Attack

The working title of this film was Fragile Fox. The film opens, before the credits, on a European battleground during World War II, where two squads, Fragile Fox 1, led by "Lt. Joe Costa," and Fragile Fox 2, led by "Sgt. Ingersol," are attempting to overtake German guns mounted in pillboxes. Costa calls for assistance from "Capt. Erskine Cooney," whose refusal results in the deaths of Ingersol and his squad. After "Sgt. Tolliver" observes that Costa is wasting batteries by continuing to radio for help that will never come, an empty helmet tumbles onto the grass, and the opening credits begin. The credits continue to run as the scene changes to company headquarters, where off-duty soldiers are attempting to keep warm, and jazz music plays over a loudspeaker. The camera follows "Jackson," Cooney's orderly, through a courtyard, and the credits end as the music on Armed Forces Radio concludes. The title Attack appeared without an exclamation point in the viewed print. However, various contemporary and modern sources list the title as Attack!, and advice for exhibitors in the pressbook indicates that the filmmakers considered the exclamation point optional.
       Hollywood Reporter news items reported that actors Tom Laughlin, Ralph Reed, John Goddard and Robert Francis were cast in the picture, however, Francis died shortly before the start of production, and the appearance of the other actors in the final film has not been confirmed. According to the pressbook, women were banned from the set during rehearsal to establish authenticity for the actors. The pressbook also notes that battle scenes were shot on the Universal Studios and RKO-Pathé backlots, and at Albertson Ranch in Agoura, CA. A New York Times article dated February 19, 1956 reported the production cost approximately $850,000.
       Although the script was approved by the PCA, which suggested changes to several death scenes, information in the Department of Defense Film Collection at Georgetown University Library indicates that the Army and Department of Defense (DOD) refused cooperation during the film's production. As a result, the production had to purchase or rent military equipment. According to an article in Labor's Daily, a previous film to be refused military cooperation was RKO's 1952 motion picture One Minute to Zero (see below), to which the Pentagon initially gave assistance, but later recanted. The Department of the Army, Office of the Chief of Information reported in a letter, dated January 13, 1956, that the negative evaluation of Attack was because "it is a very distasteful story and derogatory of Army leadership during combat including weak leadership, cowardice, and finally, the murder of the Company Commander." In a memo for the file dated January 26, 1956, the DOD concurred with the "Army appraisal."
       Although the files indicate that the initial determination was based on a conversation with associate producer Walter Blake, the Army maintained its ruling after reading the script. Director Robert Aldrich protested to Donald E. Baruch, Chief of the Motion Picture Section, Pictorial Branch of the DOD, in a letter dated February 27, 1956, stating that "[t]heatrically and film wise, moral values are measured in comparatives; strength is measured against weakness; heroics against cowardice.... We feel strongly that our film is one that shows beyond question qualities of moral righteousness, leadership, courage, heroism and above all, personal integrity on the part of both enlisted men and officers of the Army. To make characters white it is necessary to have a reflective comparison against characters that are not white. Such is the case in our film."
       Aldrich added that he believed the DOD's opinion of the film would improve after seeing the completed picture. In a response to Aldrich, Baruch referred to a Daily Variety news item dated February 24, 1956, which speculated that the producers would be unable to screen the film for servicemen due to the DOD disapproval. However, Baruch noted that approval for exhibitions was not influenced by his department. Baruch also pointed out that the film's immediate production schedule had not allowed for any "discussions in an endeavor to work out possible story solutions." Aldrich replied in a letter dated March 11, 1956, insisting that he would continue to pursue DOD approval, and added the following: "No citizen sets out intentionally to defame the defense organization of his country. There obviously can and at times should be differences of opinion as to what is for the good of the country and what is not. Should one lose such an argument at such a level, fine, but never to have the chance or the opportunity to make that argument to me seems a little ridiculous."
       Various August 1956 news items reported that U.S. Congressman Melvin Price of Illinois, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, charged the DOD with censorship for its failure to assist Attack. According to a September 7, 1956 Daily Variety news item, after Price saw a special preview, and members of the State Dept. saw the film at the Venice Film Festival, the State Dept. reported that they found nothing objectionable in the film. According to articles in Daily Variety and The Washington Post and Times Herald dated August 31, 1956, Price attacked the DOD's decision, and surmised that "[i]f [Cooney] were an enlisted man, he could apparently be presented with impunity as a coward and a moral weakling. But according to the Pentagon, an officer May not be shown in such unfavorable light," and accused the DOD of trying to "depict all phases of military life through brass-colored glasses."
       Following a private screening for Pentagon officials in September 1956, the DOD maintained its stance against the picture. On September 14, 1956, Daily Variety reported that the American Veterans Committee opposed the DOD's decision, and stated that the department was doing "a real disservice" to Americans, and that "[i]f the time comes when our military chiefs refuse to admit that there can be anything wrong with an officer solely because he is an officer, then it is time to beware." The matter was taken up by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights. The subcommittee Chief Counsel and Staff Director Charles H. Slayman, Jr. wrote to the DOD on September 18, 1956 inquiring as to the constitutionality of the DOD denying cooperation to Attack. In his letter, Slayman noted that members of the committee had viewed the film, and that they were seeking statistics about other cases in which cooperation had been denied to film productions. The final outcome of their investigation is not known. Although a November 1956 memo indicated that Attack was denied exhibition at Army bases in Germany, a September 19, 1956 Hollywood Reporter news item reported that "Army and Air Force officials have given their seal of approval" and would assist in promoting the film. In addition, a October 2, 1956 Daily Variety news item reported that after the U.S. Navy also approved the film for exhibition, the picture was approved for all servicemen.
       In addition to sneak previews in various cities, Aldrich held a special preview screening of Attack on August 2, 1956 in New York for former war correspondents, which was followed by a screening the next day in Washington D.C. at the National Press Club, and a screening for Republican National Convention members in San Francisco, in mid-August 1956. The film won the Pasineti Award at the Venice Film Festival for best foreign film. Attack marked William Smithers' feature film debut. Modern sources credit Frank Beetson with costumes.