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Other Laser Discs Battleground 1949 Rare LaserDisc William Wellman War Drama

Battleground 1949 Rare LaserDisc William Wellman War Drama

Award Winning Film on WWII Infantry in Battle of Bulge

Battleground 1949 Rare LaserDisc William Wellman War Drama

Award Winning Film on WWII Infantry in Battle of Bulge

Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie Near-Mint LaserDisc and Jacket with several splits and compressed corners

$7.97

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Battleground 1949 Rare LaserDisc William Wellman War Drama

Award Winning Film on WWII Infantry in Battle of Bulge

Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie Near-Mint LaserDisc and Jacket with several splits and compressed corners

$7.97

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$7.97

Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie

Near-Mint LaserDisc and Jacket with several splits and compressed corners

Van Johnson and John Hodiak in...

Battleground

( Catalog Number ML101002 )
(1.33:1) (2 Sides) (CLV) (NTSC)

LaserDisc Special Features

Best Version on LaserDisc

Battleground
1949 - 118 min. - Color
Genre: Action
Not Rated
Country: USA

LaserDisc Movie Review:
Incoming MGM production head Dore Schary ramrodded Battleground into the studio's schedule over the virulent protests of MGM boss Louis Mayer. The result was an award-winning box-office hit, as well as the beginning of the end of Mayer's power. This dramatization of the battles of Bastogne and the Bulge in the waning days of World War 2 concentrates on a single infantry unit. Van Johnson and John Hodiak are the ostensible stars, but the film is stolen by James Whitmore as the cigar-chomping, battle-stained sergeant. Also appearing is Ian MacDonald as General McAuliffe, whose legendary response to the Nazi's suggestion that the Americans surrender consisted of a single four-letter expletive: "Nuts". Whitmore's final scenes of near-delirium before the relief troops arrive are unforgettable. Battleground tries within MGM limits to be wholly realistic, though it is slightly compromised by the scripters' inability to use Army profanity, and by pointless subplot involving actress Denise Darcel. The film doesn't hold up as well as such wartime efforts as The Story of GI Joe or Walk in the Sun, but in 1949 Battleground was regarded as an important milestone in the field of truthful, de-glamorized combat flicks. Please avoid the colorized version: this is a black-and-white subject if ever there was one. --- Hal Erickson

Hailed by critics, audiences, and veterans alike, William Wellman's Battleground (1949), together with such other war movies as Wellman's earlier Ernie Pyle biopic The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) and Lewis Milestone's A Walk in the Sun (1945), set a new standard of de-glamorization in war films that continued for decades. The common elements of this new veracity were sharply observed details about the life of the common serviceman, a nearly documentary-like portrayal of war's gore and harsh brutality, and a somewhat sardonic redefinition of heroism, patriotism, and duty. Many decades and several wars later, films as diverse as MASH (1970), Platoon (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987), and Saving Private Ryan (1998), just to name a few, shared these fundamentals and were, in turn, acclaimed as superior war films. Battleground's background story is nearly as interesting as its plot. Producer Dore Schary, who preferred his film projects to contain socially relevant messages, brought the project with him to MGM when he was lured away from RKO. But MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer resisted putting Battleground into production, believing the American public had gotten its fill of war movies. When the film was a box office smash and nominated for a half-dozen Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, Schary won the confrontation with one of Hollywood's most powerful men, and Mayer's career began to decline. --- Karl Williams

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Reviews, Articles, Newsletter and Information for Movies on LaserDisc LD Laser Disc, LazerDisc.

Cast for Battleground

Van Johnson - Holley
John Hodiak - Jarvess
Ricardo Montalban - Roderigues
George Murphy - Ernest "Pop" Stazak
Marshall Thompson - Jim Layton
James Whitmore - Kinnie
Jerome Courtland - Abner Spudler
Leon Ames - The Chaplain
Don Taylor - Standiferd
Bruce Cowling - Wolowicz
Douglas Fowley - Kipp Kippton
Thomas E. Breen - Doc
Denise Darcel - Denise
Richard Jaeckel - Bettis
Scotty Beckett - William J. Hooper
Brett King - Lt. Teiss
101st Airborne
Michael Brown - Levenstein
Roland Varno - German Lieutenant
Ian MacDonald - Gen. McAuliffe
Herbert Anderson - Hansan
Screaming Eagles,
James Arness - Garby
Edmon Ryan - Major

Crew for Battleground

William Wellman - Director
Dore Schary - Producer
Robert Pirosh - Screenwriter / Associate Producer
Nicolas Vogel - Cinematographer
Paul Vogel - Cinematographer
Lennie Hayton - Composer (Music Score)
John D. Dunning - Editor
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director
Hans Peters - Art Director
Alfred E. Spencer - Set Designer
Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer
Jack Dawn - Makeup
Peter Ballbusch - Special Effects

Awards for Battleground

Best Black and White Cinematography (win) Paul Vogel 1949 Academy
Best Director (nom) William Wellman 1949 Academy
Best Editing (nom) John D. Dunning 1949 Academy
Best Picture (nom) 1949 Academy
Best Story and Screenplay (win) Robert Pirosh 1949 Academy
Best Supporting Actor (nom) James Whitmore 1949 Academy
Best Screenplay (win) Robert Pirosh 1949 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actor (win) James Whitmore 1949 Golden Globe
Best Actor (nom) James Whitmore 1949 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Film (nom) William Wellman 1949 New York Film Critics Circle
10 Best Films (win) 1949 New York Times

Feature Details

Title: Battleground
Feature Release Date: 1949
Genre: Action
Rating: Not Rated
Color: Color
Runtime: 118 Minutes
Chapters: 31
Picture: Academy Ratio
Ratio: 1.33:1
Playback Format: CLV

IMDB Info...

