see an elderly woman feeding him like a child he breaks down into tears. Lt Stock meets and helps a wounded girl (Luz Valdez) by carrying her to the regimental aid post. Brigadier
Merrill inspects the condition of his men that is summed up by a scene when a G.I. on an operating table screams 'Did Lemchek make it?' and then dies. Merrill asks his medical officer "Doc" (Andrew Duggan
) "DID Lemchek make it?" "HE'S Lemchek", is the reply.
Merrill explains to Stock that they have to go on to Myitkyina
. Stock replies that he and his men can't go on. Merrill tells him he can and just has to take one more step. Stock reminds Merrill his men are veteran
s of South Pacific
campaigns and were promised to return home after volunteering for the one mission. Merrill tells Stock that he is a leader 'and sometimes leaders have to hurt people'. Stock walks off dejected.
The unit continues their march through jungle
and hellish swamp
s. In addition to tropical diseases they suffer from disorientation such as arguing whether its day or night in the dark jungle and being unable to remember what day it is with one Marauder winning the argument by saying HE knows what day it is as it's his birthday. Merrill radios for a needed airdrop
of food but when he realises it will draw the Japanese, he orders his command back into the swamp
s. One of Stock's platoon, "Chowhound" (Will Hutchins
) disobeys and runs out to the clearing covered in white parachute
s and canister
s where he's shot by the enemy and covered with a wind blown parachute shroud
.
The brigade
continues their mission up steep mountain
s. The platoon
mule
handler "Muley" (Charlie Briggs) has his beloved mule
Eleanor collapse from the weight of her load. Sgt Kolowicz sadly but firmly tells "Muley" he will have to shoot Eleanor as she is holding up the column on the mountain track. The emotionally distraught "Muley" straps Eleanor's load on his back and trudges up the mountain range, passing an exhausted Kolowicz on the ground and glaring at him. As the mountains are crossed at last, "Muley" dies.
In a meeting with his battalion
commanders they feel drops of rain and realise they must hurry more. In one of the film's best lines that came from the book, Lieutenant Colonel
Bannister (Lt Col. Samuel V. Wilson
the film's technical advisor
and a former I&R platoon
leader with the Marauders) says, "when I go home and have a family, one day I'll line up all my children and tell them what Burma was really like. And if they don't cry, I'll beat the hell out of them".
As night falls the survivors are hit by a massive artillery
barrage
and flare (pyrotechnic)
s that light up the landscape making the men take cover in a river bed. Taggy the scout
infiltrates the enemy's lines to return saying that a banzai charge
is due at dawn
. Japanese attempts at infiltration
during the night are repulsed, but the men are unable to sleep. The dawn attack is fought off by the exhausted jungle fighters with weapons, bayonet
s, and unarmed combatives
. After the attack Merrill orders his men up. They sit like sheep and stare. Merrill shouts that all his men have to do is take "just one more step, to put one foot in front of the other and take one more step". He suddenly collapses from a heart attack. The men led by Stock slowly rise up and trudge onwards towards Myitkyina
as an incredulous "Doc" cradles Merrill in his arms.
Fuller's original version ended with Merrill waking up on Myitkyina
airstrip to the sound of airplanes landing with "Doc" gravely telling him that the men took the airstrip but at a great price. Sperling, Warner Bros.
, and the U.S. Army felt that ending was too downbeat and replaced it with Duggan's narration over a montage sequence of battle scenes, then non Cinemascope
stock footage
of the 101st Airborne Division
on parade
that severely clashes with both the tone and the look of the rest of the film.
to The Marauders in 1959, producer
Milton Sperling
and his United States Pictures
Productions made an economical (slightly over 1 million US dollars) epic film
in the Philippines
, with 1200 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines
, American soldiers of the 1st U.S. Army Special Forces Group at Okinawa and Clark Air Force Base, several Warner Brothers Television contract stars who were then the leading men of popular programs but would not be paid extra salary, two stuntmen
(Chuck Roberson
and Chuck Hicks) in major roles, the film's technical advisor
and two Filipino film stars. Due to bad weather, Fuller shot six days over the allotted 41-day shooting schedule.
