The Young and The Brave
Encyclopedia
The Young and The Brave (also known by the working title Attong) is a classic feature film released in 1963 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film has been recognized by Turner Classic Movies
(TCM) as an historical representation of the war film genre and in 2006, the network executives selected the film for preservation in their archives. The film is widely distributed through their cable television network.
Filmed on location in Ventura County, California
, the cinema feature depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture and their youthful companion and his dog during their journey to the American lines. It stars Rory Calhoun
, William Bendix
, Richard Jaeckel
, and Manuel Padilla. It was written by Ronald Davidson
, Beirne Lay, Jr.
, and Harry M. Slott, directed by Francis D. Lyon
and produced by A.C. Lyles.
, three American prisoners of war – Sgt Ed Brent (Rory Calhoun), Staff Sgt Peter Kane (William Bendix), and Pvt Kirk Wilson (Robert Ivers) – escape from their North Korean captors and try to make it back to American lines, about 40 miles away. At the beginning of their trek, they are given shelter by a Korean couple, who have a young son Han (Manuel Padilla). While Han is hiding in nearby hills, the North Korean captors who are pursuing the three escapees kill the couple. The three Americans elude the North Korean pursuers and encounter Han with his companion dog Lobo (Flame, German Shepherd), an abandoned K-9
corps police dog.
While eating some of their few K-rations, which the three shared with Han and the dog, the three Americans discuss whether they should bring Han and the dog with them on their trek to the American lines. Brent, is in favor of bringing them along and, as ranking officer, orders the other two to do so. Kane, opposes bringing the boy and the dog because of the drain they posed on their few rations. Kane appeals to Wilson to out-vote Brent, based on the assertion that after being held captive rank no longer mattered. Wilson, showing no conviction either way, sides with Kane. However, they eventually agree with Brent and the five proceed on the trek.
Along the way. Han confides with Kane that he doesn’t like him because Kane didn’t help save his parents against the North Koreans. Kane convinces Han that there wasn’t anything they could do as escaped prisoners with no weapons. Kane befriends Han and leads him to believe that he could be adopted and go to America.
Cpl John Estway (Richard Jaeckel), a fourth escaped prisoner who was brainwashed, is encountered on their trek. He is carrying a two-way radio
recovered from a broken-down Jeep, but the batteries
that powered it have been depleted. They agree the radio would be useful in summoning help, if they could find replacement batteries.
While traveling through brush, Wilson, who is in the lead, steps on a land mine
and is killed. Han, starts to return to the three remaining men, but is prevented from stepping on a second land mine by the dog Lobo, who is able to sense it through smell. They decided Lobo would be a valuable resource and used him to sniff out more land mines along their path.
After running out of K-rations, they decided to split up in search of food. Han discovers a wild pig in a thicket, which Kane captures and kills. While discussing how to cook it, someone suggested that they first skin it. Han asks if they have pigs in America and says you don’t skin a pig but rather roast
it whole over an open fire. After doing so and enjoying a wonderful meal, they muse about how bright Han is for a child that they figure to be 9 or 10 years old.
They come upon a grass-thatched farmhouse and wonder whether it is occupied. Upon seeing a radio antenna on the roof they surmise that they might find batteries for their radio inside. They hesitated to approach the house because enemy North Koreans might occupy it. Han suggests that he should go and ask for food under the assumption that the enemy, if there, would take him as an innocent child. The men were amazed about how clever and brave the boy was and agreed to his plan. There were enemy soldiers inside, but they reacted violently to the presence of the boy. They came out, shot the boy in a leg and searched for the suspected escapees. Two of the enemies approached the three hidden Americans, who ambushed them. Kane and Estway, donned the fallen enemy’s uniforms and pretended to hold Brent under arrest. The three approached the other North Korean soldiers and when they got close, they opened fire and killed them all. The wounded boy meanwhile fled to escape the North Koreans.
After finding batteries in the farmhouse, they made radio contact with a nearby American base, who sent a helicopter
to pick them up. They searched for Han, but couldn't find him immediately. The helicopter arrived but the three prisoners of war wouldn't leave without the boy. The helicopter pilot informed them they he could only carry two of them at a time and insisted that two of them get aboard. Eventually Estway got aboard alone and the helicopter flew away. The other two continued to search for Han. The helicopter pilot returned shortly under gunpoint of Estway and dropped a note saying that Han was spotted in the next canyon, which was infiltrated by many enemy soldiers and would soon be under barrage by American forces. Brent and Kane hiked to that canyon and spotted Han, but were caught under fire by both sides. In the process, the dog Lobo was fatally shot and Brent was wounded in the knee. They reached Han and shortly later were rescued by American infantrymen.
