♦War Classic♦ 'SUICIDE BATTALION' (1958) Mike Connors & John Ashley
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Approved | 1h 19min | War, Drama | February 1958 (USA)
Second World War drama, set in the Philippines about a group of men recruited for the dangerous mission of destroying an American base to keep strategic papers out of enemy hands when Japanese forces invade. The men spend their last hours drowning their sorrows in a bar, but time is running out.
I used to love going to the drive in, My Dad used to take my Brother and eye almost every Friday to the drive in, we would stop at the market and get some Shasta black cherry soda, and hotdogs and go to the Paramount Drive in SoCal which had two screens or the Rosecrans Drive in which had three Screens. I Remember seeing Jaws at the drive in. Good times. My Dad was a funny guy, he worked Very Hard, but Love his Kids, when my Mom and Dad split up, he always live within a few blocks of us, not matter when my Mom would moved, he would always make sure to be close by, no matter how far he had to dive to get to work. When he Passed at the age of 94. It felt like the world wasn’t as bright. Thanks for the Memories Pops
Comments to a YT video are intended to be brief. Liked it, that sort of thing.
Your lengthily maudlin simpering about your past, is the kind of chatter that belongs at Church, not on the web. Nobody cares.
Fatherly love is really only truly missed when the Lord takes him home. I lost mine when he was 88 Drive in Movies going to the beach in the afternoons before he had to go to work in the evening and always been careful because he was always playing some sort of practical joke on myself or Mom. I think he never truly recover from the hell of the War in the pacific and the hell he lived thru fighting the Japanese. But he never allowed the word or feeling of hate to be part of our lives. Love forgive and get on with your life. I am almost 80 now and I still miss him.
These films need preserved. As corney as they are it contains lots of actual footage. Digitize and colorized. Btw, that was one hell of a hug.
Mike Connor is a great actor he was in a great show called Manix
Should be colorized..perhaps with AI someone can make it happen
I love these as I get to see the movie, as back in the day my car windows always seemed fogged up.
I was thinking the same thing.... and I worked at the Joshua drive in in Victorville, CA.... great days, and great times!
Heavy breathing will do that!
been there too in my 64 chvy ss!
Hahahahaaha........🤩
I think it is important for everyone to understand that these movies were meant for drive ins and Saturday matinees(kids out of the house for a couple of hour) not as historical documentaries,hysterical perhaps. People back then had better things to do than critisize every little thing in their lives and be unhappy all the time. Movies were a luxury,a diversion from work,raising a family,keeping up with the Jones,etc. They werent as miserably 'bitchy' as everyone seems to be today. They earned what they got and didnt expect it to be handed to them on a platter. So nit pick if you must but do it for the humor and recreational value.
great post Patrick Griffitt
Well said
Made right after my cheap @$$ father got a Stupid Nomad wagon with just 2 doors, What a pain for getting in and out of . WTF Did that idiot buy the 2 door wagon ? Who was ever going to buy that as a used car ?
Patrick Griffitt, well said sir. My sentiments, exactly.
I say Mannix. He was a detective .
Me and my Uncle, watched this on TV, in early 1960s....God Bless Damon Hartness....RIP....
i miss the old drive in movies they were so fun . i dont think it used to get this hot at nite as it does these days . the 70s and 80s were good times and lots of fun !
When my parents took us to the drive in the heat didn't bother me because I was a kid. Couldn't do it now.
Funny the highest temperature recorded in my town was recorded in 118F in 1908 . Just so you know.
Lots of fun, drive in. Sitting in lawn chairs in the back of the truck good times
Beautiful to see the flame thank you for sharing this movie
You bet!
There is still a drive in not too far from my place. You have to get there early. It's always jam packed.
This movie is one of the reasons why I think Mike Connors was the hardest-working man in show business (not James brown). Dude earned his stripes before he could do better.
As for me, I'm not too particular; I'll turn down the sound and watch for the fun of it. After all, Mannix is on this joint ❤️❤️🌹🌹
James Brown is still working.. tho
@@craigecraw4143 He is? Could’ve sworn he died in 2006! That would indeed confirm him as the ‘hardest working man in show biz,’ then, working at 90. Well, Next to Mannjx, of course. 😂
When people criticize a show, it reminds me of the days of black-and-white television when one man said, “if you don’t like what you’re seeing, there’s a knob on your television set where you can change the channel!”
