Attack

In the closing days of World War II, Lieutenant Joe Costa faces the cowardice and scheming of his own superiors as he attempts to carry out a vital mission., A Wwii captain, out of his depth, is risking the lives of his men. As morale wanes, not every gun is points at the enemy., World War II drama about a platoon of US soldiers who are ordered into an impossible position by their cowardly commander, causing needless casualties. An infantry lieutenant then vows to kill him in this brutal portrayal of bloody warfare and political expediency., A WWII drama of a cowardly captain, a crooked colonel, and a diligent lieutenant and their small platoon that fights its way back from the front., Jack Palance stars as a Lieutenant in the National Guard Infantry Company. Assigned an impossible task during the closing days of WWII he swears revenge on his commanding officer., Powerful, uncompromising and controversial screen adaptation of Norman Brooks’ play, The Fragile Fox, by director Robert Aldrich. In Belgium in 1944, a cowardly captain is endangering the lives of his men, but the Colonel is unwilling to act. Lieutenant Joe Costa suffers heavy losses as a result and sets out for the Captain’s blood., It is easy to see why the US Army refused to cooperate in the production of Attack. Based on the Norman Brooks play +The Fragile Fox, this searing war film is a powerful indictment against a military system which protects even its most incompetent of officers. Eddie Albert plays a posturing but hopelessly inept infantry captain, whose misdeeds are covered up by his colonel Lee Marvin. Albert has strong political connections in the US, and Marvin hopes to take advantage of this after the war. Lieutenant Jack Palance has sworn to kill Albert with his bare hands if the officer bungles another mission. Albert orders Palance and his men into an untenable position on the battlefields of Belgium–and then, true to character, is too cowardly to send backup troops, leaving Palance’s men to their fate. By sheer strength of will, Palance, whose arm has been shattered by an enemy tank, drags himself to the cellar where Albert is billeted and attempts to rid the world of the terror-stricken captain. Palance dies before he can keep his promise, but when the craven Albert makes an effort to surrender himself and his men to the Germans, he is shot down by lieutenant William Smithers. The rest of the men conspire to cover up Smithers’ “crime” by claiming that Albert died from enemy fire, but Smithers proves to be less willing to prevaricate than his fellow soldiers. Though most filmgoers are mesmerized by Eddie Albert’s virtuoso performance as a snivelling yellow-belly, director Robert Aldrich claimed that Albert gave his best reading during rehearsals, and that what ended up on film was nowhere near as powerful as it might have been., During the closing days of WWII, a National Guard Infantry Company is assigned the task of setting up artillery observation posts in a strategic area. Lieutenant Costa knows that Cooney is in command only because of ‘connections’ he had made state-side. Costa has serious doubts concerning Cooney’s ability to lead the group. When Cooney sends Costa and his men out, and refuses to re-enforce them, Costa swears revenge., Powerful tale of heroism and cowardice among U.S. infantrymen during World War II. Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Lee Marvin. Snowden: Richard Jaeckel. Bernstein: Robert Strauss. Tolliver: Buddy Ebsen. Fine performances. Directed by Robert Aldrich., Powerful, uncompromising and controversial screen adaptation of Norman Brooks’ play, The Fragile Fox, by director Robert Aldrich. In Belgium 1944, a cowardly captain is endangering the lives of his men, but the Colonel is unwilling to act. Lieutenant Joe Costa suffers heavy losses as a result and sets out for the blood of the Captain.