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| Merrill's Marauders | 
 enlarge | Director: Samuel Fuller
Actors: Claude Akins, Charlie Briggs, Jeff Chandler, Andrew Duggan, Ty Hardin
Studio: Warner Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.98
Buy New: $12.19
You Save: $7.79 (39%)
Buy New/Used from $11.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  (23 reviews)
Sales Rank: 6050
Format: Color, Dvd-video, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Media: DVD
Running Time: 98 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: WARD027312D
UPC: 085391188421
EAN: 0085391188421
ASIN: B0015S2OWI
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 1962
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Description
Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill leads the 3,000 American volunteers of his 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), aka "Merrill's Marauders", behind Japanese lines across Burma to Myitkyina, pushing beyond their limits and fighting pitched battles at every strong-point.
Amazon.com
The theatrical trailer included in this DVD release of Merrill?s Marauders, touting its depiction of "World War II?s most fabulous jungle fighters? (as) they showed the world what the American soldier can do," makes director Samuel Fuller?s 1962 film sound like jingoistic propaganda, but it?s considerably more than that. The year is 1944; the U.S. Army?s 5307th Composite Unit, a 3000-strong outfit under the command of Brigadier General Frank Merrill (Jeff Chandler), has already been fighting the occupying Japanese forces in the wilds of Burma for several months when they?re assigned to march hundreds of miles through jungles, swamps, and mountains to Myitkyina, a town of considerable strategic importance and the gateway to India, where the Allies fear the Japanese and Nazis will meet and consolidate their forces. Mission impossible? So it would seem, as the men are exhausted, disease-ridden, disheartened, and ill-equipped; his second in command, Lt. Stockton (Ty Hardin), argues that they'll never make it, but Merrill (who has a heart condition that could bring him down at any moment) refuses to let up. There are numerous combat sequences, most of them quite convincing (including a very cool scene in a concrete maze), but the film?s strength lies not only in its graphic chronicling of the obvious horrors of war but in its sympathetic (but never condescending) portrayal of the more quotidian aspects of these soldiers' miserable lives, from easy banter to quarrels over food and ammunition, from the interactions with locals to the sheer hell of simply walking another step when you?ve already passed the limits of human endurance. Grim, gritty, intense, and realistic (Fuller was an Army vet himself), this is an effective precursor to the director?s best-known movie, The Big Red One. --Sam Graham
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| Customer Reviews: Read 18 more reviews...
 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) January 7, 2009
It was enjoyable to watch this 1962 movie about Merrill's Marauders starring Jeff Chandler and so many familiar faces from that time. This was the way Hollywood used to make movies about the American military instead of the anti-American, anti-U.S. military, leftist drivel they put out now. Highly recommended for a glimpse of a little-known fighting unit in the forgotten China-Burma-India Theatre of WW2.
 Good Flick January 5, 2009
This is a fine film with your typical "characters" mixed in with very beliveable members of an elite military unit. Based on fact with colorful tweaks it is a rainy day popcorn movie. Too bad you can pick out who will "get it" from the first 15 minutes of the film! But this was typical of the time. I would still say add it to your collection and keep it handy for opening talks with the kids about what happens and what is shown to happen by Hollywood...then have them look it up on Google and learn the true story...could make for fun.
One of the great movies of World War Two December 10, 2008
Easily one of the most inspiring and combat intensive movies of WWII. There are some great scenes of fire and maneuver tactics; especially in the opening battle when the platoon led by Lt. "Stock" (Ty Hardin) hits the Japanese artillery battery before they descend on Walaubum.
Another great battle scene is where the Marauders hit the railway at Shaduzup. The highlight being the nightmarish close quarter battle at the tank traps near the oil storage tanks. It concludes with "Stock" walking on top of the tank traps amid the horrendous piles of Japanese and American dead.
Jeff Chandler does an admirable job of playing the tough and firm Brigadier General Frank Merrill pushing his men to the limit on General Joseph Stillwell's orders. Claude Akins (Rio Bravo, The Devils Brigade, Movin' On) gives a memorable performance as Sgt. Kolowicz, Peter Brown (Lawman, Days Of Our Lives, Loving) plays the sharpshooter "Bullseye," Will Hutchins (Sugarfoot) as the bottomless pit stomach "Chowhound," Charley Briggs as "Muley" the mule handler of "Eleanor" with Filipino actor Pancho Magalona as "Taggy," and rounding out the able cast of supporting actors is Andrew Duggan as "Doc."
Some inaccuracies November 30, 2008
As a young Air Force corpsman stationed at Clark airbase during the filming of Merrill's Marauders, I had the opportunity to be on the set several times as the "resident" medical person in case of an accident or injury and had a short scene in the film with Andy Dugan that ended up on the cutting room floor. I met all the stars and had a ball. Besides, I got paid $20 per day and they served a great box lunch. One of the blogs I have read says that the extras were members of the Army Special Forces. That is not true, they were air force folks. Another blog states that Jeff injured his back while making the movie. That, too, is incorrect. He came to the Philippines with a serious back injury. It was exacerbated by the extreme work he did on the film. I worked in the orthopedic ward at the time of the filming and he slept on a hard mattress in our ward at night and was frequently in need of pain medicine. A doctor there told him that he should wait until he returned to the US to have surgery. He did so, and you know the rest of the story.
Great movie. Jeff Chandlers last movie before his death. His back was hurt in fliming movie and died of comp. from surgery. October 21, 2008
Great Movie. Lots of young stars, but now they are old or gone. Great movie history. Lots of these guys got their start in this flim. One bad part is that this was Jeff Chandlers last movie. He hurt his back while fliming this movie. And died from comp. from the surgery on his back.Very sad he was a great star.
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