Bataan

Starring:Robert Taylor, George Murphy, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Nolan, Lee Bowman, Robert Walker, Desi Arnaz, Barry Nelson, Phillip Terry, Roque Espiritu, Kenneth Spencer, Alex Havier, Tom Dugan, Donald Curtis, Beal Wong, Phil Schumacher, Wing Foo, Tom Yuen, Bud Geary, Leigh Sterling
Director: Tay Garnett
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Tay Garnett was a hard-nosed, job-of-all-work director who moved from studio to studio and genre to genre throughout the golden age of Hollywood. He never achieved the status, let alone the distinctive signature, of a Howard Hawks or Raoul Walsh; still, with talent, brashness, and cojones to spare, he was responsible for a slew of cheerfully vulgar entertainments, and several genuinely fine films.

Bataan may well be the best. Certainly it's one of the strongest Hollywood salutes to the war effort while World War II was still raging. In his grittiest role to date, Robert Taylor (sans mustache) plays a U.S. Army sergeant fighting a rear-guard action in the Philippine jungle, covering Douglas MacArthur's retreat. His platoon is the usual wartime study in democratic motley: veterans (Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Tom Dugan) thrown together with green recruits (Robert Walker, Barry Nelson), a Latino (Desi Arnaz), a black (Kenneth Spencer), not to mention a couple of stalwart Filipinos (Roque Espiritu, J. Alex Havier), and several officer types (George Murphy, Lee Bowman) with sense enough to defer to the sergeant's judgment. As in John Ford's desert classic The Lost Patrol, the group is whittled down through misadventure, disease, and skirmishes with the ever-advancing Japanese, till only a handful remain for a still-shattering last stand.

Amazon.com

John Wayne and Anthony Quinn star in this touching 1945 drama inspired by real-life heroism in the Philippines following General MacArthur's withdrawal in 1942 and the islands' subsequent conquest by the Japanese army. Wayne plays Colonel Joe Madden, an American who stays behind to organize a ragtag guerrilla army in the forests and hills. At his side is Captain Andres Bonifacio (Quinn), grandson of a legendary revolutionary martyred in the nation's old war against Spanish colonialists. Joe, Andres, and their fearless irregulars (with support from a schoolteacher, played by Beulah Bondi) sap the enemy's resolve through hit-and-run missions, but as time passes the locals wonder, with pronounced disillusionment, why America doesn't return with masses of troops and weapons. Wayne's star power is undeniable, and Quinn is very good as a man uncertain of his role or destiny. Edward Dmytryk (Murder, My Sweet), soon to be imprisoned during Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt of Hollywood communists, directs. --Tom Keogh

Description

After the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese in World War II, Col. Joseph Madden (John Wayne) of the U.S. Army stays on to organize guerrilla fighters against the conquerors.

Customer Reviews:

dvd review.......2007-05-13

Excellent John Wayne movie from the 1940's. Received dvd in super condition and received quickly.

Old War .......2007-01-05

One of John Wayne's better older war movies, great acting my John Wayne and Anthony Quinn.

Back to Bataan.......2005-10-05

This was another John Wayne movie that is so good & an asset to any video library. It's an oldie but goodie! The performances by supporting actors are excellent. I do not recommend for very young children, but for 12 & above it would be good to see!
It's a very patriotic film and well worth the viewing.

Gutsy but intimate filmmaking.......2005-08-08

War movies can be a tricky recipe to pull off because they've been done so often and fall into cliches sooo easily. This film was saved by bravura and sincerity. It's a good film. What at first may seem like a generic Duke vehicle quickly exposes itself as a small ensemble drama on an epic stage.

Part of the appeal of this film is to watch it with history in mind. It tackles a lesser known part of WWII history, the war and guerilla movements in the Philippines. This film is totally unselfconscious in how it deals with the war, in one scene it features real Bataan POWs marching in a parade and introduces them documentary style with a narrator, and it hired Filipino extras and actors for important roles. This is what really touched and surprised me, how it elevated and glorified Filipino nationalism, culture, and history (Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifácio are frequently quoted and reverently referred to throughout the film); and, in an age where African American actors still were unfairly stereotyped and Asian actors almost nowhere to be found in Hollywood films, this treated Pinoy characters as equals and as heroes. This openmindedness on the part of the filmmakers was refreshing, but very reflective of the US fighting men's appreciation of the contributions of the Filipino people.

