Fixed Bayonets!

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Fixed Bayonets! ★★★½ 1951

Fuller's second Korean War epic is just as gritty as his first (“Steel Helment”), and it stood in direct contrast to the sappy and/ or nostalgic WWII pictures of the time. A unit covering the retreat of a division from an icy mountainous terrain sees its commanding officers killed off until Corporal Menno (Baseheart) remains to lead the men. Menno, hesitant to kill, learns whether he can do what needs to be done for the survival of his men. One of Fuller's best films, and that's saying a lot. 92m/B DVD . Richard Basehart, Gene Evans, Michael O'Shea, Richard Hylton, Craig Hill, Skip Homeier, Richard Monahan, James Dean, John Doucette; D: Samuel Fuller; W: Samuel Fuller; C: Lucien Ballard; M: Roy Webb.