The Bold and the Brave (1956)

“There’s a time to be scared and there’s a time to have laughs.” – Willie Dooley

Number of Times Seen – 1 (1 Jun 2021)

Brief Synopsis – During World War II, a platoon of soldiers must fight there way through Italy.

My Take on it – Intriguing idea that unfortunately doesn’t work well enough.

The film has far too many characters ad never manages to find a focal point along the way.

The characters all come across as being quite stereotypical in all that they say or do and this also drags things down a bit along the way.

Don Taylor is great here as the platoon sergeant and he shines the whole way though

Mickey Rooney was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor here in a role that is quite different from what he has played in the past.

The problem is that he doesn’t come across as seeming realistic enough in the scenes where he needs to act heroic in battle.

The gambling scene is the most memorable one of the movie and that is where Rooney really stands out here.

The main character is played by Wendell Corey and he is a good protagonist even if he sometimes comes across as being too underdeveloped.

The battle scenes are done well, but when comparing them to other films of the time, something seems slightly inferior on the way they were shot.

In addition to the Oscar nomination for Rooney, this film also managed to garner a nomination for Best Original screenplay yet also didn’t manage to win that award.

This film does manage to utilize flashbacks in an effective way.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – A gambler and a World War II veteran himself, Mickey Rooney claimed to have adlibbed and directed his crap game sequence. (From IMDB)

Rating – BAFTA Worthy (5/10)