Kurt Jensen and 4 channels and one of those was pbs.
We could only pick up 2 channels on a rooftop antenna, so we didn't have much choice.
@@williamrobinson827 At least you could still turn the channel.............once. lol
Thank you 🤩💖
You’re welcome 😊
I thought this was a good movie,captivating. Good dialogue attention to details.Good actors. Realistic.
Worth watching part two.
Five minutes in and it was toasted coconuts. No way l was scrolling past this gem. Besides it was Mike Conners what more could you want over bong hits and vodka?
I love it when we see a 'star' in a pre-star role. It happens sometimes, but not often.
Finally a movie about the fighting engineers
Great movie 😊
It is essential to understand that this movie, and a bazillion like it, were churned out on shoestring budgets by "American International", which was owned by a guy name Samuel Arkoff (web search his name). In 1958, at a time when TV was only getting started, these cheap movies were the bread and butter of local "Bijou" movie theaters and quarter per passenger drive-in theaters. If the movie's opening logo says "American International" you know it was 1950s-1960s, low-budget dreck.
I will say that while agreeing about the factual errors and other faults, the acting , especially Conners and the colonel, was really good. They did the best they could with what they had to work with.
Love how he uses a pistol to give directions to everyone.
World War 2 buff. Love these old black & white movies.
It's always interesting to see Bing Russell, Kurt's dad.
Kurt Russell's dad, Bing, is in this one. He was in a lot of TV westerns. I went to the same high school as John Ashely. Didn't know him as well as I knew his wife to be.
I like the movie.it makes me feel proud.thank you for sharing this movie
Thanks for watching!
Beautiful to see the flame thrower in action, when the right person got it.
Right on!!!!
Toasted coconuts......l was fok'n hooked in just that second. Ha!
Thanks
To the person who commented about seeing a 50 star flag. Go back and check your history and dates. The film was made in 1958 and the 50 star flag was not adopted till July of 1960
In fact it was 1959 not 1960. Alaska became the 49th state January 3rd 1959 and finally Hawaii became a state on August 21st 1959.
@@DavBlc7 President Eisenhower ordered the flag in Aug '59, but it was not adopted until July '60.
It looks like a flag from the Civil war around 1863. I am going by the star layout. Must have been the only flag in the prop shop.
I remember going on Sunday night to the drive in , we would cook out and drink beer never did watch the movies lol but we had fun was 50 cents to get in and everyone went
holy smokes , was that a confession of antiquity ?
Danielle ,,, I was born 1051.. My older cousin and her b.f. used ti bring us kids, to a "buck a carload"...
12:10 Men, we're in an AIP film, so be prepared for lots of walking and stock footage.
It looks like the set of Gilligan´s Island.
Definitely a drive in movie. The documentary films spliced in appeared to be from different wars (WW2 and Korean War???) and the dialogue was not that well...but overall I managed to sit thru it and somewhat enjoyed it...........kind of................
I had a lot of fun with this. Its not to be taken 100% literally, but as a popcorn war film, it's really entertaining.
As a history buff and a U.S. Army combat veteran, I say: "Yes there are a lot of discrepancies, but who cares? It's just a movie. So, shut up people and just enjoy it."
Edit to add: I'd rather watch this then being back in the real thing.
Don't tell us what to do!! You shut up!! Sir.
Well now back in my days in the Navy it was "A bitchin Sailor issa Happy Sailor, so leave them be." to give the short, in polite company version.
I would be shocked to see one get it all right. My 'go-to' is the Gig Line. That Gig Line outta whack, give em a Demerit.
Amen brother.
I like the movie 🎦. 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
thanks for the movie Rob dude !
I loved going to the drive in on Saturdays. At the time that was where all the kids went so you could meet girls without teachers or parents. Remember meeting girls in person and actually taking to them?
