IMDb RATING
6.0/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
In 1953, at Fort Bliss, Texas, two former Korean War combat veterans work as drill sergeants and fall in love with the same woman.In 1953, at Fort Bliss, Texas, two former Korean War combat veterans work as drill sergeants and fall in love with the same woman.In 1953, at Fort Bliss, Texas, two former Korean War combat veterans work as drill sergeants and fall in love with the same woman.
- Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 1 nomination total
Iris Adrian
- Mrs. Butterfly
- (scenes deleted)
Acquanetta
- Bar Girl
- (uncredited)
Matilda Caldwell
- Mrs. Hazard
- (uncredited)
Charlita
- Mexican Girl
- (uncredited)
John Close
- Military Policeman
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAt about 18 minutes into the film while Richard Widmark and Karl Malden's characters are shooting pool there is a sign on the wall that reads: Watch Your Language Single Men Present. A real "sign" of the times.
- GoofsWhen Ryan and Holt have the troops on a training exercise in the field, Ryan tells Holt to "get back to base." The Army doesn't refer to its facilities as bases. An actual soldier would have said "get back to the post."
- Quotes
Sgt. Thorne Ryan: This is your rifle, and not your gun; it's made for shooting, and not for fun!
- ConnectionsReferenced in Killer's Kiss (1955)
Featured review
Authentic Real Time Period Piece
While this may not be the movie that made me want to join the Army in 1956, it may have helped. The plot is a formulaic coming of age in basic training story, turning boys into men. The personal interactions and love affairs of Widmark and Malden, the veterans of Korea who are now leading a trainng platoon at Fort Bliss, Texas, next to El Paso are also formulaic.
The real value of this picture is as a time capsule. Nothing herein is BS, dreamed up, or recreated such as are Platoon, or Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now, to mention some more modern highly praised but highly fictionalized films. Nor is it an anachronistic mish mash such or a low budget BW cheapie such as many of that period were.
Everything shown here is as it was at the time of filming and the background extras and other military individuals were actually going through infantry training with the real possibility of going to combat in Korea when it was being made. (An amusing aspect is that the opening scene of the newly arrived trainees and the disciplined troops entraining for their new assignments were filmed on the same day with the same Southern Pacific locomotive and equipment. Yet supposedly took place three months apart.)
Other time capsule films of the time are Bombers B-57, and Strategic Air Command, which prove that officially approved films can be entertaining and informative both.
The real value of this picture is as a time capsule. Nothing herein is BS, dreamed up, or recreated such as are Platoon, or Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now, to mention some more modern highly praised but highly fictionalized films. Nor is it an anachronistic mish mash such or a low budget BW cheapie such as many of that period were.
Everything shown here is as it was at the time of filming and the background extras and other military individuals were actually going through infantry training with the real possibility of going to combat in Korea when it was being made. (An amusing aspect is that the opening scene of the newly arrived trainees and the disciplined troops entraining for their new assignments were filmed on the same day with the same Southern Pacific locomotive and equipment. Yet supposedly took place three months apart.)
Other time capsule films of the time are Bombers B-57, and Strategic Air Command, which prove that officially approved films can be entertaining and informative both.
helpful•239
- elcutach
- Nov 23, 1999
- How long is Take the High Ground!?Powered by Alexa
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $1,166,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 41 minutes
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content