Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-24 19:40:20

AS REAL AS IT GETS!!!!

In my opinion this is one of the best war movies of all time.You really feel like you are there in the heart of the battle.and the burning tank scene is the best of all.A must see. jim smith

2012-05-24 09:03:50

The movie - To Hell and Back

This review is from: To Hell and Back (DVD) I read alot of History books mainly WW11 and early American history. Just finished the book 'To Hell and Back' and thought well, why not see the movie (same title) again that was in the theaters back in 1955. Checked out Amazon.com and of course they had it and I wanted it. Glad I ordered it because it brought back memories of the good ole days when I went to the movies on a Saturday afternoon. The DVD is a very good up to date quality movie. I was NOT disappointed when I saw the movie once again. The book and movie don't differ much at all. You can nick pick all ya want about the details but it was a 50s movie. AND of course Audie Murphy is the star in the book and the movie - in case ya didn't know.

revdrcac 2012-05-23 20:49:31

The very definition of a Hero !

In this autobiographical war film, the viewer is shown in a marvelouslythought-provoking fashion the true meaning of heroism. Murphy wasrejected by the Navy and USMC, yet became our nation's most decoratedveteran. Especially poignant are the scenes wherein Audie Murphy losesthose closest to him. His tears are more than acting, they representhis memories of the real life sacrifice of the fallen heroes of WW II.This is a masterpiece of autobiographical cinema ! The performances are realistic and yet familiar to us veterans . Thecamaraderie, sorrow, hardship and esprit de corps transcend thehalf-century which has passed. The final battle scene which depictsAudie's Medal Of Honor winning actions is moving but characteristicallymodest in its presentation. Enjoy this portrait of a true Americanhero.

2012-05-23 10:52:17

Made a great gift

This review is from: To Hell and Back (DVD) I purchased this movie along with a few others for my Dad. He loves old movies. I was very pleased with my purchases, the price was right and the quality was very good. Dad was quite happy!

2012-05-22 18:06:14

Very good movie

This review is from: To Hell and Back (DVD) To Hell and Back is an excellent movie about Audie Murphy's life. He is truly one of America's Heroes as shown by his actions on the battlefield. Audie is not only a good soldier but as it turns out he is a good actor as well. He holds his own with the other professional actors in the movie. The action scenes are good but could be more if you're into action. All in all it's a good choice to learn about the men who fought the second world war.

2012-05-22 07:35:34

Once upon a time Hollywood supported the Troops and America heralded her heroes....

TO HELL AND BACK (1955) Directed by Jesse Hibbs. Based on the book by Audie Murphy. Technical advice by Audie Murphy. Score by Henry Mancini, William Lava and Irving Gertz. Make up by Bud Westmore. A Universal-International Picture! Starring Audie Murphy (as Audie Murphy), David Janssen, Charles Drake, Marshall Thompson, Paul Picerni. Jack Kelly, Denver Pyle, Brett Halsey, Henry Kulky, John McIntire, and General Walter Bedell Smith in the role of General Walter Bedell Smith. The biography of America's most decorated soldier from 1937 when he was a poverty stricken twelve year old struggling to support his family to his entry into the Army......after being rejected by the Marines and the Navy......during the Second World War. As per Murphy's own military career and as in his book--(which is highly recommended reading incidentally), the film gives a fine overview of the campaigns in Sicily, the Italian boot and the invasion of Southern France. The battle scenes are extremely well done and accurate. There are several sequences involving tank actions and an extended battle involving an abandoned house near Anzio that are first rate and extremely exciting. This film was made before SAVING PRIVATE RYAN and CGI ruined the modern historical film. Here the viewer will be surprised by coherent easy to comprehend battle sequences where one can see what is going on, it is not always blue gray. the sun shines occaisionaly, characters smoke and are not immediately killed or identified as evil for doing so, a character can be an Indian, be called "Chief" by his buddies and we do not get a speech about the plight of the Red Man, characters actually speak to one another and say things rather than just spit out endless mindless obscenities and blood and guts are not squishing over the camera lens. It WILL take the modern viewer some time to get used to all of this but once he does...if he can....he will discover a truly enlightening, ennobling and entertaining film about the American soldier who fought in Europe during WW2 and a true story played by the man who was there and did what is shown. What is more. the film can safely be shown to young people curious about American history without parents living in fear about yet another Hollywood ambush. Obviously Murphy is very good playing himself and this is probably the most accurate dramatization of what an American war hero did........it would have to be! However where the film really shines and thus adds import to the heroics is the fine cast of 50s support players who make up Murphy's squad......all based on real men......many of whom did not make it back. It is a sad comment on many film fans today who would recognize almost the entire cast as having starred in, at least, one Fifties Sci Fic/Horror film---the picture is a dream cast that way......yet these small minds would never dream of watching this film because it is patriotic, supports the troops and about war and war....unless it involves phasers is...like....icky. Yet it is these solid actors(Marshall and Drake really stand out though all are good) of the type we do not have anymore who admirably succeed in bringing such men of the Greatest Generation to memorable life and the film takes great pains to say..that yes...perhaps they did not win as many medals as Murphy but they did their bit and it was through their sacrifice and courage that Murphy was able to do what he did and that the United States was able to win the war. This picture is a tribute to the average American soldier and a perfect film to watch on Memorial Day.

