John Saxon has a memorable role as a black-faced, gun-crazy soldier who volunteers for solitary nightly ambushes on the enemy until he finally cracks up completely and wants to be left behind in Korea. The film also marked the screen debuts of Robert Redford (as the clean-cut rookie hero who stands up to Saxon’s fearsome grip on his unit), Sydney Pollack (a rare early acting stint for him as a sympathetic sergeant) and Tom Skerritt (as a cheerful sergeant); of course, the latter would later appear in the ultimate Korean War movie, Robert Altman’s M.A.S.H. (1970). Other cast members include Tommy Matsuda (as an orphaned Korean boy taken under Saxon’s wing and unwisely befriended by Redford), Charles Aidman (as the Captain who often covers for Saxon’s insubordination given the importance of the information he gathers from his nightly rounds) and Gavin MacLeod (who advises Redford to steer clear of the highly-strung Saxon).
Being set during the final days of the Korean War, the film features the deceptive and ironic musical interludes played on loudspeakers by the teasing enemy prior to the inevitable combat; despite its obviously modest budget and low-key nature, it is effectively shot in gritty, black-and-white by veteran cinematographer Ted McCord and nicely scored by Bud Shank. On the other hand, co-producer Terry Sanders was an award-winning documentarian who seemingly brought to the film an unusually sensitive and anti-militaristic outlook, while his brother Denis was an occasional feature film director – including the sci-fi/exploitation flick INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1973) – who had previously co-written the screenplay for Raoul Walsh’s WWII epic THE NAKED AND THE DEAD (1958). Trivia note: reportedly, Francis Ford Coppola appears uncredited as a truck driver; also, the film’s associate producer (Noel Black) later became an erratic director himself – most notably of PRETTY POISON (1968).
Being set during the final days of the Korean War, the film features the deceptive and ironic musical interludes played on loudspeakers by the teasing enemy prior to the inevitable combat; despite its obviously modest budget and low-key nature, it is effectively shot in gritty, black-and-white by veteran cinematographer Ted McCord and nicely scored by Bud Shank. On the other hand, co-producer Terry Sanders was an award-winning documentarian who seemingly brought to the film an unusually sensitive and anti-militaristic outlook, while his brother Denis was an occasional feature film director – including the sci-fi/exploitation flick INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS (1973) – who had previously co-written the screenplay for Raoul Walsh’s WWII epic THE NAKED AND THE DEAD (1958). Trivia note: reportedly, Francis Ford Coppola appears uncredited as a truck driver; also, the film’s associate producer (Noel Black) later became an erratic director himself – most notably of PRETTY POISON (1968).