Corea, hora cero

Rather dreary Korean War drama where everybody appears to be performing "by the numbers". There's none of the intensity expected of those life-and-death situations that distinguish the era's better war films (Bridges of Toko-Ri; Pork Chop Hill; Retreat, Hell!). The action never really gels, which I suppose is the fault of director Garnett who appears disengaged from what's on screen. It doesn't help that the screenplay also appears stitched together from a host of war movie clichés, few of which stick around long enough to establish themselves--- the wives, the ethnic grunts, the lonely orphan. It's like a runner in baseball thinking he has to touch all 100 bases before he can score.

Of course, the film does contain one dramatic highlight that caused considerable controversy at the time, but has since proved revealing--- the intentional shelling of civilian refugees by American forces. The screenplay tries to soften the impact with North Korean infiltrators holding refugees at gunpoint, but the destruction occurs anyway. Now, that was really a pretty gutsy move on somebody's part since the war was still going on when the movie was released in 1952.

Though not publicized at the time, we now know from proved incidents such as No Gun-Ri (There was more than one eye-witness, and the only dispute is over the number killed) that such atrocities did occur on our side as well as the enemy's. And though not included in highschool history texts, there was considerable sympathy for the North from the peasantry of the South because of the landlord-dominated government of the South, many of which had collaborated with hated Japanese occupiers during WWII. As a result, considerable guerilla activity occurred in the South both before and during the war itself. Details such as these cast light on the basic accuracy of the movie's depiction. Ironically, the problem for GI's was the same here as in Vietnam--- how to distinguish friendly civilians from the enemy, while too often the solution was to kill them all. But when your own life is on the line, what do you do? That's why Mitchum's Col. Janowski is so torn.

Apparently studio honcho Howard Hughes had high hopes for the production since his name appears above the title. And even though the seams from stock footage are pretty obvious, the film is well produced with locations at Fort Carson, Colorado, where the terrain was said to resemble that of Korea. But background and special effects can hardly compensate for the general listlessness of the results or the ill-conceived Ann Blyth role. Nonetheless, the movie does remain memorable for its one revealing episode.

The picture features a Colonel , Robert Mitchum as Col. Steve Janowski , who is stationed in Seoul , he is a military adviser training the South Korean army . Things go wrong when North Korean troops invade the South. Janowski is assigned a dangerous misision along with other officers and soldiers, a motley and important support cast : Charles McGraw , William Talman , Charles McGraw, Richard Egan , Eduard Franz , in charge of evacuating civilians which means persuading United Nations official Ann Blyth that she has to go too . But then Janowski ends up bombing South Korean refugees .Love That Lived with Danger! Back of every man of action ... there's a woman made for love .

Korean war action film divides its time between an army romance : Robert Mitchum/Ann Blyth and war action . This is an allegedly true story in which various military served as technical advisors as Army Capt. Edward R. Harrison ,Lt. Col. S. Paul Latiolais , and Dr. Henry De Young , a former Korean Minister to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's headquarters, , and in fact , it used 175 Korean War veterans as extras . Howard Hughes' RKO didn't waste much time in getting neither a great film , nor a notable drama on screen , being a medium budget movie , but an acceptable flick . Stock footage was used to fill in the background and is far more striking than anything the writers could up with . Besides , the blend of battle scenes and romance never amounts too much . Pure sentimental slop , it is a stirring and sometimes moving tale , accompanying some spectacular aerial scenes and impressive bombing behind enemy lines . As for the aerial scenes were used Mustang fighter planes from Buckley Field in Denver and F-80 jets . The lukewarm melodrama features Robert Mitchum as a tough Colonel who quickly achieves the confidence of the other soldiers around him, at the same time he sings a Japanese song . Ann Blyth delivers a decent acting as the beautiful officer and widow who finds out about the horrors of war when she falls in love .

