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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{short description|1955 film by Jesse Hibbs}}<br />
{{Infobox film<br />
| name = To Hell and Back<br />
| image = To-Hell-and-Back-Poster.jpg<br />
| caption = Film poster by [[Reynold Brown]]<br />
| based_on = {{based on|''[[To Hell and Back (book)|To Hell and Back]]''<br />1949 book|[[Audie Murphy]]}}<br />
| writer = Gil Doud <br />
| starring = {{Plainlist|<br />
* [[Audie Murphy]]<br />
* [[Marshall Thompson]]<br />
* [[Charles Drake (actor)|Charles Drake]]<br />
}}<br />
| director = [[Jesse Hibbs]]<br />
| producer = [[Aaron Rosenberg]]<br />
| narrator = General [[Walter Bedell Smith]]<br />
| cinematography = [[Maury Gertsman]]<br />
| music = {{Plainlist|<br />
* [[Irving Gertz]]<br />
* [[William Lava]]<br />
* [[Henry Mancini]]<br />
* Lou Maury<br />
}}<br />
| editing = [[Edward Curtiss]]<br />
| distributor = [[Universal Pictures]]<br />
| released = {{Film date|1955|08|17|San Antonio|ref1=<ref>{{cite web |url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/51698#3 |title=To Hell and Back - Details |website=AFI Catalog of Feature Films |access-date=June 25, 2018 }}</ref>}}<br />
| runtime = 106 minutes<br />
| country = United States<br />
| language = English<br />
| gross = $5,799,852 (US and Canada rentals)<ref name=AllTime>{{cite news|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=All-Time Film Rental Champs|date=October 15, 1990|page=M176|first=Lawrence|last=Cohn}}</ref> {{efn|Please note this figure is rentals accruing to film distributors, not total money earned at the box office.}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''''To Hell and Back''''' is a [[Technicolor]] and [[CinemaScope]] [[war film]] released in 1955.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/1955-09-01_USS_Forrestal|title=U.S.S. Forrestal, 1955/09/01|work=Internet Archive|access-date=8 November 2022}}</ref> It was directed by [[Jesse Hibbs]] and stars [[Audie Murphy]] as himself. It is based on the 1949 autobiography [[To Hell and Back (book)|of the same name]] and is an account of Murphy's [[World War II]] experiences as a soldier in the U.S. Army.<ref>{{cite book |title=To Hell and Back |url=https://archive.org/details/tohellback00murp |url-access=registration |last=Murphy |first=Audie |year=1949 |publisher=Henry Holt and Co. |location=New York |oclc=2037656 }}</ref> The book was [[ghostwriter|ghostwritten]] by his friend, David "Spec" McClure, who served in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]'s [[Signal Corps (United States Army)|Signal Corps]] during World War II.<ref>"Audie Murphy, Great American Hero," ''[[Biography (TV series)|Biography]]'', [[Greystone Communications, Inc.]] for [[A&E Television Networks]], 1996 (TV documentary).</ref><br />
<br />
==Plot==<br />
Young Audie Murphy ([[Gordon Gebert]]) grows up in a large, poor [[sharecropping|sharecropper]] family in [[Texas]]. His father deserts them around 1939–40, leaving his mother ([[Mary Field]]) barely able to feed her nine children. As the eldest son, Murphy works from an early age for his neighbor, Mr. Houston, a local farmer, to help support his siblings. Murphy and Mr. Houston are interrupted while working and listen to the radio announcement about the [[attack on Pearl Harbor]]. When his mother dies in 1941, Audie becomes head of the family. His brothers and sisters are sent to an elder sister, Corrine. Murphy is then convinced by Mr. Houston to enlist in the military to support himself.<br />
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Murphy is rejected by the [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]], the [[United States Navy|Navy]] and the [[United States Army|Army]] [[paratrooper]]s due to his small size and youthful appearance. Finally, the Army accepts him as an ordinary infantryman. After basic training and infantry training, Murphy is shipped to the [[3rd Infantry Division (United States)|3rd Infantry Division]] in [[North African Campaign|North Africa]], as a replacement. Because of his youthful appearance, he endures jokes about "infants" being sent into combat. His squad mates include: Johnson, a man who claims to be a womanizer; Brandon, a man who ran out on his wife and daughter; Kerrigan a man who jokes at unusual times; Kovak, a [[Polish Americans|Polish immigrant]] who wants to become an American citizen; Swope (called "Chief" by his squad mates) a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] who smokes cigars a lot, and Valentino who has relatives in [[Naples]].<br />
