Battle Cry (Widescreen)

Last Minute Sales & Specials

Adapted by Leon Uris from his own novel (and heavily laundered in the process), the film follows a group of World War II marines, from Basic Training to Battlefield. Major Van Heflin knows that his men are spoiling for a real fight, but must make do with the desultory skirmishes assigned them by the Brass. All this changes with an onslaught of heavy-duty battling in the South Pacific. Aldo Ray delivers possibly his best performance as a tough leatherneck who falls in love with demure Nancy Olson. James Whitmore, Tab Hunter, Dorothy Malone and Raymond Massey likewise register well in their made-to-order roles. And watch for young Justus McQueen, cast as private L.Q. Jones; McQueen liked his character name so much that he adopted it as his professional cognomen (except in Who's Who, where he's still Justus E. McQueen). Max Steiner's gloriously overblown musical score earned him an Oscar nomination. Our only reservation is the 147-minute length; have you ever met anyone who managed to get through an entire "Late Late Show" telecast of Battle Cry? ? Hal Erickson.