Between Heaven and Hell (1956)

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Movie
German title Between heaven and hell
Original title D-Day the Sixth of June
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1956
length 106 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Henry Koster
script Harry Brown
Ivan Moffat
production Charles Brackett
music Lyn Murray
camera Lee Garmes
cut William Mace
occupation

Between Heaven and Hell (original title: D-Day the Sixth of June ) is an American war film directed by Henry Koster from 1956. The film is based on the novel The Sixth of June by Lionel Shapiro from 1955. The world premiere in Germany took place on August 31, 1956.

action

A few hours before the actual invasion on June 6, 1944 , a special command was supposed to shut down a German gun emplacement on the Normandy coast. During the passage of the ship, the men talk about the circumstances and why they are here.

US Air Force Captain Parker is sent to Operations Headquarters in London . He meets Valerie Russell in a club and falls in love with her, even though he is married. Valerie is the daughter of a sullen brigadier who was wounded in Dunkirk and has been sick ever since. Valerie is in love with Captain John Wynter, a friend of her father's.

Parker and Wynter are sent overseas but come back later. Parker has volunteered for a special command led by his old commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Timmer. Shortly before disembarking for the special mission in Normandy, Timmer suffers a nervous breakdown . He remembers the catastrophic failure of the Dieppe invasion attempt. The drunk Timmer is placed under arrest for drunkenness and as a security risk. Wynter becomes Colonel and leads the mission.

Even if some of the men were wounded and killed, the operation is a success. Wynter dies when he steps on a mine. Parker is badly wounded and has been evacuated. In the hospital, shortly before his return home, he sees Valerie one last time.

background

Richard Todd took part in the Normandy invasion as a parachutist. O'Brien, 1955 Oscar winner, served in the Air Force during the war. Military adviser was Colonel Dan Gilmer.

John Williams is not to be confused with the film composer of the same name. Performer Williams was a well-known theater and television actor who received the Tony Award in 1953 .

Reviews

"An appropriately staged mixture of melodrama and war film with believably portrayed characters, whose ending, however, seems too constructed."

- Lexicon of international film

"Henry Coster enriched his successful combination of melodrama and war drama with well-made action scenes."

- Cinema

“A noble war and love film in an excellent design, unfortunately not brought to its positive conclusion by convincing moral insight. Reservations. "

- 6000 films

DVD release

  • Between heaven and hell. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment 2003.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Between heaven and hell. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  2. ↑ cf. cinema.de
  3. ↑ 6000 films. Critical notes from the cinema years 1945 to 1958. Handbook V of the Catholic film criticism, 3rd edition, Verlag Haus Altenberg, Düsseldorf 1963, p. 505.