Carter's Army

The writers probably had no experience in the army, and probably never glanced at a history book, but I still give this cheaply produced war film some credit for taking a long-needed look at the role of black soldiers in the second world war.

The action is confused and unbelievable--any episode of Combat! has better production values, but the cast is interesting. Seeing New York Giant Rosie Greer was worth the buck I paid for this. The art direction is fifth rate--the men wear Korean War uniforms, and it was pretty lousy weather by the time the U.S. Army reached Germany in 1944, not sunny as they show here, and I don't think the terrain resembled Northern California. The script never does make clear why the black support troops are used as combat soldiers. There is a nice touch that shows some of the men carrying Springfield rifles instead of M-1s, which second rate troops probably would have been issued with.

This basic story idea(racist southern officer commanding black troops) should have been expanded into a big budget production back then, and its not too late to try it now. You have to take this for what it is, and I admire the creators of this film for making the effort.

I remember seeing this a while ago and thinking it was set in Italy, which would have made more sense because there were black combat troops operating there in 1944.

I recently watched Carter's Army (1970) on Prime. The storyline revolves around a racist officer tasked with leading an all-black brigade to capture a bridge from the Germans. Can the troops and the officer overcome their differences to achieve this challenging mission?

Directed by George McCowan (Frogs), the film features Richard Pryor (Harlem Nights), Glynn Turman (Super 8), Billy Dee Williams (Return of the Jedi), Paul Mooney (Bamboozled), and Stephen Boyd (Ben-Hur).

Despite a stellar cast, this wartime picture is a bit of a mixed bag. The cinematography falls short, and many lines come off as cliché. However, Billy Dee Williams and Richard Pryor deliver solid performances, and witnessing a young Glynn Turman is enjoyable. The depicted animosity feels authentic, and Pryor's action scenes add a touch of humor. While the mission execution and final sequence lack impact due to a low budget, the characters' charm makes it worth a watch.

In conclusion, Carter's Army isn't a great film, but the characters' charm is worthwhile. I would score this a 4.5-5/10 and recommend giving it a watch at least once.

I purchased "Black Brigade" (apparently a re-issue of the original) this week for $3.33 from the previously-viewed bin. Expecting to view a comedy, prepared to laugh, I discovered with mixed feelings, ten minutes into the film, that this is no comedy; it is not "hilarious". Rather, this film sends a realistic message about war. "Black Brigade" ranks well with "The Red Badge of Courage" and "Johnny Got His Gun" in depicting innocence and ignorance under fire. Moreover, "Black Brigade" educates the viewer as to what it must have been like for most black men serving our country in WWII, assigned individually and collectively to menial service slots because of the color of their skin. A classic. Just wish the quality of my copy of the film were better.

OK, first off I should say that I found this DVD for only $1.00 at Wal-Mart. That alone is scary-- I knew it might stink, but with the cast list, I thought it might actually be OK, and it is. It's a crappy DVD transfer though, but for 1 dollar I can't complain too much! It's what I thought it was, a TV movie originally aired on ABC from 1969 written by TV mogul Aaron Spelling and Produced by the great Danny Thomas Productions, who produced in such classic TV shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, The Andy Griffith Show, etc,.

This film stars Stephen Boyd, a great character actor/leading man known for his roles in such movies as 'Ben Hur' and 'Fantatstic Voyage'. It features young newcomers such as Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams & football star Rosie Grier in great supporting roles as members of an all-black WW II US Army company ('B' Company) in France who are doing the 'grunt' work of the Army. Digging latrines, digging graves, dealing with garbage, etc. Basically getting No Respect.

Blacks were considered second class citizens during WW II. The story shows how Racist Redneck Major Carter (Boyd) is asked to go on a dangerous mission to blow up a Dam held by the Nazis and the only company of men to help accomplish the task are 'B' Company, (the all black company). They appear lazy and shiftless to Lieutenant Carter, who doesn't believe they can help him blow up the dam. Little does he know, they are more than up for the job. Carter asks their lieutenant in charge for 'volunteers', and he picks 6 men, including Pryor, Williams & Grier.

It's fairly standard TV movie fare, and it's kind of neat to see Pryor and Williams in early roles, as well as great black character actors Moses Gunn & Glynn Thurman (Cooley High)--as well as Susan Oliver, a great blonde character actress who appeared in lots of TV drama in the 60's on shows like 'Star Trek', 'Mannix', 'The Wild Wild West',etc.

I think it's a nice forgotten addition to black cinema, and shows that black men in WWII could be just as heroic as their white brothers. It's an interesting look at race relations in the late 60's context too, what with the Black Panther movement and all. It's kind of funny how all the black actors have big afros and a few have mustaches/goatees--not typical of WWII U.S.Army standards, but more like1969 fashion. Pryor sports a natty red beret throughout the whole story, too. I guess I recommend it as a piece of nostalgia. Again, The DVD transfer is Horrid, but viewable.

I thought I knew it all when it came to Blaxploitation films and for that matter tv shows such as White Shadow and What's Happening. I came across this film in a chain video store and had to make a command decision. It was necessary to determine whether to buy and risk losing the few dollars or more arguably having an eyesore of an item that second hand stores would not even give money for. That would mean throwing it away if it were truly dreadful. I decided to pass at first b-lining home to read online reviews to see the scoop. Fortunately, the critics were kind enough, prompting me to return to the store with renewed vigor and confidence that I was not buying a total turkey. I played the first half of the tape on several occasions only halfway paying attention to ensure that it worked at least functionally. Well finally I had an audience and played it from beginning to end, and was not just impressed but very impressed. I grade on a curve considering the time period and budget put into the project. I really liked the character development in which the subtle differences of personalities remains consistent. The best friend twosome of Pryor and Grier is formable and yet handled in a subtle manner. The other allstars of Moses Gunn, Glynn Thurman, and Billy Dee Williams make this a film that a film expert of black cinema should not miss.