War Movie Drinking Game cues: "I'll take the first watch" "Don't shoot 'em, let 'em burn" "Take (private's name) over there and flank 'em" "It's just a flesh wound" "MAMA!" "Make me proud, Son" "Jeez, they've got a (weapon)" "Give 'em hell" "Make 'em pay for (whatever)" "Synchronize watches" "This is IT!" "MEDIC/CORPSMAN!" "He's gone" "Who's got TNT?" "Take plenty of grenades" "I'm out of ammo" "Give him some water" "Put some sulfa on it" "You're goin' home, Son" "All he wanted was to get back to his farm" "I can't see"...
Purple 💜 Heart.
Where are you hit.
Are those tanks?.
Watch your six.
Fix bayonets.
You forgot "Over and Out".
Does anyone remember driving off with the speaker still attached to you car window lol
i had a friend of mine wipe out a rear quarterpanel on his pontiac whilst pulling out😆
We live two blocks from the Drive-In theater unobstructed view of the screen older Brothers would tape a walkie-talkie to one of the speakers closest to the screen where no one ever parked. We would sit on the roof of are shed and watch the movie and listen on the other walkie-talkie. My dad would bring out a grocery sack of popcorn hand it up and say be careful I was around 7, 63 now.
The good old days as they say
mark galetti: HA! To cool.
no
Drive -ins were fun. They use to have full car nights for about $5. We would fill up the car plus one in the trunk.
Whoever says this is the worst war flick they've ever seen, hasn't seen enough war flicks. Super-low budget, but I'd rather watch this than any of the crap they make today.
ROGER THAT!!
One bad cliche after another. Despite that, I survived the entire movie.
You deserve a Purple Heart! 😉
Hollywood at it's best. Thanks for sharing Rob.
Hollywood at its worst.
watched this when i was a kid..still like war movies..
So do I 🙂🙂
Boy this movie sure makes me wanna buy some War Bonds. 😂😂😪😪
Those war bonds are worth big bucks now.
One of my favorite lines from post-WWII films: "Don't shoot 'em, let 'em burn!!"
The line was in "SAVING PRIVATE RYAN". When in combat RULE #1 is:"There are no rules-kill the enemy before the enemy tries to kills you".
I swear I heard "ow!" when he got torched by the flamethrower...almost had a stroke
I thought I was crazy.......
I love to see roasted Japs in these movies! 🤣
They would have had WW1 helmets and 03A3 rifles among other things at this time in WW2.
Thanks. Good one.
You're welcome!
Enjoyable movie. Just sit back, relax and try to pick out all the historical, technical errors.
72 hour pass! 3 months back pay! Mannix should of asked for a whole lot more!!! These soldiers never heard of noise disapline. 🎶🎼🎶🎼🎶🎼🎶🎼🎶🎼🎶🎼
Remember drive in movies you didn't carry your date to either enjoy the plot or dialog usally busy with other stuff like tongue wrestling
Now I know why my car windows never fogged up.
and try not to poke a eye out on them "Bullet Bra" haha
Here's a classic...my friend managed to get two blind dates for a drive in..they were total losers...when the time came for nature's call, the two girls, as usual,
went to the ladies room....within 3 minutes my buddy peeled out of the drive in
leaving them behind. We were laughing our butts off imagining their reaction
of being deserted.
An early Zanuck effort must have been his first, it's fun picking out the faces of people who went on to have notable careers. There are a number in here.
I am still waiting for the battalion to show up.
It looks like 5 men one gets killed by sniper in first five minutes.
Enjoy the movie and don't worry about the other things
At this time of the war, the US was still using the Springfield bolt action rifle and wearing WWI pith helmets. This continued even into the invasion of Guadalcanal. The least the producers of this film could have done was honor those men with era correct equipment.
Your statement is factually incorrect. U.S. troops at Guadalcanal used the M1 Garand, Thompson sub-machine gun, Mk 2 grenades, and had the iron pot helmet, not the pith helmet. It is simple to Google photos and facts of Guadalcanal. You might want to try it. www.google.com/search?q=Photos+from+Guadalcanal+WWII&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXrpXs1sLiAhVHDq0KHRdABNUQ_AUIDigB&biw=1024&bih=625
I see I was not the only one who noticed this error. But what do expect on low budget B movies.These are the where you see the GIs pull the pins on the grenades with their teeth and say ' over and out' on the radio.
