Bataan/Back to Bataan

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Two great World War II flicks depicting true-to-life wartime action, incredible bravery and edge-of-your-seat adventure! Includes Bataan (Robert Taylor, George Murphy. 1943/b&w/105 min.) in which American and Filipino soldiers stop the Japanese from capturing a key military bridge. Follow that up with Back to Bataan (John Wayne, Anthony Quinn. 1945/color/95 min.) in which an army colonel unites Filipino soldiers to fend off the invading Japanese while waiting for General MacArthur's return. NR.

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Subtitle: Eng/Fre/Spa
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Screen: Pan and Scan
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Features:
  • cc
  • Bataan Includes:
  • Full-screen version
  • Theatrical trailer
  • Languages: English & Francais
  • Subtitles: English, Francais (Feature Film Only)
  • Back to Bataan Includes:
  • Full-screen version
  • Subtitles: English, Francais & Espanol (Feature Film Only)

AWARDS

• National Board of Review

•     Nominated Best Picture - 1943

• NCP

•     Won Award - 1943

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       John Wayne - Col. Joe Madden
       Anthony Quinn - Capt. Andres Bonifacio
       Beulah Bondi - Miss Bertha Barnes
       Fely Franquelli - Dalisay Delgado
       Lee Bowman - Capt. Henry Lassiter
       Desi Arnaz - Felix Ramirez
       Alex Havier - Sgt. Bierness
       Barry Nelson - F.X. Matowski
       Phillip Terry - Matthew Hardy
       Leonard Strong - Gen. Homma
       Kenneth Spencer - Wesley Epps
       Abner Biberman - Japanese Captain at Schoolhouse
       Tom Dugan - Sam Malloy
       Donald Curtis - Lieutenant
       Angel Cruz

• Director:

  Tay Garnett, Edward Dmytryk

• Producer:

  Irving Starr, Robert M. Fellows

• Screenwriter:

  Robert D. Andrews, Ben Barzman, Richard Landau

• Screen Story:

  Aeneas MacKenzie, William Gordon

• Cinematographer:

  Sidney Wagner, Nick Musuraca

• Composer (Music Score):

  Bronislau Kaper

• Musical Direction/Supervision:

  Constantin Bakaleinikoff

• Composer (Music Score):

  Roy Webb

• Editor:

  George White, Marston Fay

• Art Director:

  Cedric Gibbons, Ralph Berger, Albert S. D'Agostino

• Associate Producer:

  Theron Warth

• Set Designer:

  Charles Nields, Darrell Silvera

• Costume Designer:

  Renie

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  A. Earl Wolcott

• Special Effects:

  Arnold A. Gillespie, Warren Newcombe, Vernon Walker

• First Assistant Director:

  Ruby Rosenberg

• Technical Advisor:

  Col. George E. Clarke

REVIEW:

• Bataan is blatantly one-sided. It is racist, blurs the facts, and when watched today, looks as real as a puppet show. Yet, in 1943, this film admirably stood for two very important things: the undeniable heroism of the United States Armed Forces and the advent of the WWII combat film. Before Bataan, Hollywood handled the war through "safe" service comedies and spy pictures. Bataan fearlessly embraced combat, setting the bar for subsequent films and initiating its new genre. The film's successful formula defined the characteristics of the WWII combat film -- including the multi-ethnic unit that has a religious man, a learned man, an experienced man, and a neophyte; the stated objective; the internal group conflicts; and the talk of home. Even the most novel WWII films owe debt to Bataan -- simply compare the characters in Saving Private Ryan to those in this influential picture. Bataan's attitude and appearance are not impressive, but its importance in film history renders it eternally watchable and forever interesting. ~ Aubry Anne D'Arminio, Rovi