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The Red Badge of Courage (1951)

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Top Critics

Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 9
Fresh: 8 | Rotten: 1

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Release Date: Mar 16, 1951 Wide

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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 2,208

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Movie Info

The backstory of The Red Badge of Courage involves the toppling of MGM's old Louis B. Mayer regime in favor of Dore Schary and his young Turks. It is also the tale of how an intended epic was ruthlessly whittled down to a lower-berth programmer. Since this story has already been related in detail in Lillian Ross' Picture (not to mention several John Huston biographies), the focus here will be what shows up on screen in Red Badge of Courage. Based on the novel by Stephen Crane, the film stars

Unrated, 1 hr. 9 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Classics

Directed By: John Huston

Written By: Stephen Crane, John Huston

In Theaters: Mar 16, 1951 Wide

On DVD: Feb 4, 2003

Cast

Audie Murphy
Henry Fleming the Youth
Bill Mauldin
Tom Wilson the Loud Sol...
John Dierkes
Jim Conlin the Tall Sol...
Royal Dano
The Tattered Soldier
Arthur Hunnicutt
Bill Porter
Douglas Dick
The Lieutenant
Tim Durant
The General
Smith Ballew
The Captain
Whit Bissell
Wounded Officer
Robert Cherry
Soldier Who Sings
Dick Curtis
Andy Devine
The Fat Soldier
Robert Easton
Thompson
Jim Hayward
Union Soldier
Ed Hinton
Corporal
I. Stanford Jolley
Fred Kohler Jr.
Emmett Lynn
Joel Marston
Robert Nichols
Lou Nova
House Peters Jr.
William 'Bill' Phillips
Buddy Roosevelt
Glenn Strange
Colonel
Frank Sully
Dan White
Sergeant
James Whitmore
Narrator
Guy Wilkerson
Ted Offenbecker
Lynn Farr
Confederate Soldier

Critic Reviews for The Red Badge of Courage

All Critics (14) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (1) | DVD (5)

What's truly amazing is how good the film is despite MGM slicing it up in the re-editing process.

July 7, 2005 Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews

| Comment

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Almost seems like a documentary in look, action, acting. A Huston gem.

October 30, 2004 Comment

Steve Crum

Kansas City Kansan Source: Kansas City Kansan

The Red Badge of Courage is far more a psychological drama than a purely palpable one, and as such it works as well as any war movie ever made.

March 2, 2003 Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

Through Henry, The Red Badge of Courage allows us to face the chaos and confusion, the terror and futility, of both large-scale, national strife and inner, personal turmoil.

March 2, 2003 Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

Despite the studio's editing hatchet job, this remains a powerful tale of redemption

June 27, 2002 Full Review Source: All Movie Guide

| Comment

Dan Jardine

All Movie Guide

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Red Badge of Courage

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In spite of the studio's blasphemous 'recut' of John Huston's work, The Red Badge of Courage successfully illuminates the fragile psyche of the foot soldier in harm's way. Audie Murphy, given his own combat experience, seems perfectly cast as the civil war private battling fear and self-doubt while serving in a union

January 25, 2009

Randy Tippy

Super Reviewer

For 1951 it was a pretty great movie. It had a great behind it, and got it acrossed well. I felt it ended a little suddenly, and to me it seemed like there seemed to be something missing, though im not sure what, but overall, it was a film , for any civil war buff, too see.

November 4, 2007