Attack (1956)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Robert Aldrich

Writers:

Norman Brooks (play)
James Poe (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 October 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War | Action

Tagline:

The Story of the "Fragile Fox" Company!

Plot:

During the closing days of WWII, a National Guard Infantry Company is assigned the task of setting up artillery observation posts in a strategic area...

Plot Keywords:

WWII | National Guard | One Word Title | Officer | Coward

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jack Palance	...	Lt. Joe Costa, Fox Co.
Eddie Albert	...	Capt. Erskine Cooney, CO, Fox Co.
Lee Marvin	...	Lt. Col. Clyde Bartlett, CO, White Battalion
Robert Strauss	...	Pfc. Bernstein
Richard Jaeckel	...	Pvt. Snowden
Buddy Ebsen	...	Sfc. Tolliver, Fox Co.
Jon Shepodd	...	Cpl. John Jackson, Fox Co. (communications)
Peter van Eyck	...	SS Captain (as Peter Van Eyck)
James Goodwin	...	Pfc. Ricks (as Jimmy Goodwin)
Steven Geray	...	Otto, German NCO
Jud Taylor	...	Pvt. Jacob R. Abramowitz (radioman) (as Judson Taylor)
Louis Mercier	...	Brouise (French blacksmith)
Henry Rowland	...	German with Binoculars
Holly Bane	...	Soldier with binoculars (as Mike Ragan)
Ron McNeil	...	Pfc. Jones

Also Known As:

Attack! (USA) (alternative spelling)
Command Attack (USA) (working title)
The Fragile Fox (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Argentina:Atp | UK:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved

Filming Locations:

Albertson Ranch, Triunfo, California, USA

Company:

Associates & Aldrich Company, The

Trivia:

Congressman Melvin Price openly criticized the military for their non-involvement in the film, calling it a "shameful attempt at censorship". United Artists were only too happy to exploit this with teaser posters asking "Is this the most controversial picture of the year?" On the back of this, the film grossed nearly $2 million (United Artists had projected a gross of around $20,000).

Goofs:

Factual errors: Throughout the picture, German infantrymen use what seems to be some variation of the water-cooled Browning 30-caliber machine gun, which was a U.S. weapon. Also, the German tanks don't resemble any Panzers in use during World War II.

Quotes:

Sfc. Tolliver, Fox Co.: [refusing a drink] Captain, down around where I come from we dearly love our whiskey. But we don't drink with another man unless we respect him.

I could have been Erskine Cooney

It would seem political correctness prevailed even back during the big bloodletting. The military should screen it's officers very thoroughly before giving them the command over others' lives. Captain Cooney should never have been issued a uniform much less been promoted to such a high field rank. Most of these old 40's and 50's war films leave me colder than a dead kraut but this was way above the fold. Yes, some of the special effects were a bit tame and a couple of the sets looked like what they were, but this was one gritty, ugly tale of the horror and waste of combat. The entire cast was excellent in their portrayal of soldiers in a hopeless situation. Many familiar old faces in this one, most of whom are no longer with us.