Produced at a cost of millions to bring you a million thrills by the powerful producer Edmund Grainger .Being professionally directed by Tay Garnett , though including flaws as well as gaps , and extremely sentimental . Tay was a good Hollywood craftsman . Tay entered films in 1920 as a screenwriter . After a stint as a gag writer for Mack Sennett and Hal Roach he joined Pathe, then the distributor for both competing comedy producers, and in 1928 began directing for that company . Garnett garnered some attention in the early 1930s with such films as Bad company (1931) and Way Passage (1932) , but his best work came in the mid-'30s and early 1940s with such films as S.O.S. Iceberg (1933) , China seas (1935), Slave Ship (1937) and Trade Winds (1938) . His best known film would have to the John Garfield/Lana Turner vehicle : The postman always rings twice (1946), although his version of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949) was a well-deserved critical and commercial success as well . Other successes were the followings : Bataan (1943) , The cross of Lorraine (1943) , Soldiers Three (151) , The Black Knight (1953) , Stand-in , Mrs Parkington , Cause for alarm , The big push , Seven sinners , Slighly honorable , Main Street to Broadway , Cheers for Miss Bishop, Eternally yours , among others . One Minute to Zero (1952)results to be a treat for Robert Mitchum and Ann Blyth fans . Rating : 5.5/10

One Minute To Zero is a cold war film about Korea, very typical of its time. President Truman called it a police action, like we were going there to arrest Kim Il Sung and his cronies. It sure looked like a war from the point of view of the World War II veterans and their younger brothers who fought it.

Robert Mitchum plays one of those veterans, a career army man who rose from the ranks to become a Colonel. He's training the South Korean Army when the North attacks. His personal story is interwoven with the progress of the war from the initial attack until the landings at Inchon. Mitch is every inch the combat soldier in this film.

And Mitch falls big time for widow Ann Blyth, a United Nations worker. When the UN was founded post World War II a lot of people put hope and faith in it that it would prevent future wars and it would deter aggression with force if need be. The only reason it got into Korea was because the Russians were boycotting the Security Council at the time and couldn't veto anything. A gambit they never used again. Ann is a World War II widow who believes she's carrying out the ideals her husband fought for. Lots of folks felt that way back in 1950.

Director Tay Garnett did a good job editing in real combat footage with his actors. The film has a good sense of realism.

But it's a good romantic story as well, helped along by one of the most durable popular songs in history. When I Fall In Love came from this film, heard in the background but never sung. Curious because Ann Blyth is an excellent singer. Nat King Cole and Doris Day had hit records of it when the film was first out. Later on Etta James, The Lettermen, Donny Osmond, Natalie Cole all did well by this song. And right up to the present day Celine Dion and Clive Griffin did a duet record back in 1993. The good ones always survive and I wouldn't bet against a future hit single for some artist with this one.

There is one scene in this that would definitely jar today's audiences. At one point Mitchum directs his men to fire into a group of refugees who the North Koreans are using as a blind to smuggle men and arms into the South. And the movie makes sure you see that that was the case. I don't doubt such things happened. They're happening today. But the movie verdict acquits Mitchum and assuages Ann Blyth that she shouldn't doubt her man. What CNN would do with that today.

The supporting cast includes Charles McGraw, Wally Cassell, and William Talman. All do a good job.

It's a double treat. Lots of action for the men and plenty of romance for the women, or the other way around if that's what floats your boat.

While many today remember Robert Mitchum for noir movies (like NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, OUT OF THE PAST and THE BIG STEAL) he also was great in other genres. And even though this is not his best war movie Mitchum shines in this forgotten movie. He plays a infantry colonel stationed with his men in South Korea before the Korean War. The movie has two subplots: Mitchum at war with his men or winning the affection of a UN worker (played by Ann Blyth). He is among the most believable characters I ever saw in a war movie, and that because he is NOT larger than life or hard as nails. Instead he looks like a decent man which everyone could count on. The only problem with the film is that even though it has some light moments (and Mitchum handles them well) it's very explicit as for some scenes of soldiers injured or killed that look a bit brutal. Not a war movie for the faint of hearth, but still awfully good.

Unlike a great many films dealing with the Korean war ONE MINUTE TO ZERO does try to bring a sense of time and place to the proceedings . We see planes from Australia strafing North Korean troops while another scene scene shows British troops marching off to war behind a Scottish pipe band , and the most memorable sequence features North Korean infiltrators using refugees as human shields which did happen fairly often during that exceptionally cruel conflict. Compare this to most other films about the Korean war which could have been set in Asia or Europe during the second world war .

It does have a few flaws , for example there`s some painfully obvious real life film footage used and some of the battle scenes , especially the sequence with a soldier being killed by a flame thrower , could have been more graphic but I suppose that`s down to what you could show on screen in 1952 so perhaps that`s not a valid criticism . What is however is the inclusion of a love story which drags the story down some what . Women won`t want to watch ONE MINUTE TO ZERO because of the large number of combat scenes while fans of war films ( Who I guess are exclusively male ) will find the love story intrusive . But it`s a lot better than PEARL HARBOR