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After the 3rd Infantry Division [[Allied invasion of Sicily|lands in Sicily]], Murphy and his men come under attack by a German machine gun position. Murphy and his men assault the position and kill the Germans. After fighting in Sicily, Murphy is then promoted to corporal. After Sicily, Murphy and his squad receive a new platoon leader, Lt. Manning. During a diversionary attack on German forces, Lt. Manning is wounded and Sgt. Klasky, his platoon sergeant, dies. This results in Murphy taking command of the platoon. After proving himself in leading his platoon while fighting in [[Italian Campaign (World War II)|Italy]], he is then promoted to sergeant. Murphy and his men are then sent to Naples on R&R.<br />
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Murphy and his men later take part in [[Battle of Anzio|Operation Shingle]]. After landing on the beach, Murphy and his men fight around an abandoned farmhouse. This battle results in Lt. Manning, Kovak and Johnson being killed. After the Allied breakout of Operation Shingle, Murphy eventually receives a battlefield commission to the rank of [[second lieutenant]].<br />
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The action for which Murphy was awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] is depicted near the end of the film. In January 1945, near [[Holtzwihr]], France, Murphy's company is forced to retreat in the face of a fierce German attack. However, Murphy remains behind, at the edge of a forest, to [[Artillery observer|direct artillery fire]] on the advancing enemy infantry and armor. As the Germans close on his position, Murphy jumps onto an abandoned [[M4 Sherman|M4 Sherman tank]] (he actually performed this action atop an [[M10 tank destroyer]]) and uses its [[M2 Browning|.50-caliber machine gun]] to hold the enemy at bay, even though the vehicle is on fire and may explode at any moment. Although wounded and dangerously exposed to enemy fire, Murphy single-handedly turns back the German attack, thereby saving his company. After a period of hospitalization, he is returned to duty. The film concludes with Murphy's [[Medal of Honor]] ceremony shortly after the war ends, as Murphy remembers Kovak, Johnson and Brandon, who were killed in action.<br />
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==Cast==<br />
{{div col}}<br />
* [[Audie Murphy]] as himself<br />
* [[Marshall Thompson]] as Private/Corporal Johnson<br />
* [[Charles Drake (actor)|Charles Drake]] as Private Brandon<br />
* [[Jack Kelly (actor)|Jack Kelly]] as Private/Staff Sergeant Kerrigan<br />
* [[Gregg Palmer]] as Lieutenant Manning<br />
* [[Paul Picerni]] as Private/Corporal Valentino<br />
* [[David Janssen]] as Lieutenant Lee<br />
* Richard Castle as Private Kovak<br />
* [[Bruce Cowling]] as Captain Marks<br />
* [[Paul Langton]] as Colonel Howe<br />
* [[Art Aragon]] as Private Sanchez<br />
* Felix Noriego as Private Swope<br />
* [[Denver Pyle]] as Private Thompson<br />
* [[Brett Halsey]] as Private Saunders<br />
* [[Susan Kohner]] as Maria<br />
* [[Anabel Shaw]] as Helen<br />
* [[Mary Field]] as Mrs. Murphy<br />
* [[Gordon Gebert]] as Audie as a boy<br />
* Julian Upton as Corporal Steiner<br />
* [[Rand Brooks]] as Lieutenant Harris (uncredited)<br />
* [[Robert Hoy|Robert F. Hoy]] as Private Jennings (uncredited)<br />
* Harold "Tommy" Hart as Staff Sergeant Klasky (uncredited)<br />
* Hugh E. Davis as British Soldier (uncredited)<br />
{{div col end}}<br />
<br />
==Production==<br />
When Universal-International picked up the film rights to Audie Murphy's book, he initially declined to play himself, recommending instead [[Tony Curtis]], with whom he had previously worked in three [[Western (genre)|Westerns]], ''[[Sierra (film)|Sierra]]'', ''[[Kansas Raiders]]'' and ''[[The Cimarron Kid]]''. However, producer [[Aaron Rosenberg]] and director [[Jesse Hibbs]] convinced Audie to star in the picture, despite the fact the 30-year-old Murphy would be portraying himself as he was at ages 17–20.<ref>[[Sue Gossett|Gossett, Sue]], ''The Films and Career of Audie Murphy'', [[Empire Publishing]], 1996, pp. 13, 34, 35, 41.</ref><br />