The company's name United States Pictures
Productions impressed the Philippine government and the film crews that they were working with a branch of the United States Government and enthusiastically co-operated with the producer. Sperling approached the experienced Samuel Fuller
to write and direct The Marauders (the working title
) in early 1961. Fuller was then attempting to have Warner Bros. finance and make his dream project, The Big Red One
, and initially refused Sperling's offer. Then, Jack Warner
summoned Fuller and told him that Merrill's Marauders would be a dry run for his The Big Red One. For the lead role, Fuller wanted Gary Cooper
, who refused it because of ill-health (he died soon afterwards). Fuller was impressed with former Universal Pictures
contract star Jeff Chandler
and cast him.
Samuel Fuller and Milton Sperling simplify, but follow the events and narrative
of Ogburn's historical account. However, they use the character structure of Denis and Terry Sanders
screenplay
for The Naked and the Dead
; an earnest young lieutenant
"Stock" in command of a military intelligence
and reconnaissance
platoon
is a mediator between his men and a fatherly Brigadier General
Frank Merrill
. The screenplay also features a grave medical officer "Doc" continually briefing Merrill (and the audience) on the physical and psychological condition of the men and on Merrill himself.
Lt. Stock and Doc are a Greek Chorus
that explains decisions, morale
, and conditions to the audience. Unlike the characters in The Naked and the Dead
who continually have flashbacks and viciously hate each other, the Marauders are professional
veteran
s who respect each other. They gradually deteriorate when the one mission becomes two, then three, then an endless one, and a beat-the-clock narrative in capturing an airstrip before the monsoon
grounds aircraft. The audience sees the effects on the men of not only enemy action, but hunger, tropical diseases, disorientation, sleep deprivation, and breakdown (physical, moral, mental). The soldiers continue, demonstrating superb combat leadership
, professionalism, sacrifice, and endurance
.
Merrill's Marauders was photographed by William H. Clothier
, who used a trick from his work on The Alamo
: silence precedes and follows the loud battle scenes. Fuller also eschewed sound effects for the sound of blanks. The U.S. Army was upset at the mood of and events in the film, particularly scenes in the Shaduzup maze of G.I.s accidentally killing other G.I.s, and had the scenes deleted. The original Shadazup maze scene was a single take with panning
across the battle instead of cutting to close-up
s of who was shooting whom. The studio told Fuller it looked "too artistic" and had a second unit director re-shoot some of the scenes (only one scene appeared in the final print), and also changed the original ending to feature soldiers on dress parade
, which angered Fuller; he fought the studio; they dropped plans to film The Big Red One.
During the film, Jeff Chandler, who had back problems, injured himself playing baseball with some of the American soldiers working on the film. Despite the pain, Chandler continued filming; his pain is noticeable. On returning to the U.S., he died under anesthesia during back surgery. Merril's Marauder's was critically and financially successful, and was the final Warner Bros. film made in Cinemascope
. The film was illustrated in a movie tie-in Dell Comics
American comic book
.
battle scenes from Battle Cry (film)
in the attack at Walawbum. Warner Bros.
also used bits of Franz Waxman
's score from Objective, Burma!
that was also used in Warner's Up Periscope (1959). The 1885 tune American Patrol
appears in not only the final parade
scene but in bits throughout the film that either indicates that the film was scored after the addition of the changed ending or that American Patrol
may have been the original title music rather than Howard Jackson's title theme.
... Brig. Gen. Frank D. Merrill
Ty Hardin
... 2nd Lt. Lee Stockton
Peter Brown
... Bullseye
Andrew Duggan
... Capt. Abraham Lewis Kolodny, MD
Will Hutchins
... Chowhound
Claude Akins
... Sgt. Kolowicz
Pancho Magalona
... Taggy
Luz Valdez ... Burmese girl
John Hoyt
... Gen. Joseph Stilwell
Charlie Briggs ... Muley
Chuck Roberson
... Battalion Commander
Chuck Hayward
... Officer
Chuck Hicks ... Cpl. Doskis
Samuel Vaughan Wilson ... Lt. Col Bannister
Richard Cooper - American GI
1962 in film
The year 1962 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May - The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards are officially founded by the Taiwanese government....
Cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
directed and co-written by Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Michael Fuller was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director known for low-budget genre movies with controversial themes.-Personal life:...
based on the exploits of the jungle warfare
Jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for both sides in many conflicts, including World War II and the...
unit of the same name
Merrill's Marauders
Merrill’s Marauders or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit , was a United States Army long range penetration special operations unit in the South-East Asian Theater of World War II which fought in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, or CBI...
in the Burma Campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
. The source is the non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
book The Marauders, written by Charlton Ogburn Jr.