The film is passionate about the people it portrays. It's common for wartime films to be full of propaganda and overly zealous, but this film is more touching and intimate in its approach. Patriotic speeches actually have meaning and tears behind them, swelling music doesn't feel manipulative, no doubt because it was filmed with so many soldiers and civilians involved and in 1945, these people had just gone through all this and everything is done with a real and raw memory. It feels like it's built on real stories and people, and the actors seem to know they're not dealing with run of the mill cutout characters. There's a sincerity inherent in all of their performances because of the immediateness of the subject matter. John Wayne is less gruff than usual (and even downright dashing). Anthony Quinn's confused young man: brooding heartbrokenly when he's away from his informant fiancee, tender when he's around her, not sure how to fulfill what many feel is his destiny, and his own personal journey is lovely. Beulah Bondi (as a teacher evacuee who helps the men out) teary eyed when she thinks of her students; the motley crew mix of American GIs and Pinoy volunteers who surrounds the two officers, casual and down to earth. It's a tight cast in a friendly fight to upstage the others, and you'd better believe they milk every scene for what it's worth.

The film moves along quickly and realistically. Instead of complicated plot movements and intricate bloated twists, the story seems like it was taken from any number of jungle war experiences which makes it fascinating and unpredictable, like real history. Director Edward Dmytryk, later blacklisted, paid no heed to Production Code regulations for violence, and filmed scenes that were fairly explicit (for the time) in their portrayal of cruelty and violence inflicted on soldiers and civilians in an attempt to realistically dramatize some of the atrocities that occurred during the war which lends the film an air of impending danger and gravitas.

From before the era of ambiguous and complex war stories (which is how I usually prefer my war flicks to be served), this one of the best "classic" war films I've ever seen. (If you like this, check out "An American Guerilla in the Philippines" which was shot on location by the great Fritz Lang in 1949/50 and very similar in many regards.)

A classic war movie.......2005-06-17

It is certainly not the greatest movie but it shows you a kind of movies that has been shot in the 40's and the 50's. The good one's and the bad ones. it is in black and white.

Average customer rating:

Bataan/ Back To Bataan
History Recorded and well done

Bataan/Back to Bataan
Starring: Robert Taylor , George Murphy , Thomas Mitchell , Lloyd Nolan , and Lee Bowman
Director: Tay Garnett , and Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000E0WJN2
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Description

The World War II Philippines are the setting for these battle-filled films that temper their heroics with the hard reality of history. Robert Taylor leads valorous U.S. and Filipino combatants facing hopeless odds in a holding action at a bridge in Bataan. John Wayne portrays Col. Joseph Madden and organizes resistance fighters in Back to Bataan, a morale booster whose true-life incidents include the rescue of prisoners from Cabanatuan. An on-screen roll call of real-life soldiers freed by the mission underscores the event. Seeing those haunted but happy faces was a touching moment for audiences then. It remains so today.

Customer Reviews:

Bataan/ Back To Bataan.......2007-04-11

Bataan has always been one of my favourites and I never get tired of watching it.
Back to Bataan is a great follow up.

History Recorded and well done.......2007-02-15

If you like watching watch flicks filmed in the Philippines, this is a great two-some. The action is fierce, the acting good, and the heroism amazing.

Average customer rating:

A big office film of its time, despite its studio jungles...
A strong entry into Hollywood's WWII propaganda movies; solid performances by Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan
Excellent
"We will return to Bataan." - Douglas MacArthur
Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable

Bataan
Starring: Robert Taylor , George Murphy , Thomas Mitchell , Lloyd Nolan , and Lee Bowman
Director: Tay Garnett
Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Wake Island
Back to Bataan
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Halls of Montezuma

ASIN: 0792841654
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Amazon.com

Tay Garnett was a hard-nosed, job-of-all-work director who moved from studio to studio and genre to genre throughout the golden age of Hollywood. He never achieved the status, let alone the distinctive signature, of a Howard Hawks or Raoul Walsh; still, with talent, brashness, and cojones to spare, he was responsible for a slew of cheerfully vulgar entertainments, and several genuinely fine films.

