Battle Zone is a 1952 American Korean War war film directed by Lesley Selander and starring John Hodiak, Stephen McNally and Linda Christian.
Contents
Plot
During the Korean War, a rivalry develops between World War II veterans and combat photographers Danny Young and Mitch Turner Marine for the attention of Jeanne, a Red Cross nurse.
Cast
John Hodiak as Master Sgt. Danny Young
Linda Christian as Jeanne
Stephen McNally as Sgt. Mitch Turner
Martin Milner as Cpl. Andy Sayee
Dave Willock as Smitty
Jack Larson as Cpl. James O'Doole
Richard Emory as Lt. Mike Orlin
Philip Ahn as South Korean Guerrilla Leader
Carleton Young as Colonel
Jeffrey Stone as Pilot (as John Fontaine)
Todd Karns as Officer
Gil Stratton as Runner
Charles Bronson as Private
Gregory Walcott as Rifleman
Production
Battle Zone is the first of a series of low-budget action films produced by Walter Wanger for Allied Artists after his prison sentence for assault; Fort Vengeance and Kansas Pacific followed in 1953. Each of the films was shot in two weeks for $200,000, and they were produced without Wanger's supervision. The film was part of Allied Artists' attempt to increase the quality and prestige of its product.
The film was intended as a vehicle for Edmond O'Brien, but he was forced to withdraw for a starring role in The Difference, later retitled The Hitch-Hiker, and was replaced by John Hodiak in June 1952.
Some sequences were filmed at Camp Pendleton in California.
Reception
In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther "This sort of standardized warfare has been dished out so many times it scarcely seems necessary to mention that the story is hopelessly dull and the only good thing about the picture is the footage of actual fighting that has been intercut. Mr. Wanger and his crew have got together some pretty grim documentary shots of Marines in action in Korea and of characters going and coming behind the lines that further corroborates the record of hardship and discomfort in that zone. However, the juxtaposition of this footage to the staged and artificial scenes of the Messrs. Hodiak and McNally playing soldiers makes a contrast we'd rather not discuss. This, too, is one of those standard and unfortunate war film gaucheries that come out of mediocre writing, direction and production of such films."