After being transported to the American base camp, they were charged with disobeying orders to board the helicopter and Estway was charged in holding the pilot at gunpoint. Kane, however insisted on explaining the entire situation to the commanding colonial who finally agreed they were really heroes. The commander discovers that Han is only seven years old and marvels about how young and brave he is. Kane tells Han that he still has two years left to his hitch and won’t be able to adopt Han and take him to America. However, Kane convinces both the boy and Brent, that Brent should adopt the boy since Brent would be returning to America, because of his wound. Han leaves with Brent to the hospital and Kane is left displaying a feeling of accomplishment at the end.
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
(TCM) as an historical representation of the war film genre and in 2006, the network executives selected the film for preservation in their archives. The film is widely distributed through their cable television network.
Filmed on location in Ventura County, California
Ventura County, California
Ventura County is a county in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. It is located on California's Pacific coast. It is often referred to as the Gold Coast, and has a reputation of being one of the safest populated places and one of the most affluent places in the country...
, the cinema feature depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture and their youthful companion and his dog during their journey to the American lines. It stars Rory Calhoun
Rory Calhoun
Rory Calhoun was an American television and film actor, screenwriter and producer, best known for his roles in Westerns.-Early life:...
, William Bendix
William Bendix
William Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
, Richard Jaeckel
Richard Jaeckel
Richard Hanley Jaeckel was an American actor of film and television.-Life and career:Jaeckel was born in Long Beach, New York. A short, but tough guy, he played a variety of characters during his fifty years in movies & television and became one of Hollywood's best known character actors...
, and Manuel Padilla. It was written by Ronald Davidson
Ronald Davidson
Ronald Davidson was an American screenwriter. He was born in Arizona and died in San Diego, California.Ronald Davidson started his career as a short story writer and in 1943 was appointed as story editor for Republic Studios movie serials and some feature films...
, Beirne Lay, Jr.
Beirne Lay, Jr.
Beirne Lay, Jr., was an author, aviation writer, Hollywood screenwriter, and combat veteran of World War II with the U.S. Army Air Forces...
, and Harry M. Slott, directed by Francis D. Lyon
Francis D. Lyon
Francis D. Lyon was an American film director and film editor. He and Robert Parrish won the Academy Award for Film Editing for the 1947 film, Body and Soul....
and produced by A.C. Lyles.
Plot
During the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, three American prisoners of war – Sgt Ed Brent (Rory Calhoun), Staff Sgt Peter Kane (William Bendix), and Pvt Kirk Wilson (Robert Ivers) – escape from their North Korean captors and try to make it back to American lines, about 40 miles away. At the beginning of their trek, they are given shelter by a Korean couple, who have a young son Han (Manuel Padilla). While Han is hiding in nearby hills, the North Korean captors who are pursuing the three escapees kill the couple. The three Americans elude the North Korean pursuers and encounter Han with his companion dog Lobo (Flame, German Shepherd), an abandoned K-9
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
corps police dog.
While eating some of their few K-rations, which the three shared with Han and the dog, the three Americans discuss whether they should bring Han and the dog with them on their trek to the American lines. Brent, is in favor of bringing them along and, as ranking officer, orders the other two to do so. Kane, opposes bringing the boy and the dog because of the drain they posed on their few rations. Kane appeals to Wilson to out-vote Brent, based on the assertion that after being held captive rank no longer mattered. Wilson, showing no conviction either way, sides with Kane. However, they eventually agree with Brent and the five proceed on the trek.
Along the way. Han confides with Kane that he doesn’t like him because Kane didn’t help save his parents against the North Koreans. Kane convinces Han that there wasn’t anything they could do as escaped prisoners with no weapons. Kane befriends Han and leads him to believe that he could be adopted and go to America.
Cpl John Estway (Richard Jaeckel), a fourth escaped prisoner who was brainwashed, is encountered on their trek. He is carrying a two-way radio
Two-way radio
A two-way radio is a radio that can both transmit and receive , unlike a broadcast receiver which only receives content. The term refers to a personal radio transceiver that allows the operator to have a two-way conversation with other similar radios operating on the same radio frequency...
recovered from a broken-down Jeep, but the batteries
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
that powered it have been depleted. They agree the radio would be useful in summoning help, if they could find replacement batteries.
While traveling through brush, Wilson, who is in the lead, steps on a land mine
Land mine
A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....
and is killed. Han, starts to return to the three remaining men, but is prevented from stepping on a second land mine by the dog Lobo, who is able to sense it through smell. They decided Lobo would be a valuable resource and used him to sniff out more land mines along their path.
