La Bataille de Bloody Beach

Battle at Bloody Beach was one of Audie Murphy's attempts to get away from the western casting where he did so well and should have stayed in his career. It bears some resemblance to John Wayne's Back to Bataan and Tyrone Power's An American Guerrilla in the Phillipines in subject matter.

But the latter had the advantage of great color cinematography and was shot in the actual scenes of the Phillipines. This particular cheapie was done on Catalina, it looks like it was done over a couple of long weekends.

The plot as it were has Murphy as an American running supplies to the Filipino insurrectionists and discovering his wife, Dolores Michaels believing he was dead, having taken up with Filipino guerrilla Alejandro Rey both politically and personally. That leads to some tense moments as Murphy leads some refugees away from the oncoming Japanese.

The battle itself is the climax as Murphy with Gary Crosby and assorted help mows down row after row of charging Japanese. Now why the Japanese commander didn't size up the situation and wait for some artillery before getting all his troops slaughtered in a charge is a mystery to me.

I'll be willing to bet that somewhere in the financing of this film was Gary's father who was always doing things like that for his sons. Good thing Bing had the sense to keep his name off the credits if he did.

What is there to add regarding this cinematic failure? It has a lot to dislike, including it's terribly written script; vacant, dull and useless film space, and lack of convincing combat. Without a doubt, it is one of Audie Murphy's worst choices -- to act in this horribly boring, low budget flick.

Just why do well known actors do this? Maybe Audie was in dire need of the little cash this part provided him. I tell myself, had I known him personally, that I could have taught him how to manage his finances and to resist gambling. He could have been amazingly well situated, free from the need to pick up the spare change such cheap diversions earned him; but, we must not forget, he fought an inward battle as well with PTSD, which can halt a man's perspective of his entire history: past, present and future. He will do anything to attempt to rid himself of his thoughts when he's alone.

Still, we continue to hold Audie Murphy dear, and are always willing to give him praise and honor no matter his choices. Why? Because he truly was a hero. An inwardly torn one, for sure, yet still a notable figure.

Had someone in his life known more, maybe that person could have helped him, saved him from his own destructive thoughts and behaviors. Unfortunately, so little was truly understood of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in those days, which, even today, men and women, victims of having experienced life in harm's way, continue to battle within themselves.

After working nearly thirty years in a VA hospital, I've seen men return home with it. Relationships suffer, insomnia takes a toll, and poor habits and addictions latch hold. Withdrawing from the world may also set in. Whatever the symptom, these men deserve our lasting respect and honor.

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 ****

No amount of charisma from Audie Murphy was ever going to be able to rescue this from obscurity. Determined to emulate other stars of his era and move away from the declining Western genre with which he had some success, he takes on the role as American civilian "Benson" who works with the local Filipino population following the Japanese invasion of the islands during WWII. It's not really up to much, this film - a sort of rose-tinted look at the aftermath of the occupation that really focusses more on his determination to find "Ruth" (Dolores Michaels) rather than for any more laudable cause - he ends up helping because of her, rather than for any principle. It's strangely flat and un-engaging; there is some action but for the most part it rumbles along for 80 minutes with an inevitability about it that is quite dull and entirely predictable with a star far from his best.

I was at the premiere of this movie in San Diego. And yes, it was a pretty awful movie. In fact, I can not remember any thing about the movie. So why am I writing this review? Because I knew Audie Murphy, and was on the location set while filming aboard the submarine. Audie was not in the best frame of mind during this movie, often looking depressed. Even the camera man was concerned. But when called to do his scenes, Audie did his best. As for the movie itself, I can only guess it is best forgotten, because I am certain Audie never included it in his best performances. I don't think it is on DVD, and probably never will be. The battle at bloody beach was also part of the battle going on in Murphy's head.