Charlton Ogburn
Charlton Ogburn, Jr. was a journalist and author of memoirs and non-fiction works. He was also a well-known advocate of the Oxfordian theory of Shakespeare authorship...
, a communications officer who served with Merrill's Marauders
Merrill's Marauders
Merrill’s Marauders or Unit Galahad, officially named the 5307th Composite Unit , was a United States Army long range penetration special operations unit in the South-East Asian Theater of World War II which fought in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations, or CBI...
. Filmed on location in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the economical historical epic film
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
stars Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (actor)
Jeff Chandler was an American film actor and singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Anna and Phillip Grossel. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities...
(in his final role) as Frank Merrill
Frank Merrill
Frank Dow Merrill is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit , in the Burma Campaign of World War II. Merrill's Marauders came under General Joseph Stilwell's Northern Combat Area Command...
and several actors from the Warner Brothers Television stock company
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
who were then the lead actors in American television shows.
Plot
The epic filmEpic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
begins with black and white historical stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
and maps
MAPS
Maps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
as a narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
gives the audience the "big picture" by explaining the world situation of the time. The narration continues with the Burma campaign
Burma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
, crediting the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
and Imperial
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
Forces involved to avoid giving offence like Objective, Burma!
Objective, Burma!
Objective, Burma! is an Oscar-nominated 1945 war film which was loosely based on the six month raid by Merrill's Marauders in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War...
but does not mention the contributions of the Chinese X Force. The narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
continues to explain the presence and mission of the Marauders with a map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
showing their line of march in three columns spearheaded by a military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
(I&R) platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
, led by Lt. Stockton or "Stock" (Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
). The black and white film segue
Segue
A segue is a smooth transition from one topic or section to the next.-In music:In music, segue is a direction to the performer. It means continue without a pause. It comes from the Italian "it follows". The term attacca is also used in classical music.For written music it implies a transition...
s into Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
as we see the platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
moving through the jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
.
Hiding from a Japanese plane, Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Frank Merrill
Frank Merrill
Frank Dow Merrill is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit , in the Burma Campaign of World War II. Merrill's Marauders came under General Joseph Stilwell's Northern Combat Area Command...
(Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (actor)
Jeff Chandler was an American film actor and singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Anna and Phillip Grossel. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities...
) says that keeping his 3,000 G.I. jungle fighters hidden from the enemy for 200 miles is "driving me nuts". They have been discovered and the main column is soon under artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
fire. Lt Stock's platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
take out the artillery battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
with platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
"Bullseye" (Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
) shooting the commander and the platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
destroying the emplacement with covering fire and the use of grenades.
Stock reports to the fatherly pipe smoking
Pipe smoking
Pipe smoking is the practice of tasting or inhaling the smoke produced by burning a substance, most commonly tobacco, in a pipe. It is the oldest traditional form of smoking.-History:...
Merrill. Their interpersonal relationship
Interpersonal relationship
An interpersonal relationship is an association between two or more people that may range from fleeting to enduring. This association may be based on limerence, love, solidarity, regular business interactions, or some other type of social commitment. Interpersonal relationships are formed in the...
is like father and son; however both Merrill and Stock's platoon sergeant
Platoon Sergeant
In many militaries, a platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of a platoon, who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit.-Singapore:...
Kolowicz (Claude Akins
Claude Akins
Claude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
) think that Stock is too close to his men. Meanwhile, platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
Taggy (Pancho Magalona
Pancho Magalona
Enrique "Pancho" Magalona, Jr. — was a Philippine actor from the 1940s to the 1970s.-Early life:Born Enrique Gayoso Magalona, Jr. on 1921 in the southern Philippine province of Negros Occidental and was the son of Philippine Senator Enrique B. Magalona, Sr.-Personal life:Pancho and his real life...
