Hell to Eternity

1960

Hell to Eternity

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TOMATOMETER

Total Count: N/A

50%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 114

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Hell to Eternity Photos

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Movie Info

Guy Gabaldon (Jeffrey Hunter) is the American born adopted son of a West Coast Japanese couple. When Pearl Harbor is bombed, he enlists in the Marines, and his mastery of foreign language helps negotiate a bloodless surrender of defeated Japanese Army regulars in Saipan. Meanwhile, his own family in America is shunned because of their oriental heritage.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Action & Adventure, Classics, Drama
Directed By:

Phil Karlson
Written By:

Ted Sherdeman, Walter Roeber Schmidt
In Theaters:

Aug 1, 1960 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jun 5, 2007
Runtime:

132 minutes
Studio:

WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES

Cast

Jeffrey Hunter
as Guy Gabaldon

David Janssen
as Bill

Vic Damone
as Pete

Sessue Hayakawa
as Gen. Matsui

Patricia Owens
as Sheila

Richard Eyer
as Guy as a Boy

John Larch
as Capt. Schwabe

Miiko Taka
as Ester

Bill Williams
as Leonard

Tsuru Aoki
as Mother Une

Michi Kobi
as Sono

George Shibata
as Kaz

Reiko Sato
as Fumiko

Richard Gardner
as Sullivan

Bob Okazaki
as Papa Une

George Matsui
as George as a Boy

Nicky Blair
as Semperi

George Takei
as George

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Critic Reviews for Hell to Eternity

All Critics (3) | Fresh (2) | Rotten (1)

Though evidently based on fact, the martial exploits of the soldier hero (Jeffrey Hunter) are difficult to believe. The story, however, has some unhackneyed elements that deserve attention...

Oct 23, 2019 | Full Review…

Clyde Gilmour
Maclean's Magazine
Earns its stripes by painting the Japanese-Americans during World War II in a positive light and for its relentless attack against racism.

May 27, 2014 | Rating: B- | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Powerful anti-war drama, with a unique point of view on Japanese-American relations.

Aug 9, 2007 | Full Review…

Michael E. Grost
Classic Film and Television

View All Critic Reviews (3)

Audience Reviews for Hell to Eternity

Feb 10, 2009

One of the first films to address the injustice of the WWII internment camps for Japanese Americans. Poorly named <i>Hell To Eternity</i> is a Hollywoodized version of the true story of Guy Gabaldon, a Hispanic boy who was adopted and raised by a Japanese family during the Great Depression. Gabaldon served as an interpreter in the U.S. Marine Corps, ultimately saving many American lives. This film struggles to find it's identity. It seems as though it can't decide whether it wants to be a socio-political drama or an action-packed war picture. The two concepts never effectively merge. They just seem stacked, one on top of the other. The result is a film that sometimes flows, sometimes flounders.

Randy T Super Reviewer