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TO HELL AND BACK

Umbrella Entertainment / 102 minutes / Region 4 / Released April 2008

Featuring Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson, Charles Drake

Best known these days for being something ofa trivia question, Audie Murphy is officially America's most decorated world war two soldier and having written his autobiography, which was a bestseller, back in 1949 he was given the lead in the movie version. He had already been trying to make inroads in Hollywood at this time and had scored the lead in a movie called BAd Boy as well as numerous bit parts.

Made in 1955 To Hell and Back was absolutely huge - in fact this war flick was the highest grossing film by Universal studios for 20 years until the arrival of a certain shark by the name of Jaws. It's action from start to finish, shot in glorious technicolor and although Murphy was never going to be a major star (much of his film career was spent playing in B movie westerns or character roles in bigger films) he is very natural in front of the camera. Universal was undoubtably surprised by the success of THAB given that it was planned as only a cut or two above a B movie with its non first grade behind the scenes crew and less than well known supporting cast.

I can pretty much guarantee that Audie Murphy's real war experiences were nothing like those portrayed on screen here but its a rip roaring exciting story that is sure to appeal to war movie enthusiasts and fans of the golden age of Hollywood alike.

Incidentally Murphy died in a plane crash in 1971 (aged just 46) and was buried with full honours in famed Arlington National Cemetary and his grave there is the second most visited after John F Kennedy.

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Umbrella Entertainment

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