Bataan may well be the best. Certainly it's one of the strongest Hollywood salutes to the war effort while World War II was still raging. In his grittiest role to date, Robert Taylor (sans mustache) plays a U.S. Army sergeant fighting a rear-guard action in the Philippine jungle, covering Douglas MacArthur's retreat. His platoon is the usual wartime study in democratic motley: veterans (Lloyd Nolan, Thomas Mitchell, Tom Dugan) thrown together with green recruits (Robert Walker, Barry Nelson), a Latino (Desi Arnaz), a black (Kenneth Spencer), not to mention a couple of stalwart Filipinos (Roque Espiritu, J. Alex Havier), and several officer types (George Murphy, Lee Bowman) with sense enough to defer to the sergeant's judgment. As in John Ford's desert classic The Lost Patrol, the group is whittled down through misadventure, disease, and skirmishes with the ever-advancing Japanese, till only a handful remain for a still-shattering last stand.

Bataan was made at MGM, and the principal setting, a jungle clearing overlooking a strategic bridge, stinks of the soundstage. In other respects, however, Garnett manages to introduce shocking, un-Metro-like realism into the proceedings. In an early scene of bombardment, a GI, blinded, crawls out of the wreckage of a field hospital only to have a smoking roofbeam crush his bandaged skull. There's nothing cosmetic about the wounds in this movie; they hurt and they bleed, and people get them during the most gruesome hand-to-hand combat in any '40s war movie. --Richard T. Jameson

Description

Japan has just invaded the Phillipines and the US Army attempts a desperate defence. Thirteen men are chosen to blow up a bridge on the Bataan peninsula and keep the Japanese from rebuilding it.

Customer Reviews:

A big office film of its time, despite its studio jungles..........2006-12-18

Bataan is a province, central Luzon, Philippines, sheltering Manila Bay from the South China Sea... It is largely covered by jungle and is traversed north to south by steep mountains...

After the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941 and the fall of Manila (January 2, 1942), the defending Americans and Filipinos withdrew to Bataan, foiling Japanese efforts to split the forces of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur... His troops fought a fierce delaying action until April 9, 1942, and remnants, led by Lieut. Gen. Jonathan M.Wainwright, escaped to Corregidor Island, where they surrendered about a month later...

On January 9, 1945, U.S. Forces, under MacArthur, landed at Lingayen Gulf to the north and sealed off the Bataan Peninsula... Landings were then made at Mariveles Harbor in the south and on Corregidor Island, thus securing Manila Bay for the U.S. Navy...

"Bataan" is the fictional story of 13 men who stayed behind, holding a bridge, and fighting to the death a rear guard action to ensure the success of the Allied forces retreat from the Philippines...

The audience live with the soldiers their last heroic days: George Murphy, an Air Force Lieutenant secretly reliable; Lloyd Nolan, the smart Corporal with compassionate qualities; Thomas Mitchell, a career NCO; Deni Arnaz, a friendly Spanish soldier; Barry Nelson, the competent Matowski; Lee Bowman, the Captain who falls with a bullet; Robert Walker (in his screen debut) who almost breaks down from homesickness; Kenneth Spencer, the black soldier with an undisturbed force and simple dignity, and Robert Taylor, the tough heroic Sergeant alive in the face of the enemy, who sets up his machine gun and keeps it firing until the end...

All are representatives of the heroism existing in all Americans, symbol of the heroic resistance...

A strong entry into Hollywood's WWII propaganda movies; solid performances by Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan.......2006-10-11

This well-acted, tough World War II propaganda movie is an excellent example of the MGM style: Solid production values, some good acting...and a tendency to hit the message out of the ball park, and then hit it out again. And again. The story of a small group of soldiers fighting and dying to buy time for MacArthur to regroup around Bataan was, I suspect, a powerful movie when it came out in 1943. Now, it's a curious mixture of Hollywood theatrics mixed with some genuinely moving moments. At nearly two hours, it also goes on too long. For those who may believe that brave men can survive in propaganda war movies, read no further.