As they roll into Banichi, (15:37) THAT IS NOT A 48 START FLAG FLYING ON THE RIGHT.
Its a 50 star of 1958 vintaage.
There was no 50 star flag until 1959
The “flaws” and “errors” in the movie are mostly due to the population as a whole being less aware of the specifics of weapons, kit, uniform, etc.
Such as at the beginning of the war, the Mk. 1 Helmet was not yet used by the army, nor would M1 Garands have likely been used. Instead they would probably have been equipped still with the M1903 Springfield (which is ironically what the Japanese are wearing).
The public just didn’t associate these things with “WWII,” and the movie studios would likewise have just forgotten to ask “Was this really how the US Army Soldier dressed in Dec. of 1941, or the first half of 1942?” This just didn’t occur to them.
Remember... In the 1950s, “Movie Making” was still in its infancy. The Big Studios were still basically less than 30 years old, and probably still run by the people who founded them in the 1920s/30s.
It's a movie, not a documentary. lol
Surprisingly good movie. Hollyweird usually craps out on most war movies.
Hey guys if you like to critisize well don't watch it!!!! But if you do watch it then enjoy it!
Some people aren't happy unless they are un-happy, and they feel compelled to piss in other people's cornflakes.
How can people criticise a film if they don't watch it first???? And if they do watch the film and don't like it are they still supposed to enjoy it???? It's not rocket science.
Who died and made you God??
AMC recently aired the short version of Suicide Battalion (1958) during AMC’s FearFest.
When I saw Mike Connor, I thought I'd take a look. Even Mannix couldn't save this flop. It isn't much of a screenplay. As a WW2 movie it's particularly inept (doesn't really become even slightly interesting until 36:45!). Seems really surprising to have such a dud emerged from the same cinematographic era as "The Ten Commandments", "Ben Hur", "The Alamo", "Bridge Over the River Kwai", "12 O'clock High", etc.
It is essential to understand that this movie, and a bazillion like it, were churned out on shoestring budgets by "American International", which was owned by a guy name Samuel Arkoff (web search his name). In 1958, at a time when TV was only getting started, these cheap movies were the bread and butter of local "Bijou" movie theaters and quarter per passenger drive-in theaters.
B movies vary in quality from awful to mediocre.
Am I correct in thinking that the plot goes like this:- the Americans are evacuating the island, but a group of volunteers go on a dangerous mission behind enemy lines to destroy a Japanese "Command Post". Sounds like a contradiction to me. In any case, it lost me when they took along with them the female 'reporter'.
Watch the movie again. This time pay attention.
Nice movie. Forgot the Pop Corn.
pity this movie went from a nice start to dead slow ... 90% love story 2% actual combat ... 8% credits
If you call hookers love...I guess so.
At 5:10, never better than watching the right one getting it.
Chuck out everything between 19:00 and 54:00. Trust me.
You werent kidding! They chase girls and booze till 48th minute.
I like the part at 1:04 where he grabs the pole next to the bomb damaged foot thick "concrete" wall and the whole wall nearly falls over............lol
For me as a 9 year old way back . It was great. I would like to see another movie where a soldier was given command of a platoon if underaged boys who got in the US army and to Italy in WWII , Not the Hornets Nest movie. Also 3 cartoons , 1 where the cricketers fought the spiders and 2 another with WWII airplanes and they show the P 38 as a thunderbolt and they show the spit Fire spitting. 3 For Sci Fi I would like to see the cartoon where the boy is sent his bedroom as punishment and he saves Earth from martians in his day dream.
Have you found any of those yet?
Well, at least this is still two steps above 'Plan 9 From Outer Space'. BARELY.
Thanks for saving me 2 hours!
I spent 3 seasons as a regular prior Army veteran union background actor . a veteran airforce was the TA. He's clueless about the nuts and bolts about the reactions and operating an infantry unit. Also theroductioj was originally casted and created by 2 Marine veteran to be Marine unit and first season was photographed in Hawaii. The other 3 seasons located on the Newhall Ranch just 30 0r so miles north Burbank,CA.
Mant TV and features use prop and wardrobe company's and services by clueless employees.