), a Filipino Japanese speaking veteran of Bataan
Bataan
Bataan is a province of the Philippines occupying the whole of the Bataan Peninsula on Luzon. The province is part of the Central Luzon region. The capital of Bataan is Balanga City and it is bordered by the provinces of Zambales and Pampanga to the north...
and Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
taps into enemy telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
wires to hear that the Japanese have discovered the American presence but do not know the size or mission of the unit. Merrill orders his men to drop their backpacks and hurry to their objective (goal) before the enemy reinforces it. The unit thinks they have volunteered for only "one dangerous and hazardous mission....somewhere"; the capture of a town called Walawbum that the platoon leads the attack on. After the successful battle, the mood is one of anticipation of going home, with light hearted moments of meeting a British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
unit of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment who ask whether the "Five thousand three hundred and seventh Composite Unit...PROVISIONAL!" is a Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
unit.
The troops celebrate their victory by having a mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
race and are preparing to leave Burma to return home when General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Joseph Stilwell
Joseph Stilwell
General Joseph Warren Stilwell was a United States Army four-star General known for service in the China Burma India Theater. His caustic personality was reflected in the nickname "Vinegar Joe"...
(John Hoyt
John Hoyt
John Hoyt was an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life:Hoyt was born John McArthur Hoysradt. Before becoming an actor with Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, the Yale University graduate worked as a history instructor, acting teacher and even a nightclub comedian...
) arrives to brief Merrill that his men have to seize another objective, Shaduzup. They then must capture the strategic airstrip at Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
before the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
arrives, a trek of over 500 miles through jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
, swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s, and mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s. Merrill summons Stock and explains that his men have to do just one more mission ("All you have to do is put one foot in front of the other and take just one more step") and watches from his window as he sees Stock's excited platoon gather in front of him then shamble off dejected when they hear the news leaving Stock alone.
The Marauders attack Shaduzup that is a railyard with massive maze-like concrete blocks that the Americans and Japanese fight at close contact in. An aerial shot following the pyrrhic victory
Pyrrhic victory
A Pyrrhic victory is a victory with such a devastating cost to the victor that it carries the implication that another such victory will ultimately cause defeat.-Origin:...
shows the massive losses on both sides. As the Marauders sit exhausted and in shock, locals creep out to bring the jungle fighters food. When tough bearded platoon sergeant
Platoon Sergeant
In many militaries, a platoon sergeant is the senior enlisted member of a platoon, who advises and supports the platoon's commanding officer in leading the unit.-Singapore:...
Kolowicz looks up to see an elderly woman feeding him like a child he breaks down into tears. Lt Stock meets and helps a wounded girl (Luz Valdez) by carrying her to the regimental aid post. Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Merrill inspects the condition of his men that is summed up by a scene when a G.I. on an operating table screams 'Did Lemchek make it?' and then dies. Merrill asks his medical officer "Doc" (Andrew Duggan
Andrew Duggan
-Career:During World War II, Duggan was in the 40th Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play Dreamgirl. He developed a friendship with Broadway...
) "DID Lemchek make it?" "HE'S Lemchek", is the reply.
Merrill explains to Stock that they have to go on to Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
. Stock replies that he and his men can't go on. Merrill tells him he can and just has to take one more step. Stock reminds Merrill his men are veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s of South Pacific
Pacific Ocean theater of World War II
The Pacific Ocean theatre was one of four major naval theatres of war of World War II, which pitted the forces of Japan against those of the United States, the British Commonwealth, the Netherlands and France....
campaigns and were promised to return home after volunteering for the one mission. Merrill tells Stock that he is a leader 'and sometimes leaders have to hurt people'. Stock walks off dejected.
The unit continues their march through jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
and hellish swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s. In addition to tropical diseases they suffer from disorientation such as arguing whether its day or night in the dark jungle and being unable to remember what day it is with one Marauder winning the argument by saying HE knows what day it is as it's his birthday. Merrill radios for a needed airdrop
Airdrop
An airdrop is a type of airlift, developed during World War II to resupply otherwise inaccessible troops, who themselves may have been airborne forces. In some cases, it is used to refer to the airborne assault itself. Early airdrops were conducted by dropping or pushing padded bundles from...
of food but when he realises it will draw the Japanese, he orders his command back into the swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s. One of Stock's platoon, "Chowhound" (Will Hutchins
Will Hutchins
Will Hutchins is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster in the Warner Brothers Western television series Sugarfoot on ABC from 1957-1961.-Biography:...
) disobeys and runs out to the clearing covered in white parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
s and canister
Canister shot
Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. It was similar to the naval grapeshot, but fired smaller and more numerous balls, which did not have to punch through the wooden hull of a ship...
s where he's shot by the enemy and covered with a wind blown parachute shroud
Shroud
Shroud usually refers to an item, such as a cloth, that covers or protects some other object. The term is most often used in reference to burial sheets, winding-cloths or winding-sheets, such as the famous Shroud of Turin or Tachrichim that Jews are dressed in for burial...