It's early 1942 in the Philippines and Sergeant Bill Dane (Robert Taylor) with a mixed bag of semi-volunteers are given the assignment of blowing up a bridge which would otherwise be a primary crossing point for the invading Japanese army as it races south. They must also set up a defensive position across the chasm to keep the Japanese from rebuilding. Dane is a competent, no-nonsense Army lifer. The only other regular Army men he has is Corporal Jake Finegold (Thomas Mitchell), a wise old hand and long-time friend, and Corporal Barney Todd (Lloyd Nolan), a cynic who may have a history with Dane. The other ten men include an enthusiastic Navy corpsman, an engineer, an air force pilot, a medic and a supply corporal. The story line is simple. As we learn about these men and their histories, the Japanese pick them off one by one. And as they die, the dedication of the remaining men only grows stronger. We're left with the image of a row of graves barely visible as ground fog sweeps among them, with the rifles of the dead men thrust into the ground as headstone markers. Then the movement of Japanese soldiers creeping in for the final attack...with Sergeant Dane, exhausted and wounded, the last remaining man, rising to his feet, clutching his machine gun and blazing away at the charging enemy. "Come on, suckers," he screams, "come and get it! We're still here! We'll always be here!"

The cast is small and gets smaller. Demographically, it matches Hollywood's idea of America. There's an Hispanic, a black, a Jew, a misfit, a young kid, a Philippine scout, a...well, you get the idea. Thomas Mitchell as Corporal Finegold plays his patented role of giving us some of the movie's messages. When early in the movie Dane bemoans how unprofessional his group of soldiers is, Finegold just says, "You can't always tell, sergeant. Some of those kids learn pretty quick and kinda good." Later, when Dane is discouraged and says, "I wonder how long these guys can stand up to this stuff," Corporal Finegold says to Dane (and to the theater goers), "Those kids signed up for this just like you and me. They'll get tired, sure. Things'll get tough, sure. But I don't think they'll put their tails between their legs and run anymore than you would." Robert Walker in his first credited film role plays the very young, gum-chewing corpsman. It's wise to remember that in propaganda movies it can be fatal to start dictating a letter home to your Mom. George Murphy plays the pilot who manages to get his bi-wing aircraft off but is wounded in the process. As with the other men, he chooses to die heroically. Even a conscientious objector who signed on as a non-combat medic winds up throwing grenades. Robert Taylor and Lloyd Nolan are particularly effective.

I couldn't help but admire the professionalism of the movie. Yet knowing the men are going to get picked off, combined with the length of the movie, had me tensing every time someone decided to stand up, write a letter, peer over a sandbag, talk about his life back home or sing a spiritual. The tension is effective for the first hour, but after a while it got to be a strain. The one face-to-face fight towards the end of the movie, when Japanese soldiers camouflaged to look like brush and bushes begin to move toward the remaining men, and the men respond first with machine guns and then with bayonets, was a relief. It also was a brutal look at hand-to-hand combat.

It's hard to beat war propaganda that lets us see average men and women gladly dying for a cause nobler than their own lives. At that level, the movie works. Bataan may be dated, but if you enjoy older war movies you might like this one. The black and white DVD transfer looks very good. There are no significant extras.

Excellent.......2006-05-11

Done when it was far from sure we were going to win WW II. This is an extraordinary dramatic portrayal of the "last stand" US and Filipino forces made on Bataan. Of course it is not a docudrama straining for accurarcy, that could come after we won. This was a depiction of a varied group of Americans and Filipinos coming together in a hopeless situation to do as much as they could (remind anyone of Flight 93?). Of course there actually were rear guard actions and delaying actions as the Japanese advanced on Bataan so in a way you could say it does stand for unknown heroic acts by the defenders. Interestingly when units are mentioned in the film they are the real units that fought in the Philippines in '41-'42. I would also recommend "Eve of Saint Mark" which addresses the same issues and has a great performance by Vincent Price but I have never seen a copy offered for sale and am afraid it is a lost gem.

