Beachhead Reviews

This taut war drama has a platoon of Marines trying to rescue a plantation owner-spy (Franz) and a vital message from a Japanese-held island. All except Lovejoy, Curtis, and Murphy, Franz's daughter, are killed as they try to escape. The jungle rot and creatures almost come off the screen in this extremely realistic film, tightly directed by Heisler. Koch's production is rich with unique dialog from writer Simmons, albeit some of the scenes are a bit too fearsome. At one point Curtis confronts Murphy, who has been urging him to leave her behind because she has been slowed with a twisted ankle. "The Japs," Curtis hisses, "do you think I can leave you to them?" The thought causes Murphy's eyes to almost pop from her pretty skull as she desperately embraces her lover-rescuer. Shot in the lush jungles of Hawaii, the production is rich in color, but the special effects, particularly the miniature battle between Japanese and American gunboats, look like they might have been shot in a large bathtub. Nevertheless this is a very gripping film.