Technical Details

LD Release Date: 14 Apr 1993
Catalog Number: ML101002
UPC: 027616100269
ISBN: 0-7928-1681-1
Manufacturer: Pioneer USA
Publisher: MGM/UA Home Video

Diameter: 12"
Sides: 2
Cover: Jacket
Spoken Language: English
Country: USA
Video Format: NTSC

Model: ML101002
Shipping Weight: 1 lbs
0 in Stock

Rare Widescreen, LaserDisc Movie

Near-Mint LaserDisc and Jacket with several splits and compressed corners

Van Johnson and John Hodiak in...

Battleground

( Catalog Number ML101002 )
(1.33:1) (2 Sides) (CLV) (NTSC)

LaserDisc Special Features

Best Version on LaserDisc

Battleground
1949 - 118 min. - Color
Genre: Action
Not Rated
Country: USA

LaserDisc Movie Review:
Incoming MGM production head Dore Schary ramrodded Battleground into the studio's schedule over the virulent protests of MGM boss Louis Mayer. The result was an award-winning box-office hit, as well as the beginning of the end of Mayer's power. This dramatization of the battles of Bastogne and the Bulge in the waning days of World War 2 concentrates on a single infantry unit. Van Johnson and John Hodiak are the ostensible stars, but the film is stolen by James Whitmore as the cigar-chomping, battle-stained sergeant. Also appearing is Ian MacDonald as General McAuliffe, whose legendary response to the Nazi's suggestion that the Americans surrender consisted of a single four-letter expletive: "Nuts". Whitmore's final scenes of near-delirium before the relief troops arrive are unforgettable. Battleground tries within MGM limits to be wholly realistic, though it is slightly compromised by the scripters' inability to use Army profanity, and by pointless subplot involving actress Denise Darcel. The film doesn't hold up as well as such wartime efforts as The Story of GI Joe or Walk in the Sun, but in 1949 Battleground was regarded as an important milestone in the field of truthful, de-glamorized combat flicks. Please avoid the colorized version: this is a black-and-white subject if ever there was one. --- Hal Erickson

Hailed by critics, audiences, and veterans alike, William Wellman's Battleground (1949), together with such other war movies as Wellman's earlier Ernie Pyle biopic The Story of G.I. Joe (1945) and Lewis Milestone's A Walk in the Sun (1945), set a new standard of de-glamorization in war films that continued for decades. The common elements of this new veracity were sharply observed details about the life of the common serviceman, a nearly documentary-like portrayal of war's gore and harsh brutality, and a somewhat sardonic redefinition of heroism, patriotism, and duty. Many decades and several wars later, films as diverse as MASH (1970), Platoon (1986), Hamburger Hill (1987), and Saving Private Ryan (1998), just to name a few, shared these fundamentals and were, in turn, acclaimed as superior war films. Battleground's background story is nearly as interesting as its plot. Producer Dore Schary, who preferred his film projects to contain socially relevant messages, brought the project with him to MGM when he was lured away from RKO. But MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer resisted putting Battleground into production, believing the American public had gotten its fill of war movies. When the film was a box office smash and nominated for a half-dozen Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, Schary won the confrontation with one of Hollywood's most powerful men, and Mayer's career began to decline. --- Karl Williams

Thanks for Visiting DaDon's !

Reviews, Articles, Newsletter and Information for Movies on LaserDisc LD Laser Disc, LazerDisc.

Cast for Battleground

Van Johnson - Holley
John Hodiak - Jarvess
Ricardo Montalban - Roderigues
George Murphy - Ernest "Pop" Stazak
Marshall Thompson - Jim Layton
James Whitmore - Kinnie
Jerome Courtland - Abner Spudler
Leon Ames - The Chaplain
Don Taylor - Standiferd
Bruce Cowling - Wolowicz
Douglas Fowley - Kipp Kippton
Thomas E. Breen - Doc
Denise Darcel - Denise
Richard Jaeckel - Bettis
Scotty Beckett - William J. Hooper
Brett King - Lt. Teiss
101st Airborne
Michael Brown - Levenstein
Roland Varno - German Lieutenant
Ian MacDonald - Gen. McAuliffe
Herbert Anderson - Hansan
Screaming Eagles,
James Arness - Garby
Edmon Ryan - Major

Crew for Battleground

William Wellman - Director
Dore Schary - Producer
Robert Pirosh - Screenwriter / Associate Producer
Nicolas Vogel - Cinematographer
Paul Vogel - Cinematographer
Lennie Hayton - Composer (Music Score)
John D. Dunning - Editor
Cedric Gibbons - Art Director
Hans Peters - Art Director
Alfred E. Spencer - Set Designer
Edwin B. Willis - Set Designer
Jack Dawn - Makeup
Peter Ballbusch - Special Effects

Awards for Battleground

Best Black and White Cinematography (win) Paul Vogel 1949 Academy
Best Director (nom) William Wellman 1949 Academy
Best Editing (nom) John D. Dunning 1949 Academy
Best Picture (nom) 1949 Academy
Best Story and Screenplay (win) Robert Pirosh 1949 Academy
Best Supporting Actor (nom) James Whitmore 1949 Academy
Best Screenplay (win) Robert Pirosh 1949 Golden Globe
Best Supporting Actor (win) James Whitmore 1949 Golden Globe
Best Actor (nom) James Whitmore 1949 New York Film Critics Circle
Best Film (nom) William Wellman 1949 New York Film Critics Circle
10 Best Films (win) 1949 New York Times

Feature Details

Technical Details

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