I don’t believe you. Your English is terrible.
Oh how I enjoyed the drive in theater..a gone era
I can't believe this movie was made - let alone release
Today we would say it went from release directly to DVD! Back when this was made, it went directly to the drive-in and then to the late show!
Just say after me...I believe...I believe...I believe.
Loved the drive inn used to cut hedges all day saturday just so i could fuel the car and afford to pay for the girl of the day and yes i forgot to unhook the speaker often
How about speakers that didn't work, or quit during the movie. Oh those were the dsys.
...and people driving off with the speaker still in their window (but I won't name any names) ;)
Why do the Japanese soldiers are using the American jeep??
They captured it.
It surprised me upon seeing the quiet, nerdy soldier with glasses get shot that I had seen this movie once before.
He reminded me of Clark Kent.
Is that a young George Kennedy as the big guy with glasses? Did not see his name on the credits.
Good Movie!
Good. Movie
Ed WOOD himself couldn't have done better🙄
😄😄😄
I have not seen this one either
Think this film would be a lot better as a Radio play..
That was a shame young kid being killed like that, you know it happened a million times in real war. Messed up.
It happens every day on the streets of America. Thing about war is it's almost always orchestrated by intelligence agencies manipulating the elected officials and it doesn't matter how many are killed on any side because they are all part of a cabal that believes the earths population should be reduced by 4/5th's and also because the global bankers aka Wall St. Profit off of both sides in every conflict.
@@TruAnRksT indeed, millions of kids are killed daily by intelligence agents on streets of American cities. And all for the profit of street sweepers. Glad you figured it out.
@@TruAnRksT I sure hope that you’re not using the phrase global bankers to refer to a certain religious people.
@@davidhull1481Well it’s the truth…
Saw this at a military base theater, in 1960 as a kid. Remember well, how horrified I was during the flamethrower scenes. They brought back images of my mothers sister, accidentally catching her dress on fire, years before. Can't think of a worse way to die, than by fire.
A. Very. Nice. Classic. One. Exelent. Whit. A. Good. Story. 🎉🎉🎉💯💢💥💫 💣🗯💣 thanks. R w.
This was entertaining back then. Drive in movie on the weekend after Lucy & red skeleton, Johnny Quest & god help us my brothers love Saturday night wrastling & no that’s how they pronounce it. That suck!
They were lighting cigarettes the whole movie with zippos, but no, "get the flamethrower" I've seen some bad ww2 movies in my day, but this one takes the cake!
Um, the Sherman tanks weren’t available in early 1942 in the pacific war zone. Definitely not on any islands the Japanese captured during that time either. The Japanese are using American tanks? At 37:29 and before those tanks weren’t even Japanese to begin with.
If ya take the sap out of it,it would be five minutes long.
Good to see Bing Russell in something other than a Western.
52:42 hahaha they gave a jeep to the local chief then took it back. When I was stationed in Germany one of our jeeps was stolen, it came back two months later with a wild blue and white checkerboard paint job and a nice stereo installed in the dash. LOL
Don't know how they thought they could get away with it. I bet someone made money on it though.
Blaupunkt?
Pistol Hand: when Knife Hand just isn't enough.
Whoever wrote this movie knew nothing about the Marines, nor about combat.
Well the unit portrayed is from the army.
They knew nothing about film-making either.
All the worlds a critic, now there's you.
Philippines, 1942? The American troops should be wearing khaki shirts and pants, World War 1 tin hats, and carrying 1903 Springfields. Thompson submachine guns are alright. Come on? Even "Bataan" got it right, that was during the war.
reconosco que es entretenido , gracias
Pretty steady tu dia..
Nylons! Didn't she know there was a war going on?
Did Norman Mailer sue?
If this movie is is about the Japanese invading the Philippines the Americans should have been using the world war one helmets
That's right.
Mike Conners aka "Mannix", shame on you! : )
Bing Russell was already fairly well-known, not a headliner, but well-known
Not sure if this was a comedy or a war film.
Yes.
LOL! Six men don't make a "battalion!"
And Broderick Crawford can not have a 38 12 shot revolver in The Highway Patrol.
total bollocks, for a suicide squad they aren't doing much dying