2012-05-22 09:10:03

OUTSTANDING

This review is from: To Hell and Back (DVD) THIS IS AN OUTSTANDING MOVIE. ACTORS WITH THE ABILITY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE OF A DYING BREED BUT MORE THAN ANYTHING HEROS AS IN THIS MOVIE ARE JUST ABOUT GONE. I THINK OUR COUNTRY AS A WHOLE HAS FORGOTTEN WHAT IT HAS TAKEN IN LIVES MOST ESPECIALLY AND ALL OF WHAT PEOPLE HAVE GONE THROUGH TO GIVE US THE FREEDOM THAT WE HAVE TODAY. THIS MOVIE SHOWS IT ALL AND IT DID NOT HAVE TO HAVE ALL OF THE BAD LANUGAGE THAT MOVIE PRODUCERS SEEM TO THINK IS NECESSARY TODAY.

2012-05-21 13:47:08

Great inspiration piece with good period reference

Film adapation of Audie Murphy's autobiography this film serves as a great inspiration work and timely historical piece for WWII ground campaigns in North Africa, a bit of Rome, and France. Recommended.

2012-05-21 13:15:03

To hell and back

The movie was good. I had seen it before a long time back.I ordered it before christmas but it took 3 weeks to get here. The other movie I ordered was here in 3 days. I guess the snow in the midwest got it.

jwheritt 2012-05-20 17:28:14

A great depiction of an American Hero

Being in the U.S. Army, I tend to favor military movies. This movie showswhat our Veterans went through, and it lets people know what kind of heroswe have in the military. Audie Murphy, being the most decorated man inWWII, is a military idol. I truly enjoyed watching Audie Murphy as himselfin this movie.

The_Amazing_Spy_Rises 2012-05-20 04:13:17

beyond its time

Audie Murphy is one of the nation's most beloved souls, not only as anactor, but his exploits on the battlefront during WWII, becoming themost decorated soldier in history, and rising far in the military atthe tender age of 19 made him an inspiration for us all. To Hell andBack is his story.A true story based on Murphy's autobiography, THaB is beyond its timein that the visuals are absolutely stunning for a movie made in 1955.When watching it for the first time, I thought it was made in the late1960's or early 1970's. Audie Murphy provides a realistic and movingperformance as himself. The film is not only about Murphy's exploits inthe war, but the people he met and became great friends with. It alsoshows the sorrow and tragedy of war very well, throwing in someromantic moments here and there, which is nice relief from all theaction. What you'll realize about Murphy's performance is how real itis, because it's a rare moment in movies when someone plays themselvesin an actual moment that changed their lives.Go watch this great war movie. It's a classic that all war films shoulddefinitely take reference from. You'll have a good time with it,guaranteed.8/10 --spy

2012-05-19 17:49:06

Great movie

This review is from: To Hell and Back (DVD) A great movie and one heck of a soldier. The movie just scratches the surface of what Audie Murphy did in WW II. If you are a miiitary buff then this is a must for your collection.

