War

The Red Badge of Courage

- Stephen Crane's Great American Story of the Civil War

Henry Fleming is a young Union soldier in the American Civil War. During his unit's first engagement, Henry flees the battlefield in fear. When he learns that the Union actually won the battle, shame over his cowardice leads him to lie to his friend Tom and the other soldiers, saying that he had been injured in battle. However, when he learns that his unit will be leading a charge against the enemy, Henry takes the opportunity to face his fears and redeem himself.

Release Date : 1951-09-27

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : The Youth

Original Name : Audie Murphy

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Loud Soldier

Original Name : Bill Mauldin

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Lieutenant

Original Name : Douglas Dick

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Tattered Man

Original Name : Royal Dano

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jim Conklin - the Tall Soldier

Original Name : John Dierkes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bill Porter

Original Name : Arthur Hunnicutt

Gender : Male

Character Name : The General

Original Name : Tim Durant

Gender : Male

Character Name : The Cheery Soldier

Original Name : Andy Devine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Thompson

Original Name : Robert Easton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : William Phipps

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : William Schallert

Gender : Male

Character Name : Grizzled Union Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : John Huston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Anderson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Smith Ballew

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier Fording River (uncredited)

Original Name : Albert Band

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Gregg Barton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wounded Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Whit Bissell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Board

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wounded Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Chet Brandenburg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Flag Bearer (uncredited)

Original Name : Edwin Breen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Brown Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Benny Burt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Wounded Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Cavendish

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Mack Chandler

Gender : Male

Character Name : Singing Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Cherry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stevens (uncredited)

Original Name : Jimmy Clark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Lyle Clark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Corporal by Campfire (uncredited)

Original Name : David Clarke

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : John Cliff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : John Crawford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Curtis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Davidson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Bob Davis

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Dennis Dengate

Gender : Male

Character Name : Stretcher Bearer (uncredited)

Original Name : James Dime

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Billy Dix

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : James Dobson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Southern Woman at Farm (uncredited)

Original Name : Gloria Eaton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Lynn Farr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Fischer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Gene Garrick

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : William Grueneberg

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Bill Hale

Gender : Male

Character Name : General's Aide (uncredited)

Original Name : James Harrison

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Haworth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Haynes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim Hayward

Gender : Male

Character Name : Corporal (uncredited)

Original Name : Ed Hinton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Shep Houghton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Tennessee Jim

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : I. Stanford Jolley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Todd Karns

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Kent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Kohler Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Corporal (uncredited)

Original Name : Herb Latimer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Norman Leavitt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jake - Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Emmett Lynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Cliff Lyons

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Casey MacGregor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Joel Marston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Corporal (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : Strother Martin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank McGrath

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Melton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Fat Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Nichols

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Lou Nova

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Allen O'Locklin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : George Offerman, Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Ivan Parry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Passing Soldier - Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : House Peters Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : William Phillips

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Obed 'Bubb' Pickard Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : John Piffle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Army Lieutenant (uncredited)

Original Name : Dixon Porter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : William Roberts

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Buddy Roosevelt

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Mickey Simpson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Colonel (uncredited)

Original Name : Glenn Strange

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Sully

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Hugh Thomas Jr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sergeant (uncredited)

Original Name : Dan White

Gender : Male

Character Name : Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

Original Name : James Whitmore

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Guy Wilkerson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Wilson Wood

Gender : Male

Character Name : Veteran (uncredited)

Original Name : Duke York

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

When Yellow Becomes Red. The Red Badge of Courage is directed by John Huston who also co-adapts to screenplay with Albert Band from the novel of the same name written by Stephen Crane. It stars Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, Andy Devine, Robert Easton, Douglas Dick, Royal Dano, Arthur Hunnicutt and Tim Durant. Music is by Bronislau Kaper and cinematography by Harold Rosson. The American Civil War and Union soldiers head South to confront the Confederate army. Young Henry Fleming (Murphy) is ill prepared for the horrors of war, so when the crunch comes he retreats from the first battle he’s faced with and has a life choice of either being known as a coward, or find something from within to make him strong enough to return to the front line. Nutshell History Of The Production. John Huston believed that this could have been his masterpiece, but an MGM power struggle saw the film butchered. A narration was insisted upon after poor test screenings, Huston washed his hands off the picture, while Lillian Ross produced a critically acclaimed book about the production. With no fanfare or bunting put out by the studio to promote the picture, the eventual 70 minute cut of the movie flopped as audiences didn’t quite like the tonal flows of the piece. Over time, even in its truncated form of just under 70 minutes, pic has garnered praise to become something of a classic as it stands, while also being considered as a lost masterpiece due to the cut material apparently being lost forever. Beautifully photographed by Rosson, it’s a film that has often been tagged as some sort of arty exercise. Yet it never once feels like it has ideas above its station, it quite simply is a very intimate and touching portrayal of Americans fighting Americans. It doesn’t soft soap anything, deftly imbuing the narrative with the awfulness of the war and the effect on those wearing the uniforms. The period design is superb, the battle sequences crafted with great skill by Huston, and in Murphy the pic has a great fulcrum for youthful confusion acted with a skill that many still think he didn’t have. Up close and personal, with raw emotional seeping from its pores, The Red Badge of Courage is a potent exercise in war film making. As Audie stands there at culmination of battle charge, holding in his hands the battered flags of both the Union and the Confederacy, the impact is quite something to behold. 8.5/10

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-06

Audie Murphy quite potently epitomises the fighting spirit of the young "Fleming" at the height of the US Civil War. He's most certainly not a coward, but he's no warrior either and as he becomes exposed to the repetitive, seemingly endless, horrors of the war he really isn't sure whether to stand and fight or run and hide. Even if he were to succumb to the later survival instinct and still survive, could he endure the consequent shame? If he steps up the mark, will it make him ever an angry and violent man? What's also clear here is the extent to which he is not alone amongst the solders of both sides, their officers - even the general, are all conflicted to an extent as the bodies mount amidst all the mud, splintered trees and tears. It's a curiously short film that rather offers us a baptism of fire as we are swiftly immersed in this young man's predicament, but therein lay the problem for me. I didn't know him, nor much about him and as the story developed I felt way too much detail and character were missing as we raced along to a denouement that was never really in doubt. The production looks good, conveying effectively the grubbiness of their battles and their dependance on beans, but that lack of detail and the slightly documentary feel to the photography left me wondering if this wasn't just a bit of a school history lesson tempered with a bit of God-fearing. I quite liked Murphy as an actor, easy on the eye and never troubling to the brain, and he does enough here but on the whole I felt there was way more missing than not.