Red Badge of Courage, The (1951, Royal Dano, Andy Devine)

This is a spare, devastating version by John Huston of the 1895 Stephen Crane classic that depicts a young soldier’s experiences in the Civil War. War hero Murphy portrays a young recruit in the Union Army who matures into manhood as he first flees the horrors of the battlefield and then leads the charge after seeing his friends die. Reportedly a favorite of John Huston’s, he nevertheless left the cutting of his picture to the studio to be on the set of ‘The African Queen’ (1951).

The behind-the-scenes story of the chaotic production of The Red Badge of Courage was detailed in a classic piece of journalism by Lillian Ross that appeared in the New Yorker and was later published as the book Picture.

production details
USA | MGM | 69 minutes | 1951

Director: John Huston
Producer: Gottfried Reinhardt
Original Story: Stephen Crane
Cinematography: Harold Rosson
Editor: Ben Lewis
Music: Bronislau Kaper
Script: Albert Band, John Huston
Production Design: Cedric Gibbons, Hans Peters

cast
William Schallert as
Bill Mauldin as The Loud Soldier
Royal Dano as
Audie Murphy as The Youth
Douglas Dick as The Lieutenant
Robert Easton as Thompson
Arthur Hunnicutt as Bill Porter
John Dierkes as
Tim Durant as
Andy Devine as
William Phipps as