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The picture was filmed at [[Joint Base Lewis-McChord|Fort Lewis]] and [[Yakima Training Center]], near [[Yakima, Washington]] with actual soldiers.<ref>[[Alan Archambault|Archambault, Alan]], ''Fort Lewis'', 2002 Arcadia Publishing, p.98.</ref> Murphy received 60% of the $25,000 the studio paid for the rights, as well as $100,000 and 10% of the net profits for starring and acting as a [[technical advisor]].<ref>Gossett, Sue, ''The Films and Career of Audie Murphy'', Empire Publishing, 1996, p. 69.</ref><br />
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Originally, several generals who served in World War II were considered to perform the voiceover opening for the movie, among them [[Maxwell D. Taylor]] and [[Omar Bradley]], until General [[Walter Bedell Smith]] was finally chosen.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}<br />
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==Release==<br />
The film's world premiere was held at the [[Majestic Theatre (San Antonio)|Majestic Theatre]] in San Antonio, Texas on August 17, 1955. The date of the premiere was also the tenth anniversary of Murphy's army discharge at [[Fort Sam Houston]] in San Antonio.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=CE8xiT3pV6QC&pg=PT1108&lpg=PT1108&dq=audie+murphy,+majestic+theater&source=bl&ots=hAjCqOQSJJ&sig=uAAZZlg5YsDXO8Cz4KI7SQZ2f6U&hl=en&sa=X&ei=PN8HUpTgKKLiyAG0x4DQDw&ved=0CCkQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=audie%20murphy%2C%20majestic%20theater&f=false The Handbook of Texas Music], second edition, Retrieved 1 April 2020 {{ISBN|978-0876112533}}</ref><br />
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==Reception==<br />
Reviews from critics were generally positive, with Murphy receiving good notices for his performance. [[A. H. Weiler]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that Murphy "lends stature, credibility and dignity to an autobiography that would be routine and hackneyed without him."<ref>{{cite news |last=Weiler |first=A. H. |date=September 23, 1955 |title=To Hell and Back |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1955/09/23/archives/to-hell-and-back.html |page=21 }}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote that the soldiers were "played with a human quality that makes them very real. Fighting or funning, they are believable. The war action shown is packed with thrills and suspense."<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 20, 1955 |title=To Hell and Back |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=6 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author1=Variety Staff |title=To Hell and Back |url=https://variety.com/1954/film/reviews/to-hell-and-back-1200417756/ |website=Variety |date=1954}}</ref> ''[[Harrison's Reports]]'' was more mixed, writing that "the mere fact that the story is genuine does not lift it to any great heights as a dramatic offering," and calling the film "well directed and acted" but still "no more than a fairly good war picture entertainment-wise."<ref>{{cite journal |date=July 23, 1955 |title='To Hell and Back' with Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson and Charles Drake |journal=[[Harrison's Reports]] |page=118 }}</ref> [[Richard L. Coe]] of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' was positive, writing that Murphy "brings an emotional poignancy that stems partly from our knowledge that he did these daring, unbelievable acts of courage and partly from the skill he has achieved as an actor."<ref>{{cite news |last=Coe |first=Richard L. |date=September 30, 1955 |title=Audie Scores In Own Story |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |page=44 }}</ref> Edwin Schallert of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' was also positive, declaring that the film was "to be highly rated for its honesty in the treatment of its subject, and though it is not a picture that is plotted dramatically, it offers a great demonstration of youthful bravery and character that is inherently both dramatic and dynamic."