War Is Hell (film)

War is Hell
Directed by	Burt Topper
Written by	Burt Topper
Produced by	Burt Topper
Starring	Baynes Barron Michael Bell
Narrated by	Audie Murphy
Cinematography	Jacques Marquette
Edited by	Ace Herman
Music by	Ronald Stein
Distributed by	Allied Artists
Release date	September 6, 1961 (international release) October 23, 1963 (1963-10-23) (US release)
Running time	81 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

War is Hell is a 1961 American war film written, produced and directed by Burt Topper. The film stars Baynes Barron and Michael Bell and is narrated by Audie Murphy. A featured cast member is Judy Dan.

Plot

Set during the Korean War, the film depicts the atrocities of battle. Sgt. Garth (Barron), a bloodthirsty egomaniac, neglects to tell his soldiers that there has been a cease fire. The sergeant sends his unit into an enemy bunker, where they are fiercely attacked by the enemy. The few who survive secure the bunker, and Garth attempts to take credit for their actions. Further chaos ensues, resulting in the deaths of many in the platoon, as well as a mortal wound to the sergeant.

Cast

• Baynes Barron as Sgt. Garth
• Michael Bell as Seldon
• Bobby Byles as Gresler
• Wally Campo as Laney
• Kei Thin Chung as Korean Lieutenant (as Kei Chung)
• J.J. Dahner as Koller
• Judy Dan as Yung Chi Thomas
• Robert Howard as Connors
• Audie Murphy as Narrator
• Russ Prescott as Bender
• Tony Rich as Miller
• Tony Russel as Sgt. Keefer
• Paul Sheriff as Thurston
• Burt Topper as Lt. Hallen

Release

United Artists released the second James Bond film, From Russia with Love, with War Is Hell as the second feature of a double bill in the United States on May 27, 1964.

In popular culture

War Is Hell and the 1963 film Cry of Battle were playing as a double feature at the Texas Theatre in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. After fatally shooting President John F. Kennedy and Dallas police officer J. D. Tippit earlier that afternoon, Lee Harvey Oswald sneaked into the theater without paying while War Is Hell was on the screen. After box office cashier Julia Postal was informed by shoe store employee John Brewer that a man had entered the theater, she called Dallas police. Despite attempting to shoot the arresting officer, Oswald was arrested. Oswald was fatally shot two days later by club owner Jack Ruby while being transferred to another jail.

Coincidentally, lead actor Baynes Barron was born on May 29, 1917, the same day on which Kennedy was born.

External links

• War is Hell at IMDb
• War is Hell at the TCM Movie Database