.
The brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
continues their mission up steep mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s. The platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
handler "Muley" (Charlie Briggs) has his beloved mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
Eleanor collapse from the weight of her load. Sgt Kolowicz sadly but firmly tells "Muley" he will have to shoot Eleanor as she is holding up the column on the mountain track. The emotionally distraught "Muley" straps Eleanor's load on his back and trudges up the mountain range, passing an exhausted Kolowicz on the ground and glaring at him. As the mountains are crossed at last, "Muley" dies.
In a meeting with his battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
commanders they feel drops of rain and realise they must hurry more. In one of the film's best lines that came from the book, Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Bannister (Lt Col. Samuel V. Wilson
Samuel V. Wilson
Lieutenant General Samuel Vaughan Wilson , aka "General Sam", completed his active military career in the fall of 1977, having divided his service almost equally between special operations and intelligence assignments...
the film's technical advisor
Technical advisor
A technical advisor is an individual who is expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide detailed information and advice to people working in that field...
and a former I&R platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
leader with the Marauders) says, "when I go home and have a family, one day I'll line up all my children and tell them what Burma was really like. And if they don't cry, I'll beat the hell out of them".
As night falls the survivors are hit by a massive artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
barrage
Barrage (artillery)
A barrage is a line or barrier of exploding artillery shells, created by the co-ordinated aiming of a large number of guns firing continuously. Its purpose is to deny or hamper enemy passage through the line of the barrage, to attack a linear position such as a line of trenches or to neutralize...
and flare (pyrotechnic)
Flare (pyrotechnic)
A flare, also sometimes called a fusee, is a type of pyrotechnic that produces a brilliant light or intense heat without an explosion. Flares are used for signalling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications...
s that light up the landscape making the men take cover in a river bed. Taggy the scout
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
infiltrates the enemy's lines to return saying that a banzai charge
Banzai charge
Banzai charge was a term applied during World War II by the Allied forces to human wave attacks mounted by infantry forces of the Imperial Japanese Army...
is due at dawn
Dawn
Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of the twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the presence of weak sunlight, while the sun itself is still below the horizon...
. Japanese attempts at infiltration
Infiltration tactics
In warfare, infiltration tactics involve small, lightly equipped infantry forces attacking enemy rear areas while bypassing enemy front line strongpoints and isolating them for attack by follow-up troops with heavier weapons.-Development during World War I:...
during the night are repulsed, but the men are unable to sleep. The dawn attack is fought off by the exhausted jungle fighters with weapons, bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
s, and unarmed combatives
Combatives
Combatives is a United States Army term for hand-to-hand combat training and techniques.-History:Militaries have long taught unarmed combat, both as physical conditioning and as a supplement to armed combat. Among the samurai of Japan, such combatives were known as Bujutsu...
. After the attack Merrill orders his men up. They sit like sheep and stare. Merrill shouts that all his men have to do is take "just one more step, to put one foot in front of the other and take one more step". He suddenly collapses from a heart attack. The men led by Stock slowly rise up and trudge onwards towards Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
as an incredulous "Doc" cradles Merrill in his arms.
Fuller's original version ended with Merrill waking up on Myitkyina
Myitkyina
Myitkyina is the capital city of Kachin State in Myanmar , located from Yangon, and from Mandalay. In Burmese it means "near the big river", and in fact "Myitkyina" lies on the west bank of the Ayeyarwady River, just below from Myit-son of its two headstreams...
airstrip to the sound of airplanes landing with "Doc" gravely telling him that the men took the airstrip but at a great price. Sperling, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, and the U.S. Army felt that ending was too downbeat and replaced it with Duggan's narration over a montage sequence of battle scenes, then non Cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
of the 101st Airborne Division
101st Airborne Division
The 101st Airborne Division—the "Screaming Eagles"—is a U.S. Army modular light infantry division trained for air assault operations. During World War II, it was renowned for its role in Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, in Normandy, France, Operation Market Garden, the...
on parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
that severely clashes with both the tone and the look of the rest of the film.
