Armored Command
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''Armored Command'' is a 1961 American
war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...
drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
directed by
Byron Haskin Byron Conrad Haskin (April 22, 1899 – April 16, 1984) was an American film and television director, special effects creator and cinematographer. He is best known for directing '' The War of the Worlds'' (1953), one of many films where he ...
, and starring
Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
and
Tina Louise Tina Louise (née Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her career on stage, film and television, including her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the popular television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island'' ...
. It was filmed in
Hohenfels, Bavaria Hohenfels (literally ''High Cliffs'') is a municipality in the district of Neumarkt in the region of Upper Palatinate () in Bavaria, Germany. The town is host to the United States Army Garrison Hohenfels, which operates the Joint Multinational ...
, but takes place in the
Vosges Mountains The Vosges ( , ; ; Franconian (linguistics), Franconian and ) is a range of medium mountains in Eastern France, near its France–Germany border, border with Germany. Together with the Palatine Forest to the north on the German side of the bor ...
during the Eastern France campaign of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. "It was the one picture that Howard Keel didn't sing on", reminisced Burt Reynolds later. "That was a terrible mistake."


Plot

The Germans use a female spy to infiltrate an American position to get information on the movement of troops at the height of the
Ardennes offensive The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...
, the start of the
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive or Unternehmen Die Wacht am Rhein, Wacht am Rhein, was the last major German Offensive (military), offensive Military campaign, campaign on the Western Front (World War II), Western ...
.


Cast

*
Howard Keel Harold Clifford Keel (April 13, 1919November 7, 2004), professionally Howard Keel, was an American actor and singer known for his rich bass-baritone singing voice. He starred in a number of MGM musicals in the 1950s, including ''Show Boat'' (195 ...
as Colonel Devlin *
Tina Louise Tina Louise (née Blacker; born February 11, 1934) is an American actress widely known for her career on stage, film and television, including her role as movie star Ginger Grant in the popular television situation comedy ''Gilligan's Island'' ...
as Alexandra Bastegar *
Warner Anderson Warner Anderson (March 10, 1911 – August 26, 1976) was an American actor, best known for his starring roles in TV dramas '' The Lineup'' and '' Peyton Place''. Early years Anderson was born to "a theatrical family" in Brooklyn, New York, Marc ...
as Lieutenant Colonel Wilson *
Earl Holliman Henry Earl Holliman (September 11, 1928 – November 25, 2024) was an American actor, animal rights activist, and singer known for his many character roles in films, mostly Westerns and dramas, in the 1950s and 1960s. He won a Golden Globe Award ...
as Mike * Carleton Young as Captain Bart Macklin *
Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...
as "Skee" *
James Dobson James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelicalism, evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the m ...
as Arab * Marty Ingels as "Pinhead" *
Clem Harvey Harold Jerry Swarts (1919 – December 2, 1988), known professionally as Clem Harvey, was an American film actor. He played one of the Eleven in the original version of '' Ocean's 11'', Louis Jackson, a Mormon cowboy from Salt Lake City. Harvey di ...
as "Tex" *
Maurice Marsac Maurice Marsac (23 March 1915 – 6 May 2007) was a French actor who had a long career, with over 150 appearances in American films and television. He was also a nationally ranked croquet player. Career Born in La Croix-Valmer, France, he wa ...
as Jean Robert * Lieutenant Colonel Thomas A. Ryan as Major *
Peter Capell Peter Capell (3 September 1912 – 3 March 1986) was a German actor who was active on screen from 1945 until 1985. Apart from a lengthy film career, he appeared in many television series and mini-series. He appeared in many old time radio pr ...
as Little General *
Charles Nolte Charles Nolte (November 3, 1923 – January 14, 2010) was an American actor of stage, film and television, theatre director, playwright, and educator. Early life, education and career Nolte was born in Duluth, Minnesota, and moved to Wayzata, M ...
as Captain Swan *
Brandon Maggart Brandon Maggart (born December 12, 1933) is an American actor, painter, and author. Life and career Maggart was born Roscoe Maggart, Jr., in Carthage, Tennessee. His acting career began in the early 1950s, at the University of Tennessee. He sa ...


Production

Ron Alcorn produced and directed the film and raised finance via Allied Artists. Filming started 21 November 1960. Lt. Col. Thomas A. Ryan, who appeared in the film as the Major, also acted as the film's technical advisor.


Reception

The ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' called the film "fairly good but it could have been better. A kind of poor man's ''
Battleground A battlefield, battleground, or field of battle is the location of a present or historic battle involving ground warfare. It is commonly understood to be limited to the point of contact between opposing forces, though battles may involve troop ...
''." ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' called it an "improbable little melodrama".


Lawsuit

Major General Daniel H. Hudelson (retired), who commanded the 40th California National Guard in Korea and fought in the Battle of the Bulge, sued Allied Artists and Ronald Alcorn for $350,000 alleging unauthorized use of his story ideas. He claimed in 1955 he sent a tape recording of his experiences in the Vosges Mountains in France to a film company, and said they used his ideas in the film. He claimed the film had earned profits of $1.5 million.


References


External links

* * 1961 films 1960s war drama films Allied Artists films American black-and-white films Films directed by Byron Haskin Western Front of World War II films Films set in France Films shot in Bavaria American World War II films 1960s English-language films 1960s American films English-language war drama films {{WWII-film-stub