Cassino to Korea
Cast & Crew
Edward P. Genock
Quentin Reynolds
Jackson Beck
Sgt. James M. Logan
Capt. David Ludlum
Bob Hope
Film Details
Synopsis
Using frontline footage filmed by the Paramount News cameramen and photographers from the Army Signal Corps, as well as captured German, Italian and Japanese combat films, this picture traces the course of the American campaign in Italy, and draws a parallel between the military action in Korea and the American campaign in Italy during World War II. With the help of re-enactments, the personal stories of Sergeant James M. Logan and Captain David Ludlum, both of whom played a vital role in the attack on Cassino in Italy, are related. Logan is shown in battlefield scenes routing German machine gunners, who are blocking an American advance, and single-handedly capturing a German officer during the Salerno beachhead, the actions which earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Ludlum, an Air Force weather officer, is filmed forecasting a weather break during a crucial siege of Cassino that allows the Allies to mount an attack there. Additional footage, depicting the United Nations proceedings, during which North Korea was condemned for its act of aggression against South Korea, is also included.
Director
Edward P. Genock
Cast
Quentin Reynolds
Jackson Beck
Sgt. James M. Logan
Capt. David Ludlum
Bob Hope
Frances Langford
Jack Benny
Joe E. Brown
Crew
Film Details
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
The New York Times review notes that the scenes depicting the wartime experiences of Sgt. James M. Logan and Capt. David Ludlum were re-staged for this film. The review comments that although the picture attempts to draw parallels between the Italian campaign and the fighting in Korea, the Korean terrain differed from that of Italy, and the enemy facing the United Nations forces was also vastly different, making the comparison suspect. Narrator Quentin Reynolds was a well-known war correspondent. According to a October 7, 1950 Independent Film Journal news item, Bob Hope, Frances Langford, Jack Benny and Joe E. Brown make brief appearances in the film and are seen entertaining the troops.