"We will return to Bataan." - Douglas MacArthur.......2005-06-06

Hollywood's early homage to the American fighting man in the Pacific, `the shadowy heroes history will never forget', BATAAN (1943) celebrates tenacious resolve and defiance in defeat. Robert Taylor stars as Sgt. Bill Dane, the leader of a small squad - about thirteen men - ordered to destroy a bridge and hold a crossing against an irresistible wave of Japanese soldiers. The fate of the squadron is announced early on in the movie; among the opening credits is a title card telling us that the movie is "Reverently dedicated to the fallen dead." The movie opens with Allied force retreating to Corregidor as a result of an overwhelming landing of Japanese forces in January, 1942. Sgt. Dane and his small squad are ordered to destroy a bridge and delay any force trying to cross over and/or repair the bridge.
The squad is diverse - there's a flyboy lieutenant (George Murphy), a callow young sailor (Robert Walker in his first credited screen appearance), a Filipino (Roque Espiritu), a Latino (Desi Arnaz) and an African-American (Kenneth Spencer). It might be faulty history, but it's a convenient teaming when the message is we're all in this together. The fight sequences were about as realistic as any shown up to that time - men are decapitated (up to the point of sword striking neck, that is), enemy soldiers are strangled, soldiers continue to bludgeon the fallen dead. Tame by today's standards, I imagine the fight sequences affected its audience much the same way the opening scene in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN shook more modern audiences. The lulls between the battle are a bit more familiar - the Spencer character hums "St. James Infirmary" and is learning to be a preacher back home. The Arnaz character bops to Tommy Dorsey on the battery powered radio. There's a sub-plot involving some past troubles between Sgt. Dane and Cpl Barney Todd (Lloyd Nolan) that's deftly handled.
Although dated in many ways, I found BATAAN fascinating and entertaining and somewhat of an entry into the mindset of the generation of Americans responding to the first shock of war. Strong recommendation.

Gritty, Violent, and Remarkable.......2004-05-29

As wartime propaganda, "Bataan" is brilliant--watching it, you may be filled with a seething hostility toward the Japanese that hasn't been felt since Reagan's 1980s. But what's more remarkable is that this gritty, often racist Robert Taylor vehicle is pretty solid as a movie, too. Filmed on an atmospheric soundstage that doubles for the jungle, its moody production practically oozes menace and rivals the Universal "monster movies" of the 1930s. (Watch it at night with the lights off for the full effect.) Often dubbed a remake of John Ford's "The Lost Patrol," "Bataan" has as much in common with any number of last-stand movies . . . as well as later slashfests like "Friday, the 13th," where each character's inevitable demise is more gruesome than the last. In that respect, "Bataan" is again remarkable, as the violence is graphic and shocking, particularly for the period in which the film was made. The cast of many familiar faces, including Desi Arnez, Barry Nelson, Lloyd Nolan, and Robert Walker, also deliver the emotional goods, keeping us caring about what happens next to these doomed men, a quality more recent films generally lack. If you're expecting the technoglitz excess of "Black Hawk Down," you'll probably be disappointed by "Bataan." But if you want to see a Hollywood depiction of war as a silvery nightmare, this may well be the one movie to watch.

Average customer rating:

dvd review
Old War
Back to Bataan
Gutsy but intimate filmmaking
A classic war movie

Back to Bataan
Starring: John Wayne , Anthony Quinn , Beulah Bondi , Fely Franquelli , and Richard Loo
Director: Edward Dmytryk
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001FVE4A
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Amazon.com

Description

After the fall of the Philippines to the Japanese in World War II, Col. Joseph Madden (John Wayne) of the U.S. Army stays on to organize guerrilla fighters against the conquerors.

Customer Reviews:

dvd review.......2007-05-13

Excellent John Wayne movie from the 1940's. Received dvd in super condition and received quickly.

Old War .......2007-01-05

One of John Wayne's better older war movies, great acting my John Wayne and Anthony Quinn.

Back to Bataan.......2005-10-05

Gutsy but intimate filmmaking.......2005-08-08

A classic war movie.......2005-06-17

It is certainly not the greatest movie but it shows you a kind of movies that has been shot in the 40's and the 50's. The good one's and the bad ones. it is in black and white.

Average customer rating:

Bataan/Back to Bataan...
Great Value!
Have not watched dvd yet.

Bataan/Back to Bataan
Starring: War Double Feature
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: B0009UZG6O
Release Date: 2005-08-30

Description

Customer Reviews:

Bataan/Back to Bataan..........2007-06-02

At $10/US, you get two entertaining movies, a real bargain.

In Bataan, the mixed US force fought against very great odds and performed heroic deeds against a numerically superior force in trying to perform their job.