After running out of K-rations, they decided to split up in search of food. Han discovers a wild pig in a thicket, which Kane captures and kills. While discussing how to cook it, someone suggested that they first skin it. Han asks if they have pigs in America and says you don’t skin a pig but rather roast
Roasting
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat, whether an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting usually causes caramelization or Maillard browning of the surface of the food, which is considered by some as a flavor enhancement. Roasting uses more indirect, diffused heat , and is...
it whole over an open fire. After doing so and enjoying a wonderful meal, they muse about how bright Han is for a child that they figure to be 9 or 10 years old.
They come upon a grass-thatched farmhouse and wonder whether it is occupied. Upon seeing a radio antenna on the roof they surmise that they might find batteries for their radio inside. They hesitated to approach the house because enemy North Koreans might occupy it. Han suggests that he should go and ask for food under the assumption that the enemy, if there, would take him as an innocent child. The men were amazed about how clever and brave the boy was and agreed to his plan. There were enemy soldiers inside, but they reacted violently to the presence of the boy. They came out, shot the boy in a leg and searched for the suspected escapees. Two of the enemies approached the three hidden Americans, who ambushed them. Kane and Estway, donned the fallen enemy’s uniforms and pretended to hold Brent under arrest. The three approached the other North Korean soldiers and when they got close, they opened fire and killed them all. The wounded boy meanwhile fled to escape the North Koreans.
After finding batteries in the farmhouse, they made radio contact with a nearby American base, who sent a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
to pick them up. They searched for Han, but couldn't find him immediately. The helicopter arrived but the three prisoners of war wouldn't leave without the boy. The helicopter pilot informed them they he could only carry two of them at a time and insisted that two of them get aboard. Eventually Estway got aboard alone and the helicopter flew away. The other two continued to search for Han. The helicopter pilot returned shortly under gunpoint of Estway and dropped a note saying that Han was spotted in the next canyon, which was infiltrated by many enemy soldiers and would soon be under barrage by American forces. Brent and Kane hiked to that canyon and spotted Han, but were caught under fire by both sides. In the process, the dog Lobo was fatally shot and Brent was wounded in the knee. They reached Han and shortly later were rescued by American infantrymen.
After being transported to the American base camp, they were charged with disobeying orders to board the helicopter and Estway was charged in holding the pilot at gunpoint. Kane, however insisted on explaining the entire situation to the commanding colonial who finally agreed they were really heroes. The commander discovers that Han is only seven years old and marvels about how young and brave he is. Kane tells Han that he still has two years left to his hitch and won’t be able to adopt Han and take him to America. However, Kane convinces both the boy and Brent, that Brent should adopt the boy since Brent would be returning to America, because of his wound. Han leaves with Brent to the hospital and Kane is left displaying a feeling of accomplishment at the end.
Cast
- Rory CalhounRory CalhounRory Calhoun was an American television and film actor, screenwriter and producer, best known for his roles in Westerns.-Early life:...
as Sgt. Ed Brent - William BendixWilliam BendixWilliam Bendix was an American film, radio, and television actor, best remembered in movies for the title role in the movie The Babe Ruth Story and for portraying clumsily earnest aircraft plant worker Chester A. Riley in radio and television's The Life of Riley...
as Staff Sgt. Peter L. Kane - Richard JaeckelRichard JaeckelRichard Hanley Jaeckel was an American actor of film and television.-Life and career:Jaeckel was born in Long Beach, New York. A short, but tough guy, he played a variety of characters during his fifty years in movies & television and became one of Hollywood's best known character actors...
as Cpl. John Estway - Manuel Padilla as Han
- Richard ArlenRichard Arlen-Biography:Born Sylvanus Richard Van Mattimore in St. Paul, Minnesota, he attended the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. His first job after the war was with St. Paul's Athletic Club...
as Col. Ralph Holbein - John AgarJohn AgarJohn George Agar was an American actor. He starred alongside John Wayne in the films Sands of Iwo Jima, Fort Apache and She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, but was later relegated to B movies, such as Tarantula, The Mole People, The Brain from Planet Arous, Flesh and the Spur, and Hand of Death...
as Intelligence officer - Robert IversRobert IversRobert Ivers, AKA Bob Ivers, Robert Ivers, AKA Bob Ivers, Robert Ivers, AKA Bob Ivers, (December 11, 1934 - 13 February 2003 was an American actor who appeared in films and television in the 1950s and 1960s.-Background:...
as Pvt. Kirk Wilson - Weaver Levy as Communist soldier
- Dennis Richards as Stretcher bearer
- Robert Goshen as Lieut. Ulysses Nero
- Willard Lee as Han's father
- Flame as Lobo the dog
Reviews
- This film has been reviewed by the Classic Film Guide, who summarized the plot and related the movie to a television production. The reviewer states: "Though it's far from the worst movie I've ever seen, I would have felt gypped if I'd paid to see it."