"Battleground" director William Wellman made several great combat movies, but "Darby's Rangers" is not one of his best. This standard-issue World War II movie deals with the first actual commando force in the United States Army. "Darby's Rangers" is a good adventure movie set against the real-life background of war in North Africa and Italy. Virtually first hour is spent with Darby and his men learning the ropes about commando operations from the British in Scotland. When these G.I. Joes aren't being run ragged by the Brits, they are running British women ragged. The second half of this 121-minute epic follows our heroes into North Africa and they are finally shot to pieces so badly blunting an attack after Anzio that the powers-that-be break up the unit and Darby goes off to the Pentagon. Several familiar faces crop up here including Peter Brown of "Laredo" fame, Ed Byrnes of "77 Sunset Strip," Stuart Whitman, Murray Hamilton, and Jack Warden. Indeed, "Darby's Rangers" is basically a remnant of the 1940s rather than the 1950s. Wellman provides more sexual escapades for these young lions, while Darby (James Garner of "Maverick") leads the attack. You will not find any anti-authority issues in this war movie or soldiers complaining about wanting to kill their officers. Like most World War II movies of the 1950s, we do not get to see the German soldiers, except during an ambush. Meaning, the Germans are depicted as an impersonal enemy. In fact, there are no real emotional villains on the enemy side. Wellman orchestrates several interesting combat sequences, but too many officers parade around unrealistically with their rank displayed on their helmets. One scene here that Sam Fuller used in his classic World War II combat movie "The Big Red One" has troops crossing a road in front of German tanks. As the noisy tanks roll over a hill, the G.I.s slip past it, narrowly missing being hit and escaping the notice of the enemy. Max Steiner provides a suitable martial score to underline the combat scenes. Edd Byrnes is good as a green, shavetail lieutenant who grows up quickly.
Review of Darby's Rangers
