The Devil's Brigade (film)

Infobox_Film
name = The Devil's Brigade


imdb_id = 0062886
producer = David L. Wolper
director = Andrew V. McLaglen
Terry Morse, Jr. (Ass't)
writer = Robert H. Adleman & Col. George Walton (book)
William Roberts (screenplay)
starring = William Holden
Cliff Robertson
Vince Edwards
music = Alex North
cinematography = William H. Clothier
editing = William T. Cartwright
distributor = United Artists
released = May 15, 1968
runtime = 130 min.
language = English
budget =

"The Devil's Brigade" is a 1968 American war film based on the 1966 book of the same name co-written by American novelist and historian Robert H. Adleman and Col. George Walton, a member of the 1st Special Service Force, a joint American-Canadian commando unit that saw action during World War II in the Aleutian Islands Campaign and later in the European Theater of Operations.

Plot and Production

The film recounts the formation and training of a unique joint American-Canadian commando unit that became known as the "Devil's Brigade". Largely misfits, the Americans and their spit and polish Canadian counterparts overcome initial differences and eventually learn to respect each other and come together as a unit. The film dramatizes the Brigade's first mission in the Italian Campaign with the seemingly impossible task of capturing what to that point had been an impregnable Nazi mountain stronghold.

The motion picture was filmed in Utah with the 3rd United States Army Special Forces Group at Camp Williams, Utah and on location in Italy. In his first film as producer, David L. Wolper had originally purchased the film rights to Robin Moore's "The Green Berets" but found that no film studio would back him. Wolper had his troops wear attractive but imaginary red berets in a parade ground scene that also that featured on the film's poster and tie-in paperback of Adelman and Walton's book.

The cast of "The Devil's Brigade" included minor roles for NFL running back Paul Hornung and World Middleweight Champion boxer Gene Fullmer.

oundtrack

Alex North composed the soundtrack of the film but at the time of release only a cover version by Leroy Holmes of the soundtrack album was released by United Artists Records. The album was illustrated with the original Sandy Kossin artwork of the film and featured instrumental (with whistling) and a male chorus singing lyrics to North's title theme. The album also contained cover versions of other North themes from the film as well as 1940's popular music that appeared in the film.

In 2007 Film Score Monthly and Intrada released a limited CD edition of North's original soundtrack with Kossin's artwork including alternate versions of the title theme, North's own arrangements of four 1940's jazz popular tunes, two traditional Christmas carols, and the pipe band version of "Scotland the Brave" featuring in the film.

Principal cast

*William Holden - Lt. Col./Col. Robert T. Frederick
*Cliff Robertson - Maj. Alan Crown
*Vince Edwards - Maj. Cliff Bricker
*Andrew Prine - Pvt. Theodore Ransom
*Jeremy Slate - Sgt. Dermot 'Pat' O'Neill
*Claude Akins - Pvt. Rockwell 'Rocky' Rockman
*Carroll O'Connor - Maj. Gen. Hunter
*Jack Watson - Cpl. Wilfrid Peacock
*Dana Andrews - Lt. Gen. Walter Naylor
*Richard Jaeckel - Pvt. Omar Greco
*Richard Dawson - Pvt. Hugh MacDonald
*Tom Troupe - Pvt. Al Manella
*Paul Hornung : Lumberjack
*Gene Fullmer : Bartender