Battle Hymn

Director: Douglas Sirk

Overview

"A kindhearted former minister and World War II veteran joins the Air Force in hopes of helping Korean orphans in director Douglas Sirk's soul-searching war drama -- arriving on DVD courtesy of Universal Studios. Presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen,

Product Details

Release Date:	05/25/2004
UPC:	0025192501425
Original Release:	1956
Rating:	NR
Source:	Universal Studios
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:49:00
Sales rank:	32,917

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Rock Hudson	Dean Hess,Navy Lieutenant
Martha Hyer	Mary Hess
Anna Kashfi	Miss Yang
Don DeFore	Le capitaine Skidmore
Dan Duryea	Le sergent Herman
Jock Mahoney	Le major Morre
Alan Hale Jr.	Mess Sergeant
James Edwards	Lt. Maples
Carl Benton Reid	Deacon Edwards
Richard Loo	Gen. Kim
Philip Ahn	Old Man
Bartlett Robinson	Gen. Timberidge
Simon Scott	Lt. Hollis
Teru Shimada	Korean Official
Carleton Young	Maj. Harrison
Art Millan	Capt. Reardon
Alan Hale	Mess Sergeant
Paul Sorensen	Sentry

Technical Credits

Vincent B. Evans

Charles Grayson

Ross Hunter	Producer
Vincent B. Evans	Screenwriter
Charles Grayson	Screenwriter
Leslie I. Carey	Sound Effects
Corson Jowett	Sound Effects

Scene Index

Side #1 --
1. Actual Experiences (Main Titles) [3:20]
2. Words Aren't Good Enough [2:05]
3. Arm Your Bombs [5:57]
4. "Killer" Hess [8:48]
5. Enemy Contact [9:26]
6. Unauthorized Strike [8:40]
7. Guerrilla Sabotage [7:59]
8. Building Shelter [7:49]
9. A Way With the Little Ones [8:19]
10. Enemy Attack [5:37]
11. I Killed Today [4:08]
12. Impossible Mission [9:34]
13. Don't Know How to Die [5:10]
14. Until a Better Day [3:05]
15. Abandoning the Orphanage [6:16]
16. Pilgrimage to Safety [5:25]
17. Operation Kiddy Car [5:26]
18. End Titles [1:05]

Menu

Side #1 --
Scenes
Trailer
Languages
Spoken Language: English
Captioned for the Hearing Impaired: English
Subtitles: Español
Subtitles: Français
Subtitles: None
Play

Editorial Reviews

Battle Hymn was a change of pace for director Douglas Sirk, who took a respite from his usual glossy soap operas to produce this sensitive, cross-cultural biographical study of a World War II veteran who re-dedicates his life to helping Korean orphans. The film argues that the disputes of governments matter very little to ordinary people who suffer from the everyday horror and destruction of war, a message unusual in the Cold War 1950s. Sirk lends the film his distinctive visual style, aided by the solid work of cinematographer Russell Metty. Rock Hudson's performance is among the best of his career, and he is ably supported by such familiar supporting cast members as Dan Duryea, Martha Hyer, and Jock Mahoney. Battle Hymn was further evidence of producer Ross Hunter's knack for bringing together just the right elements for a Sirk film, even when the project's subject matter was a departure from the director's standard melodramas.