Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

When I was a kid, my dad showed me my first World War Two film and I was hooked. I loved watching WW2 films so much that I made military models, played "Army" (we used dried mud balls as hand grenades) and watched every WW2 film I could. I learned about every vehicle, uniform, weapon, etc. So much so, that I look back on films like "Battle of the Bulge" and laugh at the total historical inaccuracies. "Hell is for Heros", on the other hand, was right on the money with its look and gritty feel.

Sgt. Pike, played by Fess Parker ("Old Yeller" and TV series like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "Daniel Boone") leads a band of men into a few sticky gunfights. One of his replacements is a young private Reese played by Steve McQueen ("Bullit", "Papillon" , "The Great Escape", "The Towering Inferno" and many others). McQueen is a man of very few words. He seems too cool to be a private. He orders other privates around as if he was still a master sergeant. We find out how Reese lost his rank, but he sure fights like a master sergeant.

Later in the film, Reese is in a forward trench and fends off many German soldiers with his "greaser" sub-machine gun. They are posted at the "Ziegfried Line" and told to hold the line. During the night, most of the company pull out and leave Reese and his small squad to defend the position. What the German don't know is that they can easily crush these men with an assault. Sgt. Larkin, played by Harry Guardino ("Dirty Harry" & "The Enforcer") utilizes the crafty skills of Cpl. Henshaw to trick the Germans. They rig various deceptions to make the Germans think there are far more men than in reality. The boys even find that the Germans have hidden a listening device in the bunker that they're holding. One of the boys is pop singer Bobby Darin (private Corby). It was a treat to see the singer as a soldier.

In a very funny scene, the men enlist a very green private to pretend to be having phone calls with the allied command for further trickery. This private is a very young Bob Newhart and BOY does he get laughs. The opening credits reveal, "introducing Bob Newhart" so it's safe to assume it's Bob's first film. He rambles on about food and entertainment and moral among the men, etc, etc when, all the while, there are really about six of them. All of this trickery seems to work, because the Germans never send more than a patrol over the line.

Reese tells the men that they need to attack the German bunker because of they had the numbers they are telling the Germans, they would, indeed, attack. So they rig even more sound-making tricks and make the Germans waste ammo. The men get a good laugh over this. Soon after, Reese has a plan to take out the bunker. He and two other men sneak through a mine field to get to the German stronghold. On the way (and in the dark) they feel around for German mines. As luck would have it, just as they are nearing the bunker, one of the men trips a mine and is killed. So much for that mission.


During the war, often times, men would device codes to determine if the approaching man was, indeed, friend or foe. In Private Ryan, one man would call out, "Thunder" and the other men would mutter "Flash." If an English-speaking German were to mutter "Lightning" - he'd get shot. In "Hell is for Heros", Reese would mutter, "Apple." And his squad members replied, "Cobbler." The unsuspecting Germans said "Pie" and were instantly taken out by Reese and the other men.


In the end, Reese is the hero of the day. Even with German lead in his body, he manages to save the day. This is one of the scenes that made Steve McQueen an acting hero. His most famous scene is jumping the barbed wire on a motorcycle in "The Great Escape."

The weapons and vehicles were right on the money in this film. In a scene when the boys capture a couple of German prisoners, they hold up a German MP 43 and Sgt. Larkin mentions that the gun still has its original grease in it and that it's never been fired. A nice moment, because this weapon was far more advanced than any other hand-held machine gun at that time. It was considered the first "assault rifle." I mention this because this film was made in 1961 and 1962. The armorer and propmaster knew their stuff, unlike the team on "Battle of the Bulge."


I felt as if I watched a film about a squad of guys and a couple of days in their lives. I wanted more. Then I stopped to think that this film really was about a guy named Reese. Reese was a great soldier who went from Master Sergeant down to private and came back with a big chip on his shoulder. Yet, Reeese is the kind of battle-hearty guy you want with you in a fire fight. This guy was willing to sacrifice it all and take some of the bad guys with him. So I realized that the title was directly aimed at Reese. He's a hero but his behavior just might land him in hell.

Director Don Siegel was no rookie when it came to action-packed films. He directed great films like, "Dirty Harry," "Coogan's Bluff," "The Shootist," "Charly Varrick," Telefon," "Escape from Alcatraz" and many others. At first, I was not happy that this film was released in black & white in lieu of color. But after watching it again, the B & W added a gritty element to the film that I enjoyed. And it was easier to integrate some WW2 stock footage of artillery being fired.

In the end, the film's sparse trumpet-based score, its black & white photography and overall feel made me think that it was a longer episode of the popular TV series, "Combat" but without Vic Morrow. While a good film, I wanted more. The abrupt ending left me saying, "Is that it?"


CAST:

Steve McQueen .... Reese
Bobby Darin .... Pvt. Corby
Fess Parker .... Sgt. Pike
Harry Guardino .... Sgt. Larkin
James Coburn .... Cpl. Henshaw
Mike Kellin .... Pvt. Kolinsky
Joseph Hoover .... Capt. Loomis
Bill Mullikin .... Pvt. Cumberly
Michele Montau .... Monique Ouidel
Don Haggerty .... Capt. Mace
Nick Adams .... Homer
Bob Newhart .... Pvt. Driscoll

Produced in 1962.

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older