Production
After buying the film rightsFilm rights
Film rights are the rights under copyright law to make a derivative work—in this case, a film—derived from an item of intellectual property. Under U.S...
to The Marauders in 1959, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
Milton Sperling
Milton Sperling
Milton Sperling was an American film producer and screenwriter for 20th Century Fox and Warner Bros. where he had his own independent production unit United States Pictures.-Biography:...
and his United States Pictures
United States Pictures
United States Pictures was the name of the motion picture production company belonging to Milton Sperling who was Harry Warner's son-in-law....
Productions made an economical (slightly over 1 million US dollars) epic film
Epic film
An epic is a genre of film that emphasizes human drama on a grand scale. Epics are more ambitious in scope than other film genres, and their ambitious nature helps to differentiate them from similar genres such as the period piece or adventure film...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, with 1200 soldiers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is composed of the Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force...
, American soldiers of the 1st U.S. Army Special Forces Group at Okinawa and Clark Air Force Base, several Warner Brothers Television contract stars who were then the leading men of popular programs but would not be paid extra salary, two stuntmen
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
(Chuck Roberson
Chuck Roberson
Charles Hugh "Chuck" Roberson was an American cowboy, actor, and stuntman. He was nicknamed "Bad Chuck" by director John Ford, for whom he worked many times, to distinguish him from "Good Chuck," stuntman Chuck Hayward. Roberson was reportedly the rowdier of the two, thus the nicknames.Roberson...
and Chuck Hicks) in major roles, the film's technical advisor
Technical advisor
A technical advisor is an individual who is expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide detailed information and advice to people working in that field...
and two Filipino film stars. Due to bad weather, Fuller shot six days over the allotted 41-day shooting schedule.
The company's name United States Pictures
United States Pictures
United States Pictures was the name of the motion picture production company belonging to Milton Sperling who was Harry Warner's son-in-law....
Productions impressed the Philippine government and the film crews that they were working with a branch of the United States Government and enthusiastically co-operated with the producer. Sperling approached the experienced Samuel Fuller
Samuel Fuller
Samuel Michael Fuller was an American screenwriter, novelist, and film director known for low-budget genre movies with controversial themes.-Personal life:...
to write and direct The Marauders (the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
) in early 1961. Fuller was then attempting to have Warner Bros. finance and make his dream project, The Big Red One
The Big Red One
The Big Red One is a World War II war film starring Lee Marvin and Mark Hamill. Written and directed by Samuel Fuller, it was produced by Lorimar and released by United Artists in the US on July 18, 1980...
, and initially refused Sperling's offer. Then, Jack Warner
Jack Warner
Jack Leonard "J. L." Warner , born Jacob Warner in London, Ontario, was a Canadian American film executive who was the president and driving force behind the Warner Bros. Studios in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California...
summoned Fuller and told him that Merrill's Marauders would be a dry run for his The Big Red One. For the lead role, Fuller wanted Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
, who refused it because of ill-health (he died soon afterwards). Fuller was impressed with former Universal Pictures
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
contract star Jeff Chandler
Jeff Chandler (actor)
Jeff Chandler was an American film actor and singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Anna and Phillip Grossel. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities...
and cast him.
Samuel Fuller and Milton Sperling simplify, but follow the events and narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
of Ogburn's historical account. However, they use the character structure of Denis and Terry Sanders
Terry Sanders
Terry Sanders is an American filmmaker having produced and/or directed more than 70 dramatic features, televisions specials, documentaries and portrait films. He co-heads the American Film Foundation and has produced and photographed the Oscar-winning dramatic short "A Time Out of War"...
screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
for The Naked and the Dead
The Naked and the Dead
The Naked and the Dead is a 1948 novel by Norman Mailer. It was based on his experiences with the 112th Cavalry Regiment during the Philippines Campaign in World War II...
; an earnest young lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
"Stock" in command of a military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
and reconnaissance
Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
is a mediator between his men and a fatherly Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
Frank Merrill
Frank Merrill
Frank Dow Merrill is best remembered for his command of Merrill's Marauders, officially the 5307th Composite Unit , in the Burma Campaign of World War II. Merrill's Marauders came under General Joseph Stilwell's Northern Combat Area Command...
. The screenplay also features a grave medical officer "Doc" continually briefing Merrill (and the audience) on the physical and psychological condition of the men and on Merrill himself.