FilmFlaneur 2012-05-19 06:52:33

The ordinary about the extraordinary

A largely ordinary film about an extraordinary man, To Hell And Backwas made a decade after combat soldier Murphy left the service, anatural enough choice of subject matter. Based upon Murphy's book ofreminiscences of the same name, the film was viewed as a useful tonicfor recruitment after the Korean War by the Army and they co-operatedenthusiastically with the studio's production.After a briefly covering the actor's childhood, the rest of the moviefocuses on Murphy's striking military career. With little effort toprobe the psychology of its central character, it ends before hisdischarge. Director Jesse Hibbs does a competent piece of work butMurphy's uniqueness deserved better - someone like Aldrich, Siegel orSamuel Fuller, who around the same time was producing such work as TheSteel Helmet and Fixed Bayonet! The cigar-chomping ex-infantrymanbrought to war projects an essential grit - as well as directorialflair - that's too often missing from To Hell And Back.Hibbs' version of World War II, made conservatively and with the armylooking over his shoulder, lacks the cynicism and bitter truths one canfind elsewhere. Indeed a good deal of To Hell And Back, especiallyduring the early parts, is relatively light-hearted. Turned down by theMarines and paratroopers for being underweight in real life, there's asuggestion at the start that Murphy was a little sickly - a poor startfor a hero. Hence we see him suffering from sea-sickness on his way tohis first combat zone, and then suffering a reaction from hisinoculations which, we are told, has laid him up in bed for a week. Somuch so that his superiors consider sending away from the front line (afact ruefully recalled later).What's striking today about To Hell And Back is how ironic it is. Justas 'Murphy' the soldier initially seems an unlikely superhero, soMurphy the actor might be the last person you'd cast as himself(perhaps anticipating this, the star allegedly suggested Tony Curtisfor the lead). Unlike the brawling, macho hero figures familiar tocinema audiences, Murphy is boyish and slight looking - young enough,even in 1955, to play himself as a youth. An unassuming if determinedcharacter, 'Murphy' is somewhat ill at ease with women (a trait,incidentally, not reflecting real life), one reason why perhaps the'Italian interlude' of To Hell And Back, when the soldiers are onleave, is the least convincing of the narrative. He's an introspective,diffident character hardly marked out as a leader of men. And yet thisis the man who, amongst other acts of extreme valour, stood up on aburning tank with a machine gun to keep the German advance at bay anddestroyed several machine gun nests on his own. The man of whom the 3rdInfantry Commander in World War II called "the greatest combat soldierI have ever known" and another Major-General dubbed "beyond a doubt thefinest soldier I have ever seen." There's interesting poweroccasionally in the film too, exactly because the actor's mild,everyman quality disavows those extreme qualities laying hidden belowthe baby-faced surface, even while the star's real life history affirmsthem. When Murphy weeps at the death of a newly fallen comrade,although it's just a short scene, the grief seems true and universal;in its modest way a testament to the courage and loss of all fightingmen, and not just typical Hollywood emotional artifice. John Ford'swork, to take one example, includes moving graveside scenes, but withthe likes of poetically manufactured heroes Fonda and Wayne. None havesuch a unique impact as this.Such a moment of introspection is unusual in To Hell And Back. Endingas it does with Murphy's war drawing to a close and a parade,understandably the film offers no portrait of the star's later years,decades when he faced stress-related nightmares, health issues, anamount of painkiller dependency and other personal issues.Interestingly at one point the star did consider a sequel to the film,tentatively entitled 'The Way Back', even going so far as reportedlywriting a script in 1956, but this idea fell by the wayside.Murphy, who never considered himself more than a competent actor, wearsthe mantle of great courage very lightly in his film, just as he did inreal life (attempting to give his medals away to relatives forinstance). One reason for this is perhaps the star's feelings towardsthe material. Although To Hell And Back was, unsurprisingly, his mostsuccessful film career-wise he admitted to a slackening of interest inevents. After all, he'd already done them first hand and then revisitedthem during the writing of his book, so much so that he "got tired ofreliving all these experiences." Murphy saw the purpose of the film asutilitarian as much as entertaining, showing newer infantry what it wasreally like just as much as pleasing the public. Perhaps the greatestirony of all is that the American military has apparently alwayspreferred Wayne's much more dynamic Sands Of Iwo Jima over this film asclassic entertainment for serving ranks.Murphy won 33 military awards, including every medal of valour Americagives, as well as the Legion de Honour and Belgian Croix de Guerre. Bycontrast his film, although financially successful, received far feweraccolades. Recently reissued in all its widescreen, colour glory and ina good print (if lacking any documentary support) it's still worth alook. For a less compromising view of war on foot, then theaforementioned Fuller is one place to start; for war's doomed romanceyou'd want to see Sirk's A Time To Live And A Time To Die. But To HellAnd Back, with all flaws, is a sobering reminder of what a mighty realhero looks like.