In Back to Bataan with John Wayne and Anthony Quinn, the struggle against a logistically superior enemy was fairly well documented during World War II and was depicted fairly well. The Filipino people sacrificed much for their freedom and they made an effort to present that in this film.

Don't let the fact that the movies are in Black and White deter you. Bataan/Back to Bataan are good movies! My rating: 4 stars!

Great Value!.......2007-05-03

Two great WWII movies that show the patriotism of the day. A great value!

Have not watched dvd yet........2007-03-18

I have not watched this dvd yet so the rating is only for being delivered when you said you would be.

Jim

Average customer rating:

A Progam That Brings "Ghost Soldiers" to Life
Emotional and inspiring
Rangers To The Rescue!
Great (true) story!
Newspaper reviews

American Experience: Bataan Rescue
Starring: Marion Ross
Director: Rocky Collins , and Matthew Collins (III)
Manufacturer: PBS (Direct)
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American Experience: Bataan Rescue

ASIN: B0000A97G1
Release Date: 2003-07-29

Description

In late 1941, tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers fought a desperate battle to defend the Bataan peninsula in the Philippines from the Japanese. When they lost, they were marched to prison camps in sweltering heat through mosquito-infested jungles with little or no food or water. Three years later, with the war in the Pacific coming to an end, only 500 men in the Cabanatuan camp had survived. Fearing the Japanese would murder their captives before the U.S. Army could liberate the camp, the Americans sent an elite Ranger battalion to rescue the prisoners. The rangers sneaked 30 miles behind enemy lines and with the help of courageous Filipino resistance fighters, they mounted an astonishing rescue that was fraught with danger, yet ultimately triumphant.

Customer Reviews:

A Progam That Brings "Ghost Soldiers" to Life.......2005-06-28

This American Experience episode puts faces to all the heroes involved in the liberation of the Cabanatuan POW Camp. It is based on Hampton Sides' excellent account, "Ghost Soldiers", and includes an extensive interview with Sides, along with a number of Rangers and POWS who were featured in the book. There are many newsreels, captured Japanese POW camp footage, and a compelling re-enactment of the rescue provided. Some of the actual footage shot by Signal Corps staff who accompanied the Ranger and Scout units on their mission is also included. Two making-of featurettes that last about 10 minutes each, a timeline, and information/links on the extensive web pages for this PBS program are the extent of the special features, but enjoyable nonetheless.

This program is only 60 minutes long and provides just a basic outline of the entire POW rescue story. For example, very little in the program is devoted to the heroic actions of numerous Filipino guerrillas and civilians involved in this rescue, although their contributions were incredibly significant. For those intrigued and inspired by what they see in this program, you are encouraged to read the book "Ghost Soldiers", which provides far more detail and a much better depiction of this dramatic event. Until Ghost Soldiers-the motion picture is released, this is an excellent companion DVD to the actual book. "Saving Private Ryan" cannot hold a candle to this true story.

Emotional and inspiring.......2005-03-16

My father was one of the men rescued by the rangers from the prison camp. He passed away 14 years ago without revealing to us all that he endured during his imprisonment and the Death March. Reading Ghost Soldiers enlightened me and caused me to search for all I could find on Bataan and his experiences. It was by chance (or divine intervention) that I came across Bataan Rescue when it showed on PBS. I grabbed a tape, popped it in and sat down to watch. It was an amazing and emotional experience for me to see actual footage from the rescue. The next evening I replayed it for my husband to watch. As we were watching he remarked that he kept looking for my father in the footage. I replied that I too was hoping for a glimpse. In the next few moments I thought I saw him! Was it just wishful thinking? We played it over and over and then in slow motion and sure enough it was just a few moments of footage of my father walking with other men after being rescued. It truly was like seeing a ghost. I am so thankful that this documentary was made. This has been a forgotten chapter of WWII. The rangers who rescued all the prisoners are true heroes in my eyes. My father who endured all the suffering for years and then came home and endured the many years of memories is my biggest hero. I wish I had asked him more about his experiences when he was alive but am grateful to have this DVD and other materials to help memorialize his sacrfice forever.