Lt. Stock and Doc are a Greek Chorus
Greek chorus
A Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....
that explains decisions, morale
Morale
Morale, also known as esprit de corps when discussing the morale of a group, is an intangible term used to describe the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others...
, and conditions to the audience. Unlike the characters in The Naked and the Dead
The Naked and the Dead
The Naked and the Dead is a 1948 novel by Norman Mailer. It was based on his experiences with the 112th Cavalry Regiment during the Philippines Campaign in World War II...
who continually have flashbacks and viciously hate each other, the Marauders are professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s who respect each other. They gradually deteriorate when the one mission becomes two, then three, then an endless one, and a beat-the-clock narrative in capturing an airstrip before the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
grounds aircraft. The audience sees the effects on the men of not only enemy action, but hunger, tropical diseases, disorientation, sleep deprivation, and breakdown (physical, moral, mental). The soldiers continue, demonstrating superb combat leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
, professionalism, sacrifice, and endurance
Endurance
Endurance is the ability for a human or animal to exert itself and remain active for a long period of time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds, or fatigue. In humans, it is usually used in aerobic or anaerobic exercise...
.
Merrill's Marauders was photographed by William H. Clothier
William H. Clothier
William H. Clothier, A.S.C. was an American cinematographer.Born in Decatur, Illinois, Clothier entered the film industry painting sets at Warner Bros., and at the end of the silent era began photographing such films as Wings and Ernst Lubitsch's The Patriot...
, who used a trick from his work on The Alamo
The Alamo (1960 film)
The Alamo is a 1960 American historical epic released by United Artists. The film was directed by John Wayne, who also starred as Davy Crockett. The cast also includes Richard Widmark as Jim Bowie and Laurence Harvey as William B...
: silence precedes and follows the loud battle scenes. Fuller also eschewed sound effects for the sound of blanks. The U.S. Army was upset at the mood of and events in the film, particularly scenes in the Shaduzup maze of G.I.s accidentally killing other G.I.s, and had the scenes deleted. The original Shadazup maze scene was a single take with panning
Panning (camera)
In photography, panning refers to the horizontal movement or rotation of a still or video camera, or the scanning of a subject horizontally on video or a display device...
across the battle instead of cutting to close-up
Close-up
In filmmaking, television production, still photography and the comic strip medium a close-up tightly frames a person or an object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium shots and long shots . Close-ups display the most detail, but they do not include the broader scene...
s of who was shooting whom. The studio told Fuller it looked "too artistic" and had a second unit director re-shoot some of the scenes (only one scene appeared in the final print), and also changed the original ending to feature soldiers on dress parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
, which angered Fuller; he fought the studio; they dropped plans to film The Big Red One.
During the film, Jeff Chandler, who had back problems, injured himself playing baseball with some of the American soldiers working on the film. Despite the pain, Chandler continued filming; his pain is noticeable. On returning to the U.S., he died under anesthesia during back surgery. Merril's Marauder's was critically and financially successful, and was the final Warner Bros. film made in Cinemascope
CinemaScope
CinemaScope was an anamorphic lens series used for shooting wide screen movies from 1953 to 1967. Its creation in 1953, by the president of 20th Century-Fox, marked the beginning of the modern anamorphic format in both principal photography and movie projection.The anamorphic lenses theoretically...
. The film was illustrated in a movie tie-in Dell Comics
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
American comic book
American comic book
An American comic book is a small magazine originating in the United States and containing a narrative in the form of comics. Since 1975 the dimensions have standardized at 6 5/8" x 10 ¼" , down from 6 ¾" x 10 ¼" in the Silver Age, although larger formats appeared in the past...
.
Stock footage and music
Another example of the economical production of the film was using extensive stock footageStock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
battle scenes from Battle Cry (film)
Battle Cry (film)
Battle Cry is a 1955 CinemaScope film, starring Van Heflin, Aldo Ray, James Whitmore, Tab Hunter, Anne Francis, Dorothy Malone, Raymond Massey, and Mona Freeman...
in the attack at Walawbum. Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
also used bits of Franz Waxman
Franz Waxman
Franz Waxman was a German-American composer, known for his bravura Carmen Fantasie for violin and orchestra, based on musical themes from the Bizet opera Carmen, and for his musical scores for films....
's score from Objective, Burma!
Objective, Burma!
