''First to Fight'' is a 1967 American

Technicolor Technicolor is a series of Color motion picture film, color motion picture processes, the first version dating back to 1916, and followed by improved versions over several decades. Definitive Technicolor movies using three black and white films ...

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

war film War film is a film genre concerned with warfare, typically about navy, naval, air force, air, or army, land battles, with combat scenes central to the drama. It has been strongly associated with the 20th century. The fateful nature of battle s ...

starring Chad Everett, Marilyn Devin, making her film debut,

Dean Jagger Dean Jagger (November 7, 1903 – February 5, 1991) was an American film, stage, and television actor who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Henry King's ''Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949). Early life Dean Jeffrie ...

Bobby Troup Robert William Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999) was an American actor, jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He wrote the song " Route 66" and acted in the role of Dr. Joe Early with his wife Julie London in the television prog ...

and

James Best Jewel Franklin Guy (July 26, 1926 – April 6, 2015), known professionally as James Best, was an American television, film, stage, and voice actor, as well as a writer, director, acting coach, artist, college professor, and musician. Duri ...

. Based loosely on the story of

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

Gunnery Sergeant John "Manila" Basilone, who later went back into action and died at Iwo Jima.Brady 2010, pp. 79–80. The title of ''First to Fight'' was derived from the US military practice of sending in

s first in attacks. The film features an early career appearance by future

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

winner Gene Hackman as Sgt. Tweed, already having starring in a breakthrough role in ''Bonnie and Clyde'' (1967).Miller, Frank
"Articles: 'First to Fight'."
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Turner Classic Movies Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie-oriented pay-TV network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasting campus in the Midtown business district of At ...

''. Retrieved: April 26, 2015.

Plot

In 1942, a force of American Marines are attacked by the Japanese in the jungles at Guadalcanal. Sergeant "Shanghai" Jack Conell (Chad Everett) is the sole survivor of his squad, and when he makes it back to his own lines, he is given a field promotion to Lieutenant and awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

by Lt. Col. Baseman (Dean Jagger). Sent back home on a War Bonds Tour, Connell is reluctant to trade on his heroism and does not consider himself a hero, just a survivor. When he returns home, despite efforts of his friends to find him dates, he falls in love with Peggy Sandford (Marilyn Devin) and the two are married. Her fiance had been killed and Peggy extracts a promise from Connell that he will not go back into the war. For a time, he trains new recruits at

Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and is one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the United States. It is on the Southern California coast in San Diego County and is bordered by O ...

Marine Base, but is emotionally distraught as he comes to think of himself as a slacker and treats his trainees harshly in the belief that they need to be hardened for battle. With a confrontation with Lt. Col. Baseman who is afraid for him and his mental state, Connell is offered the chance to go back into the lines. He volunteers to return to the fighting, but even with Peggy, now pregnant and fearing for him, releasing him from his promise, Connell finds it difficult to become the warrior he once was. After freezing in combat, he eventually takes charge of his unit and leads them successfully in a raid against a Japanese island stronghold.

Cast

* Chad Everett as Jack Connell * Marilyn Devin as Peggy Sanford *

as Lt. Col. Baseman *

as Lt. Overman * Claude Akins as Capt. Mason * Gene Hackman as Sgt. Tweed *

as Sgt. Carnavan *

Norman Alden Norman Alden (born Norman Adelberg, September 13, 1924 – July 27, 2012) was an American character actor who performed in television programs and motion pictures. He first appeared on television on ''The 20th Century Fox Hour'' in 1957. He ...

as Sgt. Schmidtmer *

Bobs Watson Robert Ball Watson (November 16, 1930 – June 26, 1999), credited as Bobs Watson, was an American actor and Methodist minister. Early years Robert Ball Watson was a member of the Watson Family, famous in the early days of Hollywood as being a ...

as Sgt. Maypole *

Ken Swofford Kenneth Charles Swofford (July 25, 1933 – November 1, 2018) was an American film and television actor often cast as a villain or a police officer. Between 1962 and 1995, Swofford's film credits included '' Thelma & Louise'', '' Skyjacked ...

as O'Brien * Ray Reese as Hawkins * Garry Goodgion as Karl * Robert Austin as Adams *

Clint Ritchie Clinton Charles Augustus Ritchie (August 9, 1938 – January 31, 2009) was an American actor. Early life Ritchie was born on a farm near Grafton, North Dakota, to J. C. and Charlotte Ritchie, and his family moved to Washington state when he ...

as Sgt. Slater * Stephen Roberts as Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Production

''First to Fight'' was shot at Camp Pendleton Marine Base, Oceanside, California, and in the San Fernando Valley at the Bell Ranch and

Africa U.S.A. Park Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

, a wildlife tourist attraction in Boca Raton, Florida. "Notes: 'First to Fight'."
''

''. Retrieved: April 26, 2015. Most of the equipment matched period pieces from World War II and helped to make the film more authentic. Footage from '' Casablanca'' (1942) was also incorporated in ''First to Fight''.

Reception

''First to Fight'' was notable in the number of major actors who were featured in starring and supporting roles. Although Marilyn Devin would star in only a few films, she went on to a career as a TV news anchor. Chad Everett appearing as one of the last contract actors in Hollywood was ably backed up by Oscar-winner Dean Jagger, and future Oscar-winner Gene Hackman, actor and Jazz singer Bobby Troup, Claude Akins and James Best, both of whom would later find fame as TV stars.

References

Notes Bibliography * Brady, James. ''Hero of the Pacific: The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone''. New York: Wiley, 2010. .

External links