Red Ball Express (film)
| Red Ball Express | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Budd Boetticher |
| Produced by | Aaron Rosenberg |
| Written by |
Billy Grady, Jr. (story) Marcy Klauber (story) John Michael Hayes (writer) |
| Starring | Jeff Chandler |
| Cinematography | Maury Gertsman |
| Edited by | Edward Curtiss |
| Distributed by | Universal-International |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 83 mins. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US rentals)[1] |
Red Ball Express is a 1952 World War II war film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Jeff Chandler. The film is based on the real Red Ball Express convoys that took place after the D-Day landings in Normandy in June 1944. The tag line for the movie is "From beachhead to battlefront! They carry the ammo for Patton's Tanks!"
Plot synopsis
August 1944: proceeding with the invasion of France, Patton's Third Army has advanced so far toward Paris that it cannot be supplied. To keep up the momentum, Allied HQ establishes an elite military truck route. One (racially integrated) platoon of this Red Ball Express encounters private enmities, German resistance, minefields, and increasingly perilous missions.
Lt Chick Campbell, head of the platoon, clashes with Sgt Red Kallek over an incident when they were civilians where Kallek's brother died.
General Gordon, played by Howard Petrie, appears to have been based on General Patton, although Patton is also specifically mentioned in the film. Major General Frank Ross, who was in charge of the real Red Ball Express, acted as a technical adviser.[2]
Cast
- Jeff Chandler - Lt. Chick Campbell
- Alex Nicol - Sgt. Red Kallek
- Charles Drake - Pvt. Ronald Partridge/narrator
- Judith Braun - Joyce McClellan
- Sidney Poitier - Cpl. Andrew Robertson
- Jaqueline Duval - Antoinette Dubois
- Bubber Johnson - Pvt. Taffy Smith
- Davis Roberts - Pvt. Dave MCord
- Hugh O'Brian - Pvt. Wilson
- Frank Chase - Pvt. Higgins
- Cindy Garner - Kitty Walsh
- Gregg Palmer - Tank Lieutenant
- John Hudson - Tank Sergeant Max
- Howard Petrie - Maj. Gen. Lee Gordon
Controversy
Almost 75% of Red Ball Express drivers were African Americans, able-bodied soldiers who had been previously attached to various units for other duties. In the making of the film, Director Budd Boetticher claimed that:
The army wouldn’t let us tell the truth about the black troops because the government figured they were expendable. Our government didn’t want to admit they were kamikaze pilots. They figured if one out of ten trucks got through, they’d save Patton and his tanks.[3]
References
- ↑ 'Top Box-Office Hits of 1952', Variety, January 7, 1953
- ↑ Jeremy Arnold, 'Red Ball Express', Turner Classic Movies accessed 5 August 2012
- ↑ Sean Axmaker, 'Ride Lonesome: The Career of Budd Boetticher', Senses of Cinema 7 February 2006 accessed 25 June 2012