User reviews

Douglas Sirk's career at Universal throughout the fifties was a constant battle. It was a battle to make quality movies despite the often dire screenplays and less than talented casts he often had to put up with. Miraculously he most often was victorious despite the odds. "Battle Hymn" was one of his defeats. It remains his least likable film.

In his book "Sirk on Sirk" Michael Halliday sheds some light on this. Sirk had broken his leg badly and had to direct from a wheelchair which severely limited him. But the main reason for this somewhat heavy handed film was the presence of Dean Hess on the set and his overseeing each scene.

The film is a biography of Dean Hess himself. A man who turns to the church after the trauma of bombing a German orphanage and killing 37 children, Hess leaves his position of preacher in small town Ohio and volunteers for service in Korea. It's an odd choice for a man of his past, but "Killer Hess" as he was known, gets the opportunity to save Korean orphans in the process, putting to sleep his inner demons and putting things right in the world.

Sirk was very put off by Hess' presence on the set and more so by his input. He was clearly a man of much ambiguity, something that fascinated Sirk. Yet Sirk was unable to really express this in meaningful way on the screen. He wanted to give Hess a drinking problem as a way of expressing his pain, but Hess would hear nothing of it. He clearly wanted to be portrayed as a holier than though hero. The result is that the film has an awful self congratulatory feel about it.

Sirk was fascinated by characters who conceal within themselves a deep conflict. To him these were the most interesting of all. In all the movies Sirk made with Rock Hudson, he always cast him as the stabling influence and a foil to those unstable characters around him. Robert Stack in both "Written on the Wind" and "Tarnished Angels" is a perfect example of a split character playing against Hudson as the basically good, well grounded opposite. It's of course extremely ironic since in real life Rock Hudson was surely terribly conflicted by his concealed homosexuality while idolised by the masses as a model of masculine heterosexuality. Perhaps that is part of Sirk's affinity for him. Yet Sirk felt that Hudson's simplicity and basic goodness were suited to playing uncomplicated characters. "Battle Hymn" is the only film in which Sirk cast Hudson as a conflicted character. Had his character been better written there may have been a chance to pull it off. But as it stands, it's a competent and respectable performance, but something of a missed opportunity for Hudson.

The rest of the cast acquit themselves well. Anna Kashfi is particularly effective with her ethereal presence. James Edwards deserves a mention, since his role as a black fighter pilot was certainly ground breaking for its time.

There are however some really cringe inducing moments such as the aforementioned James Edwards breaking into "Swing Low" after an air raid and the final scene of the Korean orphans singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic" for Hess as he returns to Korea with his wife. These moments are meant to be uplifting, but seem now to be in somewhat poor taste.

The Korean children in the film were actually Korean orphans and they are a delight. Sirk had great affinity with young children who in turn gave memorable performances in his movies.

But when all is said and done, "Battle Hymn" is a film best forgotten, unlike his other war film, the remarkable "A Time to Love and a Time to Die" which he would soon make.

This is the apparently true story of Colonel Dean Hess as the upright clergyman turned fighter pilot . After accidentally bombing , during WWII , an orphange as a fighter pilot a Col. , Rock Hudson, becomes a God minister . Problem is , he is plagued with guilt and wishes a real redemption . Later on , he leaves his pregnant wife , Martha Hyer, and returns to the Air Force in 1950 to train Korean pilots in Seoul ; there he meets a motley bunch , such as the army sergeant companion , Dan Duryea in a rare likeable character , the officers Don DeFore , Jock Mahoney , the sympathetic cook Alan Hale Jr and the African-American James Edwards , among others . Then , at the quarters show up a group of 37 orphaned children wanting shelter from Commie attacks and bombings .Along the way Hess winds up building a home for the local orphans .

This is a true story in which the real Hess served as technical advisor . Pure sentimental slop , it is a stirring and sometimes moving tale , accompanying some spectacular aerial scenes and impressive dog-fighting . Main cast is pretty well . As Rock Hudson gives an acceptable acting as a chaplain whose wartime bravery earns him a string of honours ; however, he suffers strong remorses . This is Hudson's third modern-day adventure in the East , the others were : Spiral road and Thunder of God . Rock was Sirk's fetish including important titles as Taza , Magnificent obsession , Written in the wind , among others . His wife is well played by the attractive Martha Hyer and Anna Kashfi, Marlon Brando's spouse , plays the oriental girl who helps and falls for him . Magnificent support cast with plenty of notorious secondaries such as the usually veteran bad man Dan Duryea , Don DeFore , Jock Mahoney , Richard Loo , Carl Benton Reid , Alan Hale Jr , and Philip Ahn as the old man philosopher .