Rangers To The Rescue!.......2004-05-31

Not to sound overly patriotic, but this story is what American heroism is all about! This video shows the interviews with the US veterans who survived the horrific Bataan Death March only to find themselves in the hell of Japanese Prison Camps. I watched with heartfelt emotion as these brave men told their story. The plan to rescue them was carried out by extremely brave US Army Rangers and their allies in the Phillipines. This story is definitely worth listening to! You will not be dissappointed.

Great (true) story!.......2004-02-06

Fantastic! The story of the ALL the men, the prisoners, rescuers, and locals who aided them, is so moving. I read the book this was based on and went from shock and horror to tears over their bravery. By accident I saw this on TV and found it to be just as good. It was also nice to put faces to the names I had read about. Amazing stories of courage. An outstanding story many have never heard about. Well worth it!

Newspaper reviews.......2003-07-27

TV Guide "Top Picks": "Hollywood couldn't have fashioned a bolder or more heroic World War II story."

The Boston Globe: "Outstanding...the tale is extraordinary, and producer and writer David Axelrod does it justice."

Orlando Sentinel: "A riveting American Experience...first-rate...concise, straightforward and stirring-the perfect way to follow the Fourth of July weekend."

The Oregonian: "a finely balanced account."

The Globe and Mail (Toronto): "A solid hour of riveting and emotional stories, a far cry from the other `reality' programs on other channels tonight."

Description

Contrast rules of war--and the treatment of POWs-during World War II and today. With chilling testimony from both captive and liberator, BATAAN: DEATH MARCH AND RESCUE depicts the 1941 capture of thousands of Allied soldiers on the Bataan peninsula. Only 500 prisoners in the Cabanatuan camp were rescued. Their valiant struggle to survive a sweltering jungle, disease, deprivation, and brutality is remembered in this stirring documentary.

Customer Reviews:

Good piece of little known history.......2005-07-06

This is a good documentary on an amazing rescue at the end of WWII. Not much is known of this event other than the initial "death march". It is quite astounding to learn that the Japanese had over 17,000 U.S. prisoners in the PI. Also, the atrocities are terrible. The commentary from the survivors, as well as the rescuers makes this a very good program with a personal feel. I would have liked to have seen more on scene footage and original reel footage, instead of re-enactment. All in all, 4 stars and a keeper for any WWII/military history buff. It's always great to learn the little-known facts of any event.

World War II - Greatest Battles: To the Shores of Iwo Jima/The Battling Bastards of Bataan

Average customer rating:

World War II - Greatest Battles: To the Shores of Iwo Jima/The Battling Bastards of Bataan
Starring: Shores of Iwo Jima
Manufacturer: Good Times Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Documentary | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

4-for-3 All DVDs | 4-for-3 DVD | Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Heroes of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima: 36 Days of Hell
Sands of Iwo Jima
World War II: Payoff in the Pacific
The Battle of Midway - Documentary

ASIN: B00005B1XR
Release Date: 2001-05-15

Battlefield Diaries - Episode 2: Raid at Cabanatuan

Average customer rating:

A gift to a concerned relative.

Battlefield Diaries - Episode 2: Raid at Cabanatuan

Manufacturer: Discovery
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Battlefield Diaries - Episode 1: Al Khafji
Battlefield Diaries - Episode 3: Lam Son
Battlefield Diaries - Episode 4: Ambush in Iraq
Battlefield Diaries - Episode 8: Kiowa Down
Battlefield Diaries - Episode 5: Last of the Buffalo Soldiers

ASIN: B000KGGNB4
Release Date: 2006-12-01

Customer Reviews:

A gift to a concerned relative........2007-06-27

I have not viewed the DVD, I sent it to Michigan to a high school friend, who is a cousin of one of the POWs rescued in the raid: James Hildebrand.

Perhaps as amazing...a kindergarten/high school classmate of mine, is related to one of the U.S. Army Rangers killed, participating in the raid: Roy Sweezy

Average customer rating:

Joe Bataan DVD

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD
ASIN: B000HVSBTO

Product Description

Joe Bataan Live in San Francisco DVD! Song List: 1.Intro Jam * 2.When Sunny Gets Blue * 3.Sad Girl * 4.Gypsy Woman * 5.Ordinary Guy (Afrofilipino) * 6.I Wish You Love (Part 1) * 7.I Wish You Love (Part 2) * 8.Prayer * 9.My Cloud * 10. If I Were A King

DVD:

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