The Steel Helmet (1951)

Director:

Samuel Fuller

Writer:

Samuel Fuller (writer)

Release Date:

2 February 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

It's the REAL Korean Story!

Plot:

A ragtag group of American stragglers battles against superior Communist troops in an abandoned Buddhist temple during the Korean War.

Plot Keywords:

Buddhist Temple | Korean War | Sergeant | Conscientious Objector | Veteran

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Gene Evans	...	Sgt. Zack
Robert Hutton	...	Pvt. Bronte
Steve Brodie	...	Lt. Driscoll
James Edwards	...	Cpl. Thompson
Richard Loo	...	Sgt. Tanaka
Sid Melton	...	Joe
Richard Monahan	...	Pvt. Baldy
William Chun	...	Short Round
Harold Fong	...	The Red
Neyle Morrow	...	First GI
Lynn Stalmaster	...	Second Lieutenant

Directed by
Samuel Fuller

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Samuel Fuller		writer

Produced by
William Berke	....	associate producer
Samuel Fuller	....	producer
Robert L. Lippert	....	executive producer (as Robert Lippert)
Murray Lerner	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Paul Dunlap

Cinematography by
Ernest Miller

Film Editing by
Philip Cahn

Art Direction by
Theobold Holsopple

Set Decoration by
Clarence Steensen		(as Clarence Steenson)

Costume Design by
Alfred Berke

Makeup Department
George Bruce	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
John Francis Murphy	....	assistant director (as John F. Murphy)

Sound Department
William H. Lynch	....	sound (as William Lynch)

Special Effects by
Ray Mercer	....	special effects
Ben Southland	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Noble Craig	....	grip (uncredited)

Music Department
Paul Dunlap	....	musical director

Other crew
Stanley Price	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Deputy Corporation

Distributors

• Lippert Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• Weiss Global Enterprises (1979) (USA) (all media)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD) (as Eclipse from the Criterion Collection)
• Burbank Video (????-????) (video)
• Kit Parker Films (2004) (worldwide) (all media)

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Griffith Park - 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Deputy Corporation

Trivia:

Although it looks like there are quite a bit more, there were actually only 25 extras in this picture, playing both American and North Korean soldiers, and all of them were students from UCLA (the battle scenes were shot in Griffith Park).

Goofs:

Factual errors: The stock footage used in the artillery barrage of the North Korean attack includes WWII-era footage of German artillery on the Atlantic Wall.

Quotes:

Sergeant Zack: Dead man's nothin' but a corpse. No one cares what he is now.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller (2002) (TV)

Hoovers F.B.I. launched an investigation into this one.

Screw-ball film making by one of the bravest directors around. As A result of touching upon the racial issues of the day Hoovers F.B.I. launched an investigation in order to find out if the film had been financed by the communists. Sam Fuller, brave enough to walk into the line of fire with a hand held 16mm camera and awarded whatever medal it was for pulling wounded soldier after wounded soldier to safety during WW 2 accused of anti-americanism by the dawgs of the day. Remember Alf from Green Acres? He's in this film. Plays Joe the guy who won't talk to anyone yet when no one else is around he whispers happily into the ear of a gear carrying donkey. Screw-ball film making at it's best. One scene has "Buddah Head" Tanaka feeding "Baldy"(lost his hair through yellow fever) a line about massaging earth into the scalp to stimulate growth. This is a classic!