It contains a colorful cinematography in Technicolor by Russell Metty, though a perfect remastering being extremely necessary . Sensitive musical score including oriental sounds and choral music by Frank Skinner. The motion picture was well directed by Douglas Sirk . He was a fundamental filmmaker who gave prestigious movies , usually collaborating with similar technicians as cameraman Russell Metty , Production Designer Alexander Golitzen , Producer Ross Hunter and writer George Zuckerman . Sirk directed a lot of classic melodramas such as : Never say goobye , Interlude , Summerstorm , The first legion , The lady pays off , Tarnished Angels , A time to love a time to die , Magnificent obsession , All that heaven allows , Written in the Wind . But he also directed other genres as WWII : Mystery submarine , Hitler's madmen ; Thrillers and Film Noir : Shockproof , Thunder on the hill , A scandal in Paris , Lured ; Historical : Attila with Jack Palance ; Adventures : Thunderbolt and Lightfoot with Hudson and Barbara Rush ; and even a Western : Taza , again with Rock Hudson.

This is hardly one of its director's more notable efforts which is perhaps why it took me this long to catch up with it in the first place; a miscast Rock Hudson is defeated by his impossible role of a real-life U.S.A.F. pilot whose accidental bombing of a Japanese orphanage during WWII drove him to take up priesthood; ironically, just as the protagonist struggles with his conflicting vocations (he considers it his duty to re-apply for service when the Korean War comes along), the film can't make up its mind whether it wants to be a biopic, a war epic or a particularly sticky Hollywood blending of religiosity and child interest! In itself, a harmless and typically glossy product of its era with the aerial sequences themselves certainly well done; sleek noir villain Dan Duryea is wasted, however, as a soldier who is particularly beloved by the Korean orphans Hudson and his men stumble upon. Ultimately, the film is perhaps most notable as being one of only four films featuring Anna Kashfi – Welsh despite her exotic name and looks – and best-known for her brief marriage (1957-59) to Marlon Brando.

I am sick and tired of the misinformation that is constantly related about Colonel Hess. He was NOT a fighter pilot turned minister, it was the other way around. He was an ordained minister before joining the U S Army Air Force, as it was called in World War Two. Although he could have been a Chaplain, he did not feel that he could bless others for doing something he wasn't willing to do. If he had conflicts on the set of the movie, it was because of the way the Director wanted to portray him, not because he wanted to appear "Holier Than Thou". Anyone who wants the facts should read the book "Battle Hymn". It is out of print, but should be available through Amazon or Alibris. The orphanage bombing incident did take place. It happened because a bomb hung up on his P-47 (NOT a P-51 as shown in the movie) it was not a deliberate act. The incident did haunt him the rest of his life, But he saved many more orphans than were killed. "Operation Kiddy Car" was a real happening. As a final note, the money Hess received for the Screen Rights to his book, were given to the Korean Orphanage to repair its roof

This war story opens with an introduction by Earle Partridge, an Air Force general, who starts telling the (true) story of Colonel Dean Hess in the Korean War. Hess had started out as a minister, but felt the need to contribute to the war effort, assigned to train the Korean fighter pilots. This assignment turned into a much bigger ordeal than anyone had planned on. This film is another project with Douglas Sirk directing Rock Hudson. Don DeFore is Major Skidmore. Viewers will know him from his roles on "Hazel" and Ozzie & Harriet. Pretty good entertainment... some religious discussions and lessons thrown in, as Hess had been a minister back home. This is based on Hess' autobiography, after all. Of course, either Alan Hale Senior or Alan Hale Junior has to be in every war movie made... in this one, it's Junior (Skipperrrrrr!) playing the Mess Sergeant. Also James Hong is in here somewhere as Major Chong. He was the maitre D in the Seinfeld Chinese restaurant episode... he would have been just 28 in "Hymn". Philip Ahn plays the old man "Lun"... he played the old, respected father or grandfather figure in MASH, Hawaii Five-O, and many many more films and TV series. For more details, see the entry on Dean Hess in Wikipedia.org. This is one of the four films on the Universal War Collection DVD set.

Led by a heroic westerner, hundreds of orphans escape a bloody Asian war zone; while "Inn of the Sixth Happiness" comes to mind, Douglas Sirk's 1957 film, "Battle Hymn," has a similar inspirational climax. Unfortunately, Rock Hudson is no Ingrid Bergman, and, frankly, he is no Colonel Dean E. Hess either, who was the real-life individual upon whose exploits this movie was loosely based. Hess was a minister, who harbored guilt for the accidental bombing of a German orphanage during World War II. Despite the support of his glamorous 1950's wife, a perfectly coiffed, made-up, and garbed Martha Hyer, who does wonders with a minister's salary, Hess begins to doubt his religious vocation and re-enlists in the Army Air Corps when the Korean War breaks out. Assigned to train an undisciplined squad of airmen, which is headed up by an old pal, Don Defore, Hess sheds his ministerial tone and becomes a hard ass to shape up the men; however, faster than whiplash, Hess melts into a softy