During Japan's invasion of the Philippines in 1942, Capt. Henry Lassiter, Sgt. Bill Dane and a diverse group of American soldiers are ordered to destroy and hold a strategic bridge in order to delay the Japanese forces and allow Gen. MacArthur time to secure Bataan. When the Japanese soldiers begin to rebuild the bridge and advance, the group struggles with not only hunger, sickness and gunfire, but also the knowledge that there is likely no relief on the way.
Acting
Robert Walker's nervous breakdown that steals the whole thing.
Direction
Garnett makes 13 guys in a swamp feel like opera.
Writing
Script somehow fits a Filipino soldier into 1943 Hollywood.
Director
Tay Garnett
Robert Taylor
Sgt. Bill Dane
George Murphy
Lt. Steve Bentley
Thomas Mitchell
Cpl. Jake Feingold
Lloyd Nolan
Cpl. Barney Todd
Lee Bowman
Capt. Henry Lassiter
Robert Walker
Leonard Purckett
Desi Arnaz
Felix Ramirez
Barry Nelson
F.X. Matowski
Phillip Terry
Matthew Hardy
Alex Havier
Yankee Salazar
Tom Dugan
Sam Malloy
Donald Curtis
Lieutenant
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released while Bataan was still falling. Audiences didn't know the real outcome yet.
Desi Arnaz was originally cast but deemed 'too ethnic.' The role went to a white guy.
US
