Men in War

""One more step and I'll fill your guts with lead!""

1957 1h 42m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 69

WarDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In Korea, on 6 September 1950, Lieutenant Benson's platoon finds itself isolated in enemy-held territory after a retreat. Soon they are joined by Sergeant Montana, whose overriding concern is caring for his catatonic colonel. Benson and Montana can't stand each other, but together they must get the survivors to Hill 465, where they hope the division is waiting. It's a long, harrowing march, fraught with all the dangers the elusive enemy can summon.

“"One more step and I'll fill your guts with lead!"”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Robert Ryan
Lt. Benson
Aldo Ray
Sgt. Montana
Robert Keith
The Colonel
Phillip Pine
Sgt. Riordan
Nehemiah Persoff
Sgt. Lewis
Vic Morrow
Cpl. Zwickley
James Edwards
Sgt. Killian
L.Q. Jones
Sgt. Davis

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Anthony Mann
Writers: Philip Yordan, Ben Maddow
Languages: 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

ERA

Did you know

69 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Anthony Mann, shot by Ernest Haller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Richard C. Meyer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray and Robert Keith carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: ""One more step and I'll fill your guts with lead!"".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0050699 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Anthony Mann directs. Ernest Haller behind the camera. Elmer Bernstein scores. Richard C. Meyer cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

169 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Anthony Mann, shot by Ernest Haller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Elmer Bernstein. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Richard C. Meyer shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray and Robert Keith carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: ""One more step and I'll fill your guts with lead!"".
7IMDB entry: tt0050699 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 69 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ernest Haller
Original score: Elmer Bernstein
Editing: Richard C. Meyer
Production design: Lewis Jacobs
Makeup / hair: Layne Britton
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Men in War (1957)

Also by

Anthony Mann

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2026-06-02
★ 7/10
"Benson" (Robert Ryan) is leading a platoon with a seemingly impossible task during the Korean War when he encounters "Sgt. Montana" (Aldo Ray) who has a jeep. He wants to appropriate the vehicle, but is less interested in it's other passenger - a colonel (Robert Keith) who is suffering from some sort of shell shock. There is no way the sergeant is going to abandon his officer, but with their options limited he and "Benson" are going to have to learn to co-operate or else they are all going to end up toast. What follows sees the men gradually learn to respect each other and to deal with the multitude of demons that are dogging their campaign against what appear to be impossible odds. It has certain similarities with "Paths of Glory", also from 1957, in that it condenses the diverse characterisations of a troop of individuals into a tightly knit squadron struggling to survive with limited supplies, munitions and psychological problems that don't abate just because "Benson" is the ranking soldier. On that front Ryan is on good form, as is the almost entirely dialogue bereft Keith who portrays his out-of-it colonel in quite an eerily convincing fashion too as we head to denouement that is by no means a set-piece affair and that showcases some of the horrors of modern warfare. The wartime visual effects are effective too, and I found this to be one of the more superior wartime dramas that doesn't treat their enemy as simply bullet-fodder.

Production companies