This 1961 movie about marines during the Korean War turns up on the Fox Movie Channel several times a year. It has excellent color and was directed by Raoul Walsh. Tom Tryon and David Hedison were bigger name "hunks" at the time and got first and second billing. But genuine tough guy Tom Reese is the real star here. Reese mainly did supporting villain roles during his career but he is excellent and really carries the movie. Reese and another genuine tough guy, Roy Jensen, have one of the best screen fist fights of all time. The timing and throwing of the punches and the sound effects of the landing blows really get the viewer's attention. Linda Hutchins is fourth billed and shows off a real sexy side. One negative is that all the bad people that the heroes encounter in Japan are anglos. All the Japanese are portrayed as good and decent, if a somewhat naive people. The brothel madame Is a blonde with a German accent. The bar owner who has his customers rolled and robbed is an American. The girl seen picking the pocket of a marine appears to be American. The woman trying to convince her marine boyfriend to desert is an American. All the nastier girls in the nasty bar are anglos. Clearly stereotyping but it's all in fun, I guess. The combat scenes are good and the characters are all interesting. Tom Reese showed he could carry an action film and handle every scene well. It's worth watching the next time it turns up on FMX.
Review of Marines, Let's Go
