The Send in the Marines Blogathon – First to Fight (1967)

This is my final of 4 submissions for the The Send in the Marines Blogathon being run by J-Dub over at Dubism and Gill of RealWeegieMidget

Tnx for letting me take part!

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“Y’ see, what you want, and what I want have very little to do with it. Jack, now this war is just getting started and a lot of the people, or should we say some of the people back home haven’t the slightest comprehension as to what its all about. Now Washington, headquarters, hell the war department would like someway somehow to enlighten those people. One week from today you are being given the congressional medal of honor in Washington. They’re gonna hang a medal around your neck, put you in a cage and ship you around the country and let the defense workers have a peek at a real live hero. How does that strike you? ” – Lt. Col. Baseman

Number of Times Seen – 1 (10 Nov 2019)

Brief Synopsis – After being decorated for valor during the Guadalcanal campaign, a Marine officer is sent back to the states in order to help raise money for the government via War Bonds but he yearns to get back into combat.

My Take on it – This film actually fits into this blogathon in two ways.

I originally chose it because it features former marine Gene Hackman in a prominent role, but as I began to watch it, I also realized that the film is all about a marine who must fight in Guadalcanal and then help train other marines in how to fight in the Pacific theater during the war.

They do a great job depicting how battle can affect people in different ways.

Chad Everett is great in the lead role and despite the fact that his character arc is quite diverse, he makes us believe his character in all of the various situations that he finds himself in.

This shows his range and acting ability along with how much potential he had in this craft.

They are able to present the way that soldiers must learn to adapt to various situations during the course of their careers whether it be in combat situations or in relationships while stateside because each kind of situation moves them along in different directions.

The supporting cast of this film is also great with Dean Jagger, Gene Hackman and Bobby Troup all being able to help the main character try and find his way through the complex situations that he keeps finding himself in along the way.

Their work here also allows us to see how those close to the main character can affect his way of thinking as everything around him keep changing.

Bottom Line – Nice depiction of how battle can affect someone in more ways than one. Everett does a great job in the lead and manages to play his character throughout the arc that he is presented with which shows his acting ability and potential the whole way through. The story deals really well with the way that soldiers must learn to deal with the various positions that they find themselves in both in combat situations and relationships during war time. The supporting cast is also great because they allow us to see how those around the lead can affect him in various situations along the way. Jagger, Hackman and Troup all stand out here in helping this character find his way through the path he is given. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – James Best would gain mainstream success ten years later as Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard a decade later, but he’d been a working actor for a long time. Although in First To Fight, unlike a lot of other films and television shows, he does practically the same chortle/laugh (sounding like “koo koo”) that would become iconic on The Dukes of Hazzard. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)