The Devil's Brigade (film)

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The Devil's Brigade
Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
Terry Morse, Jr. (Ass't)
Produced by David L. Wolper
Written by Robert H. Adleman & Col. George Walton (book)
William Roberts (screenplay)
Starring William Holden
Cliff Robertson
Vince Edwards
Music by Alex North
Cinematography William H. Clothier
Editing by William T. Cartwright
Distributed by United Artists
Release date(s) May 15, 1968
Running time 130 min.
Language English
IMDb profile

The Devil's Brigade is a 1968 motion picture action drama 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.

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.

[edit] Principal cast