The Young and The Brave

The Young and The Brave

film poster
Directed by Francis D. Lyon
Produced by A.C. Lyles
Written by Ronald Davidson
Beirne Lay, Jr.
Harry M. Slott
Starring Rory Calhoun
William Bendix
Richard Jaeckel
Manuel Padilla, Jr.
Cinematography Emmett Bergholz
Edited by Robert Leo
Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release dates
  • 1963 (1963)
Running time
 84 minutes
Country USA
Language English

The Young and The Brave (also known by the working title Attong) is a feature film released in 1963 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer which depicts the quality of bravery of a group of prisoners of war that escaped North Korean capture, their youthful companion, and his dog during their journey to the American lines.

Starring Rory Calhoun, William Bendix, Richard Jaeckel, and Manuel Padilla, Jr., it was written by Ronald Davidson, Beirne Lay, Jr., and Harry M. Slott, directed by Francis D. Lyon[1] and produced by A.C. Lyles.[2] It was Bendix's fourth last film.

Shot on location in Ventura County, California, the film has been recognized by Turner Classic Movies (TCM) as a historical representation of the war film genre. Preserved in their archives in 2006, the film is widely distributed through the network.[1]

Plot

During the Korean War, three American prisoners of war – Sgt Ed Brent (Rory Calhoun), Staff Sgt Peter Kane (William Bendix), and Pvt Kirk Wilson (Robert Ivers) – escape from their North Korean captors and try to make it back to American lines, about 40 miles away. At the beginning of their trek, they are given shelter by a Korean couple, who have a young son Han (Manuel Padilla). While Han is hiding in nearby hills, the North Korean captors who are pursuing the three escapees kill the couple. The three Americans elude the North Korean pursuers and encounter Han with his companion dog Lobo (Flame, German Shepherd), an abandoned K-9 corps police dog.[3]

While eating some of their few K-rations, which the three shared with Han and the dog, the three Americans discuss whether they should bring Han and the dog with them on their trek to the American lines. Brent, is in favor of bringing them along and, as ranking officer, orders the other two to do so. Kane, opposes bringing the boy and the dog because of the drain they posed on their few rations. Kane appeals to Wilson to out-vote Brent, based on the assertion that after being held captive rank no longer mattered. Wilson, showing no conviction either way, sides with Kane. However, they eventually agree with Brent and the five proceed on the trek.

Along the way. Han confides with Kane that he doesn’t like him because Kane didn’t help save his parents against the North Koreans. Kane convinces Han that there wasn’t anything they could do as escaped prisoners with no weapons. Kane befriends Han and leads him to believe that he could be adopted and go to America.

Cpl John Estway (Richard Jaeckel), a fourth escaped prisoner who was brainwashed, is encountered on their trek. He is carrying a two-way radio recovered from a broken-down Jeep, but the batteries that powered it have been depleted. They agree the radio would be useful in summoning help, if they could find replacement batteries.

While traveling through brush, Wilson, who is in the lead, steps on a land mine and is killed. Han, starts to return to the three remaining men, but is prevented from stepping on a second land mine by the dog Lobo, who is able to sense it through smell. They decided Lobo would be a valuable resource and used him to sniff out more land mines along their path.

After running out of K-rations, they decided to split up in search of food. Han discovers a wild pig in a thicket, which Kane captures and kills. While discussing how to cook it, someone suggested that they first skin it. Han asks if they have pigs in America and says you don’t skin a pig but rather roast it whole over an open fire. After doing so and enjoying a wonderful meal, they muse about how bright Han is for a child that they figure to be 9 or 10 years old.

They come upon a grass-thatched farmhouse and wonder whether it is occupied. Upon seeing a radio antenna on the roof they surmise that they might find batteries for their radio inside. They hesitated to approach the house because enemy North Koreans might occupy it. Han suggests that he should go and ask for food under the assumption that the enemy, if there, would take him as an innocent child. The men were amazed about how clever and brave the boy was and agreed to his plan. There were enemy soldiers inside, but they reacted violently to the presence of the boy. They came out, shot the boy in a leg and searched for the suspected escapees. Two of the enemies approached the three hidden Americans, who ambushed them. Kane and Estway, donned the fallen enemy’s uniforms and pretended to hold Brent under arrest. The three approached the other North Korean soldiers and when they got close, they opened fire and killed them all. The wounded boy meanwhile fled to escape the North Koreans.

After finding batteries in the farmhouse, they made radio contact with a nearby American base, who sent a helicopter to pick them up. They searched for Han, but couldn't find him immediately. The helicopter arrived but the three prisoners of war wouldn't leave without the boy. The helicopter pilot informed them that he could only carry two of them at a time and insisted that two of them get aboard. Eventually Estway got aboard alone and the helicopter flew away. The other two continued to search for Han. The helicopter pilot returned shortly under gunpoint of Estway and dropped a note saying that Han was spotted in the next canyon, which was infiltrated by many enemy soldiers and would soon be under barrage by American forces. Brent and Kane hiked to that canyon and spotted Han, but were caught under fire by both sides. In the process, the dog Lobo was fatally shot and Brent was wounded in the knee. They reached Han and shortly later were rescued by American infantrymen.

After being transported to the American base camp, they were charged with disobeying orders to board the helicopter and Estway was charged in holding the pilot at gunpoint. Kane, however insisted on explaining the entire situation to the commanding colonial who finally agreed they were really heroes. The commander discovers that Han is only seven years old and marvels about how young and brave he is. Kane tells Han that he still has two years left to his hitch and won’t be able to adopt Han and take him to America. However, Kane convinces both the boy and Brent, that Brent should adopt the boy since Brent would be returning to America, because of his wound. Han leaves with Brent to the hospital and Kane is left displaying a feeling of accomplishment at the end.

Cast

Reviews

Release

Although this movie was released on its own in August 1963, it was re-released later that same year as the second feature to the first James Bond adventure Dr. No double bill in many American markets.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Turner Classic Movies http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=96492
  2. ↑ Theiapolis Cinema http://cinema.theiapolis.com/movie-1THC/the-young-and-the-brave/technical-details.html
  3. 1 2 American Movie Classics (AMC) http://movies.amctv.com/person/23769/Flame-the-Dog/overview
  4. ↑ The Internet Movie Database http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057709/
  5. ↑ Classic Film Guide http://www.classicfilmguide.com/indexe9e5.html
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