''Fixed Bayonets!'' is a 1951 American

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 ...

written and directed by Samuel Fuller and produced by

Twentieth 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 ...

during the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

. It is Fuller's second film about the Korean War. In his motion-picture debut, James Dean appears briefly at the conclusion of the film.

Plot

The film is set in the first winter of the

during the Red Chinese intervention. The story follows the fate of a lone 48-man

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may rang ...

left as a

rear guard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

to defend a

choke point In military strategy, a choke point (or chokepoint) is a geographical feature on land such as a valley, defile or bridge, or maritime passage through a critical waterway such as a strait, which an armed force is forced to pass through in order ...

to cover the withdrawal of their

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

over an exposed bridge. Command of the platoon falls upon Cpl. Denno, who has an innate aversion to responsibility for the lives of others.

Cast

Richard Basehart John Richard Basehart (August 31, 1914 – September 17, 1984) was an American actor. He starred as Admiral Harriman Nelson in the television science-fiction drama '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea'' (1964–68). He also portrayed Wilton Knig ...

as Cpl. Denno *

Gene Evans Eugene Barton Evans (July 11, 1922 – April 1, 1998) was an American actor who appeared in numerous television series, television films, and feature films between 1947 and 1989. Background Evans was born in Holbrook, Arizona and raised i ...

as Sgt. Rock * Michael O'Shea as Sgt. Lonergan * Richard Hylton as Medic John Wheeler * Craig Hill as Lt. Gibbs *

Skip Homeier George Vincent Homeier (October 5, 1930 – June 25, 2017), known professionally as Skip Homeier, was an American actor who started his career at the age of eleven and became a child star. Career Child actor Homeier was born in Chicago, Illino ...

as Whitey *

John Doucette John Arthur Doucette (January 21, 1921 – August 16, 1994) was an American character actor who performed in more than 280 film and television productions between 1941 and 1987. A man of stocky build who possessed a deep, rich voice, he p ...

as the Colonel *

Pat Hogan Pat Hogan (born Thurman Lee Haas; February 3, 1920 – November 21, 1966) was an American actor. He mostly played Native Americans over the course of his career. He was best known for his portrayal of Chief Red Stick in the film '' Davy Crocke ...

as Jonesy

Soundtrack

Roy Webb composed the film's score using two songs. * ''American Flag'' * ''Indiana'' Music by James F. Hanley
Lyrics by Ballard MacDonald

Production

''Fixed Bayonets!'' was the first film of a seven-picture deal between Twentieth Century-Fox and writer/director Samuel Fuller. Fox had been impressed with Fuller's '' The Steel Helmet'' and sought to make another film about the contemporary subject of the

. After having problems with ''The Steel Helmet'', the army assigned

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 ...

recipient Raymond Harvey as the film's

technical advisor In film production, a technical advisor is someone who advises the director Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a ...

. Fuller, himself a decorated

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

veteran, forged a lasting bond with Harvey, who again served as technical adviser in the 1958 film '' Verboten!''. ''Fixed Bayonets!'' also included the first appearance, albeit uncredited, of James Dean in a feature film. Though the film's script is an original screenplay,

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl Francis Zanuck (September 5, 1902December 22, 1979) was an American film producer and studio executive; he earlier contributed stories for films starting in the silent era. He played a major part in the Hollywood studio system as one of ...

felt that the story of a reluctant corporal's unwillingness to take command was reminiscent of Fox's ''

Immortal Sergeant ''Immortal Sergeant'' is a 1943 American war film directed by John M. Stahl for 20th Century Fox. Set in the North African desert during World War II, it stars Henry Fonda as a corporal lacking in confidence in both love and war, Maureen O'Hara ...

'', so Fox ordered a screen credit for the writer of that film, Lamar Trotti.Fuller, Samuel. ''A Third Face'', Alfred A. Knopf, 2002, pp. 272-273. According to Fuller, it was difficult to find extras for the opening retreat sequence, as many action films were also in production at the time. A production assistant was able to find some dancers from a musical and Fuller convincingly simulated the soldiers' fatigue and depression by loading the extras' uniforms and packs with heavy weights. Though the US 1st Infantry Division did not serve in Korea, Fuller named the general and regimental commander after the men under whom he had served in World War II and named the regiments after his own as well.

References

External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1951 films 1951 war films American war films Films directed by Samuel Fuller 1950s English-language films Films scored by Roy Webb 20th Century Fox films American black-and-white films James Dean Films based on British novels Korean War films 1950s American films