jasonam A story of one soldier's journey through various theaters of World War 2, To Hell and Back is unique due to its lead actor portraying himself. Real life veteran Audie Murphy took many steps to ensure this film captured the essence of what regular soldiers went through, and it shows. While the action and cinematography may not have aged as well, the genuineness of the dialogue and heart displayed by all of the platoon members allow this film to remain enjoyable over half a century later.

writers_reign One of the few bio-pics in which the subject is actually played by himself To Hell And Back is a passable war film in which it is no exaggeration when it claims to be based on real events. Audie Leon Murphy was at once remarkable and unremarkable. Product of a poor, dirt farming family in North East Texas, he assumed responsibility for his mother and siblings at a young age after his father abandoned the family in the late thirties. With the death of his mother and the placing of his siblings into care Murphy was free, albeit under age, to enlist in the US Army where he proved to possess natural leadership qualities despite a lack of formal education. Involved in several major campaigns he wound up, as is well documented, the most decorated US serviceman with the Congressional Medal of Honor being his top award. The film chronicles his military career in a largely unspectacular fashion and remains watchable today.

Dalbert Pringle If you can accept a 30 year-old Audie Murphy playing himself at 18 in this 1955, WW2, Bio-film, then I'm sure you won't be at all disappointed by To Hell & Back.As far as war pictures go, To Hell & Back's story is a fairly interesting one. This film's a pretty accurate tale covering Murphy's 3-year military career where, through the merits of bravery, he eventually became one of the most highly decorated American soldiers to ever serve in the 2nd World War.In 1945 Murphy was ceremoniously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.To Hell & Back is basically a wartime "buddy" picture of loyalty and heroism. It proudly boasts of the glory of American patriotism (right to its very core).*Notes of interest about Audie Murphy* - (1) Following his service in the war, Murphy successfully pursued an acting career which lasted for 20 years (from 1948-1969). In that period of time Murphy appeared in 40 pictures, all of which were either Westerns or War pictures.(2) Murphy, who suffered from post-traumatic stress following his military service, always slept with a loaded pistol under his pillow.(3) In 1971, Murphy (45 at the time) was tragically killed when the private plane he was travelling in crashed (due to poor visibility) into Brush Mountain in Virginia.

zardoz-13 This autobiographical account of the exploits of Audie L. Murphy as the most decorated American soldier of World War II makes for a good--but not great--traditional military movie where everybody obeys orders and few complain about serving in the infantry. "Ride Clear of Diablo" director Jesse Hibbs and "Saskatchewan" scenarist Gil Doud has fashioned a solid, unpretentious combat movie that opens with a brief prologue about our protagonist and the rigors that he endured as a teenager. Murphy had no father. The man abandoned his family and left them to fend for themselves with our hero setting aside his eighth school education to earn money for his mother and his brothers and sisters.The outbreak of World War II prompted Murphy to enlist, but the Marine Corps and the Navy rejected him for his size. He stood five feet five inches and must have looked even scrawnier in real life. Eventually, Murphy made it into the Army, but Hibbs and Doud skip his basic training and have him showing up in North Africa as a replacement. The commanding officer of the outfit is somewhat surprised when Murphy puts in a request to transfer to the paratroopers. Initially, the C.O. wants to transfer the ailing Murphy out because of his poor health on the trip to North Africa (Murph had never been on a ship) and put him in with the cooks. Murphy asks them to forego any special treatment. Nothing happens for our heroes in North Africa, but they get their taste of combat in Sicily and later the Italian campaign. Everybody in the outfit sets out to protect little Audie, but by the time that it is over, he has risen to the rank of lieutenant and he is the one watching out for them.What sets this combat film apart, aside from its infantry perspective, is the appearance of two genuine Sherman tanks--which while they may not be the same models that plowed through the fields of France--are a rarity in World War II movies, especially during the 1950s. Hibbs includes the famous scene where Murphy single-handedly stalled a German advance by manning a .50 caliber machine gun on a blazing tank. His superior officers wanted to ship Murphy off to West Point, but those ambitious plans were sidetracked when Murphy suffered a war wound that disqualified him for the academy. Marshal Thompson, who played the replacement in the Battle of the Bulge movie "Battleground" is cast as a fellow G.I. along with Jack Kelly who later attained fame on the "Maverick" television series with James Garner. Murphy has a brief interlude with a spunky Italian babe, Maria (Susan Kohner in her film debut), but they never get it on with fireworks to boot. Basically, "To Hell and Back" covers the war from North Africa to France without too much fanfare on the part of the protagonist. The theme of friendship is explored in some detail. Nobody wants to make friends under such stressful conditions because their friends wind up dying under fire and the separation is agonizing for them. The action ends with Murphy receiving his decorations. The Germans are pretty much depicted as extras in long shots without any interaction between themselves or the Americans.