Objective, Burma! is an Oscar-nominated 1945 war film which was loosely based on the six month raid by Merrill's Marauders in the Burma Campaign during the Second World War...
that was also used in Warner's Up Periscope (1959). The 1885 tune American Patrol
American Patrol
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by F. W. Meacham in 1885. Written originally for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carly Discher in 1891. Meacham's widow renewed the copyright in 1912. It was later arranged for Glenn Miller's swing band by Jerry Gray in 1941,...
appears in not only the final parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
scene but in bits throughout the film that either indicates that the film was scored after the addition of the changed ending or that American Patrol
American Patrol
"American Patrol" is a popular march written by F. W. Meacham in 1885. Written originally for piano, it was then arranged for wind band and published by Carly Discher in 1891. Meacham's widow renewed the copyright in 1912. It was later arranged for Glenn Miller's swing band by Jerry Gray in 1941,...
may have been the original title music rather than Howard Jackson's title theme.
Cast
Jeff ChandlerJeff Chandler (actor)
Jeff Chandler was an American film actor and singer in the 1950s.-Early life:Chandler was born Ira Grossel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of Anna and Phillip Grossel. He attended Erasmus Hall High School, the alma mater of many stage and film personalities...
... Brig. Gen. Frank D. Merrill
Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin
Ty Hardin, born Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., is a former American actor best known as the star of the 1950s ABC western television series Bronco.-Early life:...
... 2nd Lt. Lee Stockton
Peter Brown
Peter Brown (actor)
Peter Brown is an American television actor known for his role as Deputy Johnny McKay opposite John Russell in the 1958 Warner Bros. western series Lawman.-Early life:...
... Bullseye
Andrew Duggan
Andrew Duggan
-Career:During World War II, Duggan was in the 40th Special Services Company, led by actor Melvyn Douglas in the China Burma India Theater of World War II. His contact with Douglas later led to his performing with Lucille Ball in the play Dreamgirl. He developed a friendship with Broadway...
... Capt. Abraham Lewis Kolodny, MD
Will Hutchins
Will Hutchins
Will Hutchins is an American actor most noted for playing the lead role of the young lawyer Tom Brewster in the Warner Brothers Western television series Sugarfoot on ABC from 1957-1961.-Biography:...
... Chowhound
Claude Akins
Claude Akins
Claude Marion Akins was an American actor with a long career on stage, screen and television.Powerful in appearance and voice, Akins could be counted on to play the clever tough guy, on the side of good or bad, in movies and television. He is best remembered as Sheriff Lobo in the 1970s TV series...
... Sgt. Kolowicz
Pancho Magalona
Pancho Magalona
Enrique "Pancho" Magalona, Jr. — was a Philippine actor from the 1940s to the 1970s.-Early life:Born Enrique Gayoso Magalona, Jr. on 1921 in the southern Philippine province of Negros Occidental and was the son of Philippine Senator Enrique B. Magalona, Sr.-Personal life:Pancho and his real life...
... Taggy
Luz Valdez ... Burmese girl
John Hoyt
John Hoyt
John Hoyt was an American film, stage, and television actor.-Early life:Hoyt was born John McArthur Hoysradt. Before becoming an actor with Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, the Yale University graduate worked as a history instructor, acting teacher and even a nightclub comedian...
... Gen. Joseph Stilwell
Joseph Stilwell
General Joseph Warren Stilwell was a United States Army four-star General known for service in the China Burma India Theater. His caustic personality was reflected in the nickname "Vinegar Joe"...
Charlie Briggs ... Muley
Chuck Roberson
Chuck Roberson
Charles Hugh "Chuck" Roberson was an American cowboy, actor, and stuntman. He was nicknamed "Bad Chuck" by director John Ford, for whom he worked many times, to distinguish him from "Good Chuck," stuntman Chuck Hayward. Roberson was reportedly the rowdier of the two, thus the nicknames.Roberson...
... Battalion Commander
Chuck Hayward
Chuck Hayward
Charles B. Hayward was an American motion picture stuntman and actor. He was associated particularly with the films of John Wayne...
... Officer
Chuck Hicks ... Cpl. Doskis
Samuel Vaughan Wilson ... Lt. Col Bannister
Richard Cooper - American GI
External links
- Merrill's Marauders at the Movies http://www.marauder.org/movie.htm
- comic book of the film http://www.marauder.org/comic.htm
- Peter Brown website of the film http://www.peterbrown.tv/merrills.html