classicsoncall 2012-05-18 22:05:32

"To hell and back, that's where this outfit's going'".

Whenever you hear the name of Audie Murphy, it's generally inconnection with his being the most decorated soldier of World War II.What you don't hear is the even more amazing part of the story, that heachieved that distinction by the time he was nineteen years old! Itseemed to be a paradox that throughout his combat service, Murphy neverwanted the responsibility of a promotion, but he took on thatresponsibility just the same time and time again. "To Hell And Back"generally does a good job of depicting his war time record, but onecan't help feeling that there's something lacking in the presentation.Murphy himself doesn't seem to be all that enthused about portrayinghis exploits, going through the motions with almost a mechanicalindifference. It's almost as if he didn't feel comfortable in his ownskin, perhaps owing to his own bouts of post traumatic stress disorder.Murphy seemed to be a paradox as an actor as well, owing no doubt tohis ever youthful appearance. In the handful of Westerns I've seen himin, he usually doesn't seem to fit the part, whether as the picture'shero ("Gunfight at Comanche Creek"), or as a screen heavy ("No Name OnThe Bullet", "Gunsmoke"). At best, Murphy's performances were aboutadequate, so it's not too surprising that he never really became abreak out star. For all that though, I find I can enjoy his pictureswell enough, even if they're largely forgettable otherwise."To Hell And Back" offers a meaningful insight into war and how asoldier conducts himself with the men he serves with. There's aparticular scene where Murphy is gruff with one of his squad, and theguy is taken aback somewhat. After Murphy leaves, another soldierexplains - "The buddy's that come with you you're stuck with, but youdon't make no new ones". That's something I hadn't considered as ameans of insulating one's self against additional trauma, useful adviceunder battlefield conditions. Audie Murphy's story would be a good one to see made today with atalented script writer and a more professional approach to film making.There's no doubt that Murphy is a genuine American hero, and it wouldbe fitting to see a picture made about him that elevated his stature tomatch the reputation.

Euromutt 2012-05-16 14:06:59

A story that really deserved a better movie

"To Hell And Back" is based on the autobiography of Audie Murphy, themost decorated American soldier of the second world war, with Murphyplaying himself. The film begins by establishing Murphy's humblebeginnings as the eldest of several children abandoned by their fatherin rural north-eastern Texas. After their mother dies, Audie's siblingsare put into an orphanage, and he joins the armed forces. After beingturned down by the Marine Corps and the Navy, he joins the Army andsoon arrives up in North Africa as a replacement with B (Baker)Company, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division. (Given howsusceptible Murphy is to sea-sickness, it was probably for the bestthat the more nautical services rejected him.) He is too late to seeaction in Africa, but he gets plenty as the division proceeds to fightits way through Sicily, the Salerno and Anzio bridgeheads in Sicily,lands in southern France and fights its way up to the German border.Along the way, Murphy rises through the ranks from private tolieutenant and is leading B Company before his military career is cutshort by a piece of shrapnel just a few months before VE-Day. A numberof episodes also touch on his background, such as when discovers thatone of his squadmates abandoned his wife and child, much like Murphy'sdad, and when he meets an Italian family where the father similarlydisappeared.It's a spectacular story (I should note I read the book before seeingthe movie), and the film's main failing is that it really doesn't dothe story justice. The combat scenes are too few and too sparse, givenall Murphy went through, but the real problem is that Universal was toostingy with funds for extras and locations. The action takes place inthe Mediterranean and France, in a variety of terrain and seasons, butnone of the locations look like Europe; there's not a paved road,village or church steeple in sight, and the vegetation screams westernUnited States. I would guess that the combat sequences were all filmedon the training grounds of the Fort Lewis Military Reservation (just upthe road from where I live in Washington state) in the space of acouple of weeks in late spring/early summer. All the sequences of navalvessels, amphibious landings and aircraft are all plainly stockfootage. Naples looks suspiciously like a "generic southern Europeantown" set on a Hollywood backlot, and there are too few people on thestreet for such a major city. Similarly, the battle scenes seem to haveway too few people in them, causing the front line to look about 30meters long. ("The Big Red One" had similar problems, being mostly shotin Israel, though that location at least looks Mediterranean.)Furthermore, the film suffers from being too sanitized, and I don'tjust mean the language. Murphy and his fellow "dogfaces" look freshlyshaved and showered at all times, with the creases still visible intheir pants. Any mud on their clothing looks like the costumedepartment painted it on. Rather than a harrowing ordeal, "To Hell AndBack" feels like a day trip to the nearest National Park, with theenemy presenting only a minor and brief annoyance. Bill Mauldin's"Willie and Joe" cartoons did an infinitely better job of conveying themiserable conditions under which the infantryman did his job."To Hell And Back" is a perfectly adequate 1950s war movie, but itfalls far short of the lofty goal it sets itself.

2012-05-16 09:35:38

TO HELL AND BACK WITH AUDIE MURPHY

THE MOVIE "TO HELL AND BACK" WITH AUDIE MURPHY. TELL HOW A LITTLE BOY FROM TEXAS WON THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR FOR WATCHING OUT FOR HIS COMPANY IN WWII. I LIKE IT NOT BECAUSE I WAS BORN IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. BUT IT SHOW WHAT PEOPLE CAN DO IN ANY GIVING SITUATION........................................

2012-05-12 17:50:07

What a classic!

Audie Murphy was the most decorated war hero from world war II. This movie tells his story.It is amazing that Audie survived world war II, then returned home to a career in movies. He later was killed in a plane crash.The cinemotography in this movie isn't the greatest, and the acting could be better, but the autobiographical story is really good. Audie Murphy was a genuine hero and he deserves our respect. God Bless him.

2012-05-12 09:27:37

War is Hell

Audie Murphy , my what a great american ,such courageand above all,unconcern for self,love of his family and fellow man and his homeland.A truly dedicted person to what ever tasked was give to him.Handsome , youthful , tough , made not be reconized as a great actor , but he puts everything into it, he's got and his natural personality flows making him stand with some of the greats. . Every boy / man should see this movie before he takes a coommittment for his country. The movie is worth putting in your library , its not the modern fake action commando type , but it has a real atmosphere of the guts it takes to be an hero and live to tell.Giving more respect to our young soldiers of to day who give there lives for freedom. Good movie.Luddy

2012-05-12 10:41:21

Gutsy performance by star

This is one of my favorite war films for several reasons. One is that it is always fascinating to see how a book is translated into film, and in this case, Murphy's story is told very well. And I can't remember many other films where the author plays himself! Though not the best war film ever made, it does tell the story the way Murphy wanted it told, through the eyes of the everyday soldier. What makes the film stand out to me is that Murhpy gives a more gutsy performance than most people can realize. It was learned many years later that he suffered from recurring nightmares about the horrors he saw in war, and one can only imagine what it was like to have to recreate so many painful memories, especially the scene where his best friend(played by Charles Drake) dies in his arms. Though the character had a different name, the scene is almost exactly the way it happened.Perhaps what I take from this is how war can so drastically change a person. Murhphy entered the war as an underage oprphan who initially was thought unfit for combat, and went on to become our most decorated combat soldier. While it does get a little cliched at times, this movie is enjoyable because it allows us to see the real hero is the common foot soldier, without whom the war could not have been won.

2012-05-11 22:53:34

A True American Hero

TO HELL AND BACK is a true rags-to-warrior story. The wide-screen release presents this film the way it was meant to be screened. TO HELL AND BACK is the film version of warrior-turned-actor Audie Murphy's best selling autobiography. Murphy, the most highly decorated combat soldier in World War Two, was originally turned down by the US Marines and Navy. Underage, Murphy needed special permission to enlist in the Army. Murphy soon proved his mettle in combat. He distinguished himself in combat time and time again through campaigns in Sicily, mainland Italy, and France. It was not until the final months of the European Campaign that a severe wound took the fearless Murphy out of the line and into a field hospital.A discussion about the film deserves a few comments on the original best selling book. His autobiography almost did not make it to book store shelves. Murphy was presented with a generous advance for his autobiographical war exploits. Unfortunately, he found it very difficult to capture his experiences on paper. Some have since speculated that Murphy was suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome. Who could blame him? After recovering from his war wounds, Murphy was decorated with the Congressional Medal of Honor. As a hero he toured the United States as part of a war bond drive. He turned down an opportunity to attend West Point and left active duty. Screen legend James Cagney took an interest in Audie Murphy and sponsored Murphy's theatrical training. Murphy soon found himself in, what were then known as, B-movies. Most of the movies were westerns. Still, he achieved fame that was very far removed from his impoverished days in Texas. The book, TO HELL AND BACK, was still little more than a few poorly written pages when Murphy's publisher became impatient. With a friend's help -- and reportedly the friend ghost authored the book for Murphy -- TO HELL AND BACK was completed, published, and became a best seller. The transition to film was a bit more difficult. Universal studios bought the rights to the film and opted to use one of its stars, Audie Murphy, to play himself in the title role. The Department of the Army solidly backed this production. Fort Lewis, Washington was basically put at Universal's disposal. Any worries that Murphy might have difficulties reenacting -- and reliving -- the heroic moments of his life were dispelled on the first days of location shooting. Murphy handled the film as both a fine actor and veteran.The film itself is a bit dated. The movie's introduction and occasional narration sometimes make it seem as though it is an Army training film. What separates this undertaking from US Army Pictorial Center films is that it is in color, wide screen, and is one of the first World War Two movies to involve large scale infantry and tank attacks. Some of the combat scenes in TO HELL AND BACK would not be matched until the war films of the mid 1960's such as TOBRUK, THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, and so on. TO HELL AND BACK is strong enough to stand on its own without an introduction, animated maps, and narration.You might even see this film as sort of a western. Indeed, the movie soundtrack sounds as if it was meant for a cowboy film. The soldiers are generally clean cut. With the exception of a few muddy scenes, the uniforms always appear too clean and starched to have been worn by real soldiers in continuous combat. The grit that you will find in movies like BATTLEGROUND and ATTACK is absent from this film. The screenplay is only disappointing in the non-tactical scenes. Murphy's token romance with a beautiful Italian girl has no place in this movie. The bar room brawl is also a bit cheesy.The soldier in Murphy shows through in this movie. He salutes sharply, handles weapons like a veteran, and barks out commands as a real soldier. In fact, in the beginning of the movie it is difficult to believe that Murphy is a green recruit. His handsome youthful looks served him well in TO HELL AND BACK. Though the film followed almost ten years after Murphy charged his last machinegun nest, he is believeable as a young soldier.The wide screen version of this film was long overdue. The battle scenes are great. The label on the disk itself has a sort of SAVING PRIVATE RYAN design to it. Unfortunately, the only special feature on the DVD is the movie trailer. My recommendation: buy the DVD, the book, and Charles Whiting's biography of Audie Murphy, HERO.