I watched this on TCM, they played it for Memorial Day 2012, I had never heard of it but when I saw Chad Everett it seemed different so was interested. The beginning battle scene is straight out of many films before, it would seem, but especially reminded me of the battle scene in Pride of the Marines with John Garfield. Not that it was bad, it just seemed like a verbatim copy of it to a point. The movie then goes into a love affair part which I always hated before but this one had some realism to it and reminded me of questions in my own life and with todays never ending wars I have had the option as a reservist to go back to a war zone and these issues are address in this film with Chad's fiancé and then wife. I thought that was pretty interesting and I normally hate the domestic relationship parts in these war films. Which brings me to what I now started thinking of this film, it was made in 1967 but sure did seem that it was made in 1957 or 55 or even 52. I'm guessing like others have said that this was made solely to be a B movie/ drive in fare. It's target audience being the Marine Corps, and the South. I believe Gomer Pyle USMC was the number one TV show that year so this was made to cash in on that audience somewhat, IMHO. The final battle scenes seemed rushed and unrealistic in Chad's sudden change of heart but I guess they thought the film needed something, it really didn't they should have just left the good chance of death be enough tension for the audience and then when it gets all solved it really reveled itself as just a B movie action flick. Chad did a good job and showed a wide range of emotions I liked him, Gene Hackman was wasted here especially with the drama of having a coward officer above him, he was not the Gene Hackman you and I know. Claude Akins has major billing but has a very bit part as a Major at the CP, no drama went on there. Dean Jagger does a convincing Marine Colonel, and William Conrad adds his distinctive voice as a narrator. The combat hardware seemed real enough for the period. It was probably post WW2 hardware but unlike a film like Battle Of The Bulge where the Germans are using Pershing tanks as Tigers and it's distracting, since I am not familiar with Pacific WW2 hardware it looks realistic enough and the stock footage was in color and blended in OK. All in all, I was entertained enough but this wont go down as any Sands Of Iwo Jima best of film. I give it a 6 of 10 as far as B movie war dramas go.
Review of First to Fight
