Battleground (1949) | |
| Director(s) | William A. Wellman |
| Producer(s) | Robert Pirosh (associate), Dore Schary |
| Top Genres | Action, Drama, War |
| Top Topics | Army, World War II |
Featured Cast:
Battleground Overview:
Battleground (1949) was a War - Action Film directed by William A. Wellman and produced by Dore Schary and Robert Pirosh.
SYNOPSIS
The story of a U.S. Army division in the European Theater at the end of WWII. In a last-ditch effort to turn the tide of the war, the Germans launch their famous final attack, the Battle of the Bulge. Detailed study of the drama within a fighting unit of men brought together by war.
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
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Academy Awards 1949 --- Ceremony Number 22 (source: AMPAS)
| Award | Recipient | Result |
| Best Supporting Actor | James Whitmore | Nominated |
| Best Cinematography | Paul C. Vogel | Won |
| Best Director | William A. Wellman | Nominated |
| Best Film Editing | John Dunning | Nominated |
| Best Picture | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Nominated |
| Best Writing | Robert Pirosh | Won |
BlogHub Articles:
Battleground (1949): Bastogne and The Screaming Eagles
By 4 Star Film Fan on Dec 1, 2020 From 4 Star Films“We must never again let any force dedicated to a super-race or a super-idea, or super-anything become strong enough to impose itself upon a free world. We must be smart enough and tough enough in the beginning to put out the fire before it starts spreading.”? ~ Leon Ames as the Chaplain... Read full article
Warner Archive Blu-ray: A Cast of Sympathetic Characters in Battleground (1949)
By KC on Mar 17, 2017 From Classic MoviesWe must be smart enough and tough enough in the beginning. To put out the fire before it starts spreading. Battleground (1949) performs a balancing act of great precision. It plunges you into the devastation of war, but it also shows flickers of light. Though it can often be difficult to watch, thi... Read full article
Battleground (1949)
By Bonnie on Jul 4, 2016 From Classic Reel GirlFreedom is not free. On this Independence Day, I would like to remember all those who fought for the freedom we enjoy by sharing Battleground (1949), a World War II film with authentic details and realistic characters. The movie is further fitting because one of its stars is George Murphy, t... Read full article
Battleground (1949)
By Beatrice on May 27, 2015 From Flickers in TimeBattleground Directed by William A. Wellman Written by Robert Pirosh 1949/USA Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer First viewing/Amazon Instant Soldier: Look, you’re not selling it to me, you’re showing me how to fire it. Late in life, William A. Wellman still could direct a mean action sequence. Th... Read full article
Battleground (1949)
By smumcountry on Apr 14, 2014 From Smum CountyApril 14, 2014 by smumcounty ?This story is about, and dedicated to, those Americans who met General Heinrich von Luttwitz and his 47 Panzer Corps and won for themselves the honored and immortal name ‘The Battered Bastards of Bastogne.’? Thus begins ?Battleground? (1949) and you can bet ... Read full article
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Quotes from
Holley: We've had good deals before, but this is the best one yet. This is great. I don't ever wanna go back. I found a home in the army.
The Chaplain: [at an interfaith service for the soldiers] Now it's nearly Christmas... and here we are in beautiful Bastogne enjoying the winter sports. And the $64 question is: "Was this trip necessary?" I'll try to answer that. But my sermons, like everything else in the army... depend on the situation and the terrain. So I assure you this is going to be a quickie. Was this trip necessary? Let's look at the facts. Nobody wanted this war but the Nazis. A great many people tried to deal with them, and a lot of them are dead. Millions have died... for no other reason except that the Nazis wanted them dead. So, in the final showdown, there was nothing left to do except fight. There's a great lesson in this. Those of us who've learned it the hard way aren't going to forget it. We must never again let any force dedicated to a super-race... or a super-idea, or super-anything... become strong enough to impose itself upon a free world. We must be smart enough and tough enough in the beginning... to put out the fire before it starts spreading. My answer to the sixty-four dollar question is yes, this trip was necessary. As the years go by, a lot of people are going to forget. But you won't. And don't ever let anybody tell you you were a sucker to fight in the war against fascism. And now, Jerry permitting, let us pray. Almighty God...
[artillery drowns him out]
The Chaplain: The organist is hitting those bass notes a little too loud for me to be heard. So let each of us pray in his own way, to his own God.
Hansan: This is an M-1, semi-automatic, high velocity...
Soldier: Look, you're not selling it to me, you're showing me how to fire it.
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Facts about
20 veterans of the 101st Airborne who fought in the Bastogne area were hired to train the actors and were also used as extras.
Screenwriter Robert Pirosh based this story on his experiences as an infantryman during the Battle of the Bulge. Pirosh did not serve with the 101st Airborne and wanted to create a script that was faithful to their experiences. He used his first hand knowledge of the battle of write the script. This was done with the blessing of General McAuliffe, who was commanding the 101st during Bastogne. Consequently many of the incidents in the film - such as Pvt. Kippton's habit of always losing his false teeth, or the Mexican soldier from Los Angeles who had never seen snow until he got to Belgium - that have always been derided as "typical Hollywood phony baloney" actually happened.
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