Hell Is for Heroes

"This is the living hell for heroes"

1962 1h 30m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 140

DramaWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

World War II drama where the action centers around a single maneuver by a squad of GIs in retaliation against the force of the German Siegfried line. Reese joins a group of weary GIs unexpectedly ordered back into the line when on their way to a rest area. While most of the men withdraw from their positions facing a German pillbox at the far side of a mine-field, half a dozen men are left to protect a wide front. By various ruses, they manage to convince the Germans that a large force is still holding the position. Then Reese leads two of the men in an unauthorized and unsuccessful attack on the pillbox, in which the other two are killed; and when the main platoon returns, he is threatened with court-martial. Rather that face the disgrace, and in an attempt to show he was right, he makes a one-man attack on the pillbox.

“This is the living hell for heroes”

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Cast

Steve McQueen
Pvt. John Reese
Bobby Darin
Pvt. Dave 'J.J.' Corby
Fess Parker
Sgt. Bill Pike
Harry Guardino
Sgt. Jim Larkin
James Coburn
Cpl. Frank Henshaw
Mike Kellin
Pvt. Stan Kolinsky
Joseph Hoover
Capt. Roger Loomis
Bill Mullikin
Pvt. Joe Cumberly

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Siegel
Writers: Robert Pirosh, Richard Carr, Robert Pirosh
Languages: German, Polish, English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

64 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Polish, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Don Siegel, shot by Harold Lipstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Leonard Rosenman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Howard A. Smith shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Steve McQueen and Bobby Darin and Fess Parker carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "This is the living hell for heroes".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Siegel directs. Harold Lipstein behind the camera. Leonard Rosenman scores. Howard A. Smith cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in German, Polish, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
264 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: German, Polish, English.
4Directed by Don Siegel, shot by Harold Lipstein. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Leonard Rosenman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Howard A. Smith shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Steve McQueen and Bobby Darin and Fess Parker carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "This is the living hell for heroes".
9IMDB entry: tt0056062 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.