<ref>{{cite news |last=Schallert |first=Edwin |date=October 12, 1955 |title=Story of Audie Glows on Screen |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=A8 }}</ref> In a dismissive review for ''[[The New Yorker]]'', [[John McCarten]] wrote of Murphy, "I am told that he is a modest man, and he behaves modestly here. However, the events described in the picture have a factitious air about them. Maybe the spontaneity of actual heroism just can't be duplicated in the movies."<ref>{{cite magazine |last=McCarten |first=John |date=October 1, 1955 |title=The Current Cinema |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |page=85 }}</ref> ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' agreed, writing that "although the script is based on Murphy's own account, the treatment is regrettably forced and spurious. Commonplace, [[B movie|'B' picture]] direction and a reliance on familiar Service types make the lavishly staged battle scenes appear monotonous, confused, and, at the climax—with Murphy wiping out scores of the enemy singlehanded—not a little ridiculous."<ref>{{cite journal |date=December 1955 |title=To Hell and Back |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=22 |issue=263 |page=179 }}</ref><br />
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The film was a huge commercial success, further advancing Murphy's film career. He had a percentage of the profits and it was estimated the actor earned $1 million from the film.<ref name="Graham">Don Graham, ''No Name on the Bullet: The Biography of Audie Murphy'', Penguin, 1989 p 250</ref> The movie also popularized a term for U.S. Army foot soldiers, "[[dogface (military)|dogface]]".<ref name=stewartarmymil>{{cite web |url=http://www.stewart.army.mil/faq/DogFaceSoldierSong.asp |title=The Dog Face Soldier Song |access-date=2011-03-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311013957/http://www.stewart.army.mil/faq/DogFaceSoldierSong.asp |archive-date=2011-03-11 }}</ref> The film included the 3rd Infantry Division song, "[[Dogface Soldier]]", written by Lieutenant Ken Hart and Corporal Bert Gold.<ref name=stewartarmymil /><ref name=marching><br />
[http://lp2cd.com/time/060220/marching--dogface050105.mp3 Dogface Soldier Song (mp3)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060724213949/http://lp2cd.com/time/060220/marching--dogface050105.mp3 |date=2006-07-24 }}</ref><br />
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Many of the battle scenes were reused in the Universal film ''[[The Young Warriors (film)|The Young Warriors]]''.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}}<br />
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==Sequel==<br />
Murphy tried to make a sequel called ''The Way Back'' dealing with his post-war life but could never get a script that could attract finance.<ref name="Graham"/><br />
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==See also==<br />
* [[List of American films of 1955]]<br />
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==Notes==<br />
{{Notes}}<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{Commons category}}<br />
* {{IMDb title| 0048729 }}<br />
* {{TCMDb title| 93456 }}<br />
* {{AllMovie title| 50160 }}<br />
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}<br />
* {{AFI film|id=51698|title=To Hell And Back}}<br />
<br />
{{Audie Murphy}}<br />
{{Jesse Hibbs}}<br />
<br />
{{DEFAULTSORT:To Hell And Back (Film)}}<br />
[[Category:1955 films]]<br />
[[Category:1950s war films]]<br />
[[Category:1950s biographical films]]<br />
[[Category:American war films]]<br />
[[Category:American biographical films]]<br />
[[Category:American World War II films]]<br />
[[Category:World War II films based on actual events]]<br />
[[Category:Italian Campaign of World War II films]]<br />
[[Category:Western Front of World War II films]]<br />
[[Category:Films based on non-fiction books]]<br />
[[Category:CinemaScope films]]<br />
[[Category:Audie Murphy]]<br />
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]<br />
[[Category:Films scored by Henry Mancini]]<br />
[[Category:Biographical films about military personnel]]<br />
[[Category:Films directed by Jesse Hibbs]]<br />
[[Category:1950s English-language films]]<br />
[[Category:1950s American films]]</div>Bot