Battleground (1949)

100% of critics liked it
(5 reviews)
73% of users liked it
(2,475 ratings)

Incoming MGM production head Dore Schary ramrodded Battleground into the studio's schedule over the virulent protests of MGM boss Louis Mayer. The result was an award-winning box-office hit, as well as the beginning of the end of Mayer's power. This dramatization of the battles of Bastogne and the… More Incoming MGM production head Dore Schary ramrodded Battleground into the studio's schedule over the virulent protests of MGM boss Louis Mayer. The result was an award-winning box-office hit, as well as the beginning of the end of Mayer's power. This dramatization of the battles of Bastogne and the Bulge in the waning days of World War II concentrates on a single infantry unit. Van Johnson and John Hodiak are the ostensible stars, but the film is stolen by James Whitmore as the cigar-chomping, battle-stained sergeant. Also appearing is Ian MacDonald as General McAuliffe, whose legendary response to the Nazi's suggestion that the Americans surrender consisted of a single four-letter expletive: "Nuts". Whitmore's final scenes of near-delirium before the relief troops arrive are unforgettable. Battleground tries within MGM limits to be wholly realistic, though it is slightly compromised by the scripters' inability to use Army profanity, and by pointless subplot involving actress Denise Darcel. The film doesn't hold up as well as such wartime efforts as The Story of GI Joe or Walk in the Sun, but in 1949 Battleground was regarded as an important milestone in the field of truthful, de-glamorized combat flicks. Please avoid the colorized version: this is a black-and-white subject if ever there was one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 58 min.
Directed By: William A. Wellman
Written By: Robert Pirosh
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

In Theaters: Nov 9, 1949 Wide
On DVD: May 4, 2004
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Though shot on the back lot, William Wellman's Oscar-nominated recreation of Battle of the Bulge is one of the better WWII movies, serving as blueprint for later Vietnam War films.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Sterling, memorable WWII classic directed by Wellman.
Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
One of the best films to depict World War II to be made by people who experienced it.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Gritty re-enactment of the Battle of the Bulge.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Cindy I

A war movie that's not a fighting movie., This film tells one story of the many companies who fought in the "Battle of the Bulge", the WWII battle in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium in Winter 1944. While the film has several exciting battle sequences, its main focus… More
A war movie that's not a fighting movie., This film tells one story of the many companies who fought in the "Battle of the Bulge", the WWII battle in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium in Winter 1944. While the film has several exciting battle sequences, its main focus is on the men who are doing the fighting. Van Johnson, Marshall Thompson, James Whitmore and John Hodiak lead the cast, all believeable as wearied soldiers who want nothing more than to go home. I have a special fondness for this film because my grandfather fought in Battle of the Bulge, and it's interesting although painful to see what kind of conditions he endured. And -- for future reference -- I'm told by people who know better that the film "Battle of the Bulge" is crap and not even close to what really happened out there. This one is the one to see. And to get the full picture, check out Band of Brothers, a 10-part HBO mini-series, based on the a book written by a man who was there.
Randy T

If you've seen the landmark mini-series Band of Brothers then you've seen a gritty, less stylized version of William Wellman's Battleground. Considering the era (late 1940s), Wellman does a nice job of using Hollywood's… More
If you've seen the landmark mini-series Band of Brothers then you've seen a gritty, less stylized version of William Wellman's Battleground. Considering the era (late 1940s), Wellman does a nice job of using Hollywood's standard glorification of combat to frame the atrocities of war. He tried to lighten the dark feel of the picture by adding elements of humor but they seem strange and out of place (because they ARE). Post-WWII studio films were meant to be animated recruiting posters and Battleground is no exception. Still, if you can manage to shovel aside the heaps of propaganda you'll see glimpses of the more cynical, less benign attitude toward war that was about to impact military genre films.
MJS M

A war film from the late forties, possibly the first time that World War 2 looked like it wasn?t a fun adventure in a studio film. It was a grim and gritty take on the Battle of the Bulge, this caused a lot of arguments within MGM (Louis B. Mayer, who preferred light pleasant… More
A war film from the late forties, possibly the first time that World War 2 looked like it wasn?t a fun adventure in a studio film. It was a grim and gritty take on the Battle of the Bulge, this caused a lot of arguments within MGM (Louis B. Mayer, who preferred light pleasant entertainment, hated this project), but it worked out in the end, it was a box office and awards triumph. There is a certain matter of fact quality to the film; it?s just the story of these men trying to do their best in a tense and unpleasant situation. In this sense I think it?s an excellent companion to The Hurt Locker.
cody f

A pretty good film about the Battle of the Bulge. Wellman does good with the action and all of the actors do a good job. The problem I had,and it's not this film's fault, was after watching Band Of Brothers all Battle of the Bulge film fail in comparison.This was a great… More
A pretty good film about the Battle of the Bulge. Wellman does good with the action and all of the actors do a good job. The problem I had,and it's not this film's fault, was after watching Band Of Brothers all Battle of the Bulge film fail in comparison.This was a great looking film and it won for Best Cinematography, and you can tell that Band Of Brothers was highly influenced by this film. Van Johnson does a really good job in this, but it's not a top tier WWII film.

Cast

            Van Johnson as Holley

            John Hodiak as Jarvess

            Ricardo Montalban as Roderigues

            George Murphy as Ernest "Pop" Stazak

            James Whitmore as Kinnie

            Marshall Thompson as Jim Layton

            Leon Ames as The Chaplain

            Jerome Courtland as Abner Spudler

            Don Taylor as Standiferd

            Bruce Cowling as Wolowicz

            Douglas Fowley as Kipp Kippton

            Thomas E. Breen as Doc

            Denise Darcel as Denise

            Richard Jaeckel as Bettis

            Scotty Beckett as William J. Hooper

            Brett King as Lt. Teiss

            101st Airborne
            
            Herbert Anderson as Hansan

            James Arness as Garby

            Ian MacDonald as Gen. McAuliffe

            Edmon Ryan as Major

            Screaming Eagles
            
            Roland Varno as German Lieutenant

            Michael Brown as Levenstein

            Guy Anderson [Herbert]
            
            Jim Arness
            
See full cast

Battleground (1949)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Cindy I

Randy T

MJS M

cody f

Cast