The Anderson Platoon

Infobox Film
name = The Anderson Platoon
U.S. Uncensored version of La Section Anderson by Pierre Schoendoerffer


image_size = 469px
caption = Titlescreen
director = flagicon|USA USA T.C. Coley Jrflagicon|France French Pierre Schoendoerffer
producer = Chaba Mehes
writer = T.C. Coley Jr.
narrator = Stuart Whitman English version
starring = Joseph B. Anderson
music = Paul Skorich
cinematography = Dominique Merlin
editing = T.C. Coley Jr.
distributor = Hollywood Select Video
Hollywood, CA
released = flagicon|USA 1987
runtime = 60 min.(edited)
country = flagicon|USA USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:2224
imdb_id = 0062244

"The Anderson Platoon" (original French title: "La Section Anderson") is an acclaimed documentary feature by Pierre Schoendoerffer about the Vietnam War. Two decades later, a sequel was released as "Reminiscence".

Background

In 1987, the original 1967 French version of the "The Anderson Platoon"became listed in the Public Domain.

Upon viewing the footage, a small creative team in Hollywood, CA, noticed that thefilm had been poorly edited and appeared to have been completely censored.

Soon after, they began working with the footage in hope that someday the true andaccurate story of "The Anderson Platoon" could be told.

By the end of Summer, 1987, all but a few parts of the true story were in place.A search to find Lieutenant Joe Anderson, proved successful in locating him in Kansas,working at an automotive assembly plant.

Shortly thereafter, "The Anderson Platoon", the true and accurate story of a reallife American hero of the Vietnam War, U.S. Army, Lt. Joe B. Anderson was finished.

"The Anderson Platoon" is his story.

Plot

On 1 August 1965, the U.S. 1st Air Cavalry Divisionarrives in South Vietnam. The following year in September, a French news crew joins and follows the platoon of 33 GIs, led by a black West Point Graduate, Lieutenant Joseph B. Anderson, until October 1966.

Reception

The "Anderson Platoon" has been shown in more than 20 countries and won several prizes including an Oscar on April 10th 1968 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
*1967: flagicon|Italy Prix Italia for Original Dramatic Program
*1968: flagicon|USA Emmy Award for the Best Documentary Film of 1967
*1967: flagicon|USA Academy Award for Documentary Feature
*1968: flagicon|UK Merit Award (BBC)

Releases

Television

"The Anderson Platoon" was broadcasted on the French public channel ORTF's monthly show "Cinq colonnes à la une" in February 3rd 1967.

The English dub version was premiered on television in the United States on July 4th 1967 by CBS. Shortly after its 1968 Academy Award, it was broadcasted a second time in France's ORTF.

In West Germany, the 62mn version was broadcasted in July 17th 1968 on NDR, SFB and Bremen III. After the Berlin wall's fall out it was broadcasted in Germany, on WDR, in January 15th 1995.

Theater

This documentary was originally made for a French TV show and was released in theaters in the United States only.

Home video

"The Anderson Platoon" was made available on VHS tapes in the United States only.

A 60mn VHS re-edited uncensored video edition was released in December 1987 by Hollywood Select Video. It was re-released by Timeless Video in May 1990. Timeless released a second print in June 1999.

By June 2000, Homevision released the original 65mn French version subtitled in English.

Video on demand

In France it is available online since April 26th 2006 as a VOD pay per view service through the National Audiovisual Institute's website hosting the ORTF archives.

Reminescence

A sequel to "The Anderson Platoon" titled "Reminiscence" was released in 1989. Now twenty years after the events, Schoendoerffer met the platoons survivors.

Alternate titles

*"La Section Anderson": original title
*"The Anderson Platoon": English re-edited uncensored version title. This is the only accurate account for this title.
*"2. Kompanie, 1. Zug, Vietnam 1966" ("2nd Company, 1st Platoon, Vietnam 1966"): West German title. The "Anderson Platoon"'s actual name is "1st Platoon" belonging to the "B" for "Bravo" Company and the documentary was shot in South Vietnam in 1966, hence the German title.
*"Abteilung Anderson" ("Detachment Anderson"): German title after the reunification. This is a translation of the original title, "Detachment" being a synonym for "Platoon" in French.

ee also

*1st Cavalry Division (United States)
*Vietnam war
*"The 317th Platoon" (1965)
*"Platoon" (1986)

Media links

* [http://www.ina.fr/archivespourtous/index.php?vue=notice&id_notice=CAF88041439 "La Section Anderson" on the ORTF in 1968, 10mn sample] (National Audiovisual Institute)

References

External links

*
* [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,839485,00.html Men at War: A French View] (Time magazine, February 17, 1967)

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Academy Award for Documentary Feature
years=1967
before="The War Game"
after="Journey Into Self"
(after disqualification of "Young Americans")