VividSimon Simply Perfect

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

moonspinner55 I've often wondered how WWII action flicks played with audiences of the early 1960s--did movie-goers still feel patriotic about them or was there a sense that it was time to move on from stories pitting Americans against the ruthless Japanese? Here, married Audie Murphy sails the Pacific searching for his missing spouse, eventually finding her on an island in the Phillipines along with a band of Americans and Polynesians being threatened by the relentless Japanese army. In Audie's absence, his Mrs. has taken up the guerrilla fighter's cause--and with thin-but-swarthy soldier Alejandro Rey!--but when they're surrounded by bloodthirsty Japs, the group must put aside their differences long enough to survive. Typical war movie, though with the added pleasure of some campy action and not-bad black-and-white cinematography. Murphy was never much of an actor, but here his stolid manner is a relief from all the hysteria. The director shows absolutely no sympathy for the dead or the dying (on either side), but the central romantic situation is handled with surprising skill and the climactic battle, though hurt by choppy editing, is nevertheless involving. ** from ****

Panamint Small-scale story of individuals caught up in a giant war, as opposed to a big WWII blockbuster. Low-budget black and white movie, but that's OK since it is not a blockbuster. However, the combination of low budget, poor script and below-average direction prevents this film from being worthwhile. It appears to have been filmed very quickly, maybe in a matter of days or a couple of weeks.Audie Murphy has a lot of screen "presence" and he elevates what is otherwise not much here. Dolores Michaels is great as always and very watchable. Her leading-lady talent is far above this insignificant movie. Alejandro Rey is watchable as he again elevates one of his many B-movie roles and TV appearances (he had a remarkable ability to do this).The cheap California island location filming is surprisingly adequate as a substitute for the real would-be scene of the action.Can't really recommend this, but the movie's stars outshine the material and are individually fine.

sol1218 (There are Spoilers) WWII movie involving a love triangle that takes placed on a Japanese occupied island in the Philippines. Since the fall of the Philippines in the spring of 1942 to the Japanese Army US contractor and foodstuff and ammunition supplier Craig Benson, Audie Murphy, has been trying to find out if his wife Ruth, Dolores Michaels, is either alive or dead. Sneaking onto the island to make contact with his US Army contemporary Sgt. Sackler, Gary Crosby, Craig is told that there are a number of guerrilla units in the area. Craig and his Philippine guide, provided to him by Sgt. Sackler, Blanco (Dale Ishimoto) hook up with this group of guerrilla's lead by an American named M'Keever, Williams Mims.It turns out that this M'Keever is nothing but a black market hustler who's playing both sides, the Japanese Army and Filipino guerrillas, down the middle and only want's the guns and supplies that Craig would supply to him and his men in order to sell them to the highest bidder. Attacked by M'Keever and his men when he got wise to him Craig and Blanco are then rescued by a real group of Philippine guerrillas lead by their handsome and charismatic leader Julio Fontana, Alejandro Rey. It's later found out to Craig's shock and surprise that his wife Ruth is part of Fontana's guerrilla unit and not only that she's also in loved with him.One of the few WWII movie's that authentic, not made in Hollywood, WWII war hero Audie Murphy ever made has him in hot water almost as soon as he lands on the island. With the Japanese attacking both Craig and the people, mostly American civilians, that he's assigned to bring back with him on a US submarine to Australia. Audie, or Craig Benson,is very troubled over his wife leaving him for another man, Julio, but the fact that he was thought to have been killed in the fighting against the Japanese in Battan/Carrigador two years earlier didn't mean that Ruth, whom at the time he was married to for about a week, betrayed or deserted him.With the US submarine delayed in it being spotted by a Japanese cruiser off shore Carig and Sgt. Sackler and about a dozen American and Filipino's hide out on an old battered and run aground ship waiting for either to be rescued by the US Navy or die fighting the Japanese Army.The Japanese, after they were first repulsed in very heavy fighting, in the person of Let. Lloyd Kino give the Americans an hour to surrender with Craig, who's a civilian combatant and not in uniform, to be shot if he surrenders or not; or else face a barrage of murderous Japanese artillery and mortar fire that would tear them and the ship that their hiding in apart.Earlier during the heavy fighting with the Japanese Sgt.Sackler dived into the ocean and in him trying to get to a nearby island for help and is attacked and killed by a shark. Picking up the ball, in so many words, and running with Craig goes on foot into the jungle to seek help from guerrilla units that are said to be in the area. Later when the Japanses are just about to overrun the ship and kill everyone on it, including Craig's estranged wife Ruth, Craig comes riding to their rescue with a full Philippine guerrilla company who put the Japanese attacker out on their heels and running for their lives. Heart-lifting ending with Ruth deciding to go back with Craig to the US submarine and the safety of friendly Australia instead of staying with Julio in his battle to liberate his people from the Japanese. For a while you would have thought that being with Jullio for some two years in the Philippine jungles would make Ruth forget about Craig, whom she thought was dead anyway. It's when Ruth was reunited with Craig and seeing just what a kind as well as the both modest, which Audie Murphy was in real life, and heroic person that he really was how in all sincerity could she let someone like him, who's just too good to be true, ever get away from her!

aimless-46 Although only 45 years since it was made, almost everyone associated with the "Battle AT (not of) Bloody Beach" (actors-writers-directors) has been dead for a while now. It is unlikely that this project was given a prominent spot in any of their obits.I'm one of the unlucky few who paid to see this in a theater during its original summer of 1961 release. This type of low budget black and white junk was typical Saturday matinée fodder-although I think "Battle At Bloody Beach" was weak even by those standards. As a ten year-old who loved to play army the title was a real draw. We were driven to the theater by my friend's uncle who had us laughing the whole trip with funny variations on the title. The trip to the theater was a lot more entertaining than the movie. There is a beach, Catalina Island impersonating a small island in the Philippines during WWII, but there is no blood-just some fake looking combat and "day for night" filming. The middle (65% of the total running time) of the movie showcases a long hike by an assorted group of civilians from one side of the island to the other. The Japanese invaded the Philippines and other territories as part of their plans to create what they called a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere. Basically the idea was to expel foreign economic and military interests and to set up governments agreeable to Japan's plans for the region. Japan's industrial development was dependent on these areas for raw materials like oil, rubber, and iron ore. The Japanese are essentially faceless and behave moronically (tactically and otherwise), about the same treatment Japan got in propaganda films made during the war. There is a plot of sorts. Sgt. Marty Sackler (Gary Crosby) of the U. S. Army is living on a Japanese occupied island supplying Filipino insurgents with weapons to resist the Japanese occupation. Craig Benson (Audie Murphy), a civilian, comes to the island by submarine to set up a resistance network. He is also looking for his wife Ruth (Dolores Michaels) who he had to leave behind when he evacuated the place at the start of the war. Meanwhile she has fallen for Alejandro Rey who seems to be some kind of revolutionary insurgent. This is an incredibly lousy film which is rarely shown, so it should be easy to avoid. If you are forced to watch just be glad you are not a 10-year-old who just blew part of his meager allowance for a ticket.Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.