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All the Young Men

 
Movies:

All the Young Men

  • Director: Hall Bartlett
  • AMG Rating: starstar
  • Genre: Drama
  • Movie Type: Combat Films
  • Themes: Military Life, Race Relations
  • Main Cast: Alan Ladd, Sidney Poitier, James Darren, Glenn Corbett, Mort Sahl
  • Release Year: 1960
  • Country: US
  • Run Time: 86 minutes

Plot

Set right near the 38th Parallel, the dividing line between North and South Korea, this conventional wartime tale focuses on the relationships of some GI's caught without reinforcements in an old farmhouse. Although the house offers some protection, the men are outnumbered and little by little, casualties mount. After the lieutenant dies, black Sergeant Towler (Sidney Poitier) automatically assumes command, and that causes friction among the white soldiers underneath him. Knowing that racial tension can do much more damage than normal under these siege conditions, Sergeant Towler finally defuses the situation when his nemesis, Kincaid (Alan Ladd) is wounded. Kincaid gets a life-saving transfusion from the Sergeant which also shows up the stupidity of racial hatred -- but meanwhile, the enemy is still attacking and reinforcements are still needed. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Cast

Paul Richards - Bracken; Lee Kinsolving - Dean; Joe Gallison - Jackson; Paul Baxley - Lazitech; Charles Quinlivan - Lieutenant; Michael Davis - Cho; Mario Alcalde - Hunter; Ingemar Johansson - Torgil; Dick Davalos - Casey; Ana St. Clair - Maya; Marie Tsien - Korean Woman

Credit

Carl Anderson - Art Director, Hall Bartlett - Director, Al Clark - Editor, George Duning - Composer (Music Score), Daniel L. Fapp - Cinematographer, Hall Bartlett - Producer, Hall Bartlett - Screenwriter
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All the Young Men
Directed by Hall Bartlett
Produced by Hall Bartlett
Alan Ladd
Written by Hall Bartlett
Starring Alan Ladd
Sidney Poitier
Music by George Duning
Cinematography Daniel L. Fapp
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) 1960
Running time 90 min.
Country United States of America
Language English

All the Young Men is a 1960 Korean War feature film starring Alan Ladd and Sidney Poitier.

Contents

Plot

Poitier plays a Korean War sergeant commanding a small, isolated and decimated platoon of American Marines. The film explores the racial integration of the American military, centering on the African-American sergeant's struggle to win the trust and respect of the men in his unit.[1]

When the platoon's lieutenant is mortally wounded in an ambush, he passes the role of platoon leader to the next highest ranking man, Sergeant Towler (Poitier). Towler initially feels the role should be taken by the combat experienced Sergeant Kincaid (Ladd) who has eleven years of service as a Marine. However, Ladd lost his former rank through misconduct. Ladd's prowess as a hero is demonstrated in the opening battle scene where he picks up a M1919 Browning machine gun and fires it from the hip into charging North Korean hordes.

Before he dies, the Lieutenant reminds Poitier that he is next in line for command, not Kincaid. One of the platoon, Pvt Bracken (Paul Richards), openly questions Poitier's authority in favour of Ladd.

Production

Hall Bartlett designed a film for Sidney Poitier that he signed on a contract and a percentage of the profits. Bartlett based the idea of the film on the integration of the military in the Korean War. However only Columbia Pictures would finance his film with Columbia insisting that Bartlett rewrite the film for a white co-star. Bartlett found the only major star willing to do the film was Alan Ladd who co-produced the film.[2]

The film features an unusual cast who works well together. In addition to Alan Ladd and Sidney Poitier the cast includes Mort Sahl who does a comedy routine, James Darren who sings the title song, Glenn Corbett and boxer Ingemar Johansson in his American film debut. Bartlett cast his Argentine wife Ana María Lynch/Ana St. Clair as a Korean, Mario Alcalde as an American Indian, Hollywood born Paul Richards (actor) as a bigoted Southerner, and cast local Blackfoot Indians as North Koreans.[3] All the Young Men was filmed in Glacier National Park (U.S.) and Mt. Hood Oregon.[4]

Columbia planned two separate advertising campaigns for the film to white and black audiences.[5] Columbia also used Quentin Reynolds to promote the film in advertising campaigns. A paperback novelisation of the film was written by Marvin Albert.[6]

The Marine Corps provided Lieutenant Colonel Clement J. Stadler who had been awarded the Navy Cross[7] in World War II as a technical advisor; a function he also performed in Hell to Eternity, The Outsider, Ambush Bay and The Lieutenant television series. The United States Marine Corps had disbanded separate black Marine units and bases since 18 November 1949.[8]

References

  1. ^ http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939200,00.html
  2. ^ pp.180-181 Goudsouzian, Aram Sidney Poitier: Man, Actor and Icon 2004 UNC Press
  3. ^ ibid
  4. ^ http://www.communitywalk.com/location/glacier_park_all/movies/1189617
  5. ^ p.166 Gormery, Douglas Shared Pleasures: A History of Movie Presentation in the United States University of Wisconsin Press
  6. ^ http://www.mysteryfile.com/GM_Albert/goldmedal_albert.html
  7. ^ http://www.homeofheroes.com/valor/02_awards/index_nx/index-NXs.html
  8. ^ p.483 Sutherland, Jonathan African-Americans at War:An Encyclopedia 2004 ABC-CLIO

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