''Battle at Bloody Beach'', (aka ''Battle on the Beach'' in the UK and Australia), is a 1961 drama directed by Herbert Coleman and starring

Audie Murphy Audie Leon Murphy (20 June 1925 – 28 May 1971) was an American soldier, actor and songwriter. He was one of the most decorated American combat soldiers of World War II. He received every military combat award for valor available from t ...

who had previously worked together in ''

Posse from Hell ''Posse from Hell'' is a 1961 American Western film directed by Herbert Coleman and starring Audie Murphy and John Saxon. Plot In 1880 four escapees from death row, Crip, Leo, Chunk, and Hash ride into the town of Paradise and enter the Roseb ...

''. The film also features Gary Crosby and introduces

Alejandro Rey Alejandro Rey (February 8, 1930 – May 21, 1987) was an Argentine-American actor and television director. Career Early work Rey was born in Buenos Aires and studied acting under Hedwig Schlichter and Milagros de la Vega. He became known a ...

. ''Battle at Bloody Beach'' is only the second

movie set in World War II, after his autobiographical '' To Hell and Back''. The film was shot on Santa Catalina Island by

Robert Lippert Robert Lenard Lippert (March 31, 1909 – November 16, 1976) was an American film producer and cinema chain owner. He was president and chief operating officer of Lippert Theatres, Affiliated Theatres and Transcontinental Theatres, all based in ...

's Associated Producers Incorporated and was released by

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. The film was produced and co-written by

Richard Maibaum Richard Maibaum (May 26, 1909 – January 4, 1991) was an American film producer, playwright and screenwriter best known for his screenplay adaptations of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels. Among his works are the first anti-lynching play on Bro ...

along with frequent Audie Murphy collaborator Willard W. Willingham.

Plot

Craig Benson (

) is a civilian working for the

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

helping arm and supply guerrilla insurgents in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. His main purpose, however, is to find his wife Ruth ( Dolores Michaels), from whom he was separated by the Japanese invasion of the Philippines. Coming ashore Benson kills two Japanese soldiers who have ambushed his contact Sgt. Marty Sackler ( Gary Crosby). The two initially meet a band of dubious guerrillas who act as bandits lead by a renegade American M'Keever (

William Mims William Mims (January 15, 1927 – April 9, 1991) was an American actor. He appeared in numerous films such as '' The Day Mars Invaded Earth'', ''The Ballad of Cable Hogue'', and '' Hot Rods to Hell''. He also appeared in classic television ser ...

) who desires the weapons Benson brought but concealed. Realising M'Keever is a dead loss, the two fight but actual guerrillas led by Julio Fontana (

) and an American boxer trapped in the Philippines Tiger Blair (

Ivan Dixon Ivan Nathaniel Dixon III (April 6, 1931 – March 16, 2008) was an American actor, director, and producer best known for his series role in the 1960s sitcom '' Hogan's Heroes'', and for his starring roles in the 1964 independent drama '' No ...

) defeat M'Keever's bandits and kill him. Benson agrees to arm Fontana's guerrilla band and meets a group of American civilians he will evacuate to Australia including his wife Ruth ( Dolores Michaels) who believed him killed and is romantically involved with Fontana.

Cast

as Craig Benson * Gary Crosby as Marty Sackler * Dolores Michaels as Ruth Benson *

as Julio Fontana *

Marjorie Stapp Marjorie Stapp (September 17, 1921 – June 2, 2014) was an American actress who was mainly in low-budget pictures. Biography Stapp began her film career when she signed a contract with the film studio 20th Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her firs ...

as Caroline Pelham *

Barry Atwater Garrett "Barry" Atwater (May 16, 1918 – May 24, 1978) was an American character actor who appeared frequently on television from the 1950s into the 1970s. He was sometimes credited as G.B. Atwater. Life and career The son of the landscape pai ...

as Pelham * E. J. André as Dr. Van Bart *

Dale Ishimoto Dale Ishimoto (April 3, 1923 – March 4, 2004) was an American actor of Japanese descent. He was born in Delta, Colorado in 1923 and was raised in Guadalupe, California. Military service After being sent to the Gila River internment camp in ...

as Blanco *

Lillian Bronson Lillian Rumsey Bronson (October 21, 1902 - August 2, 1995) was an American character actress. She performed in more than 80 films and 100 television productions. Biography Bronson was born in Lockport, New York, the daughter of a carriage build ...

as Delia Ellis *

Míriam Colón Míriam Colón Valle (August 20, 1936 – March 3, 2017) was a Puerto Rican actress. She was the founder and director of New York City's Puerto Rican Traveling Theater. Beginning her career in the early 1950s, she performed on Broadway and on ...

as Nahni *

Pilar Seurat Pilar Seurat (born Rita Hernandez, July 25, 1938 – June 2, 2001) was a Filipino American film and television actress in the 1960s. Life and career Born in Manila, Seurat began her Hollywood career as a dancer in Ken Murray's "Blackouts", t ...

as Camota *

as M'Keever *

as Tiger Blair * Sara Anderson as Mrs. Thompson * Kevin Brodie as Timmy Thompson * Lloyd Kino as Japanese lieutenant

References

External links

* * * *
Review of film
at Cinema Retro 1961 films 20th Century Fox films CinemaScope films American war drama films Audie Murphy Films set in the Philippines Pacific War films American black-and-white films 1960s English-language films Films with screenplays by Richard Maibaum 1960s war drama films 1961 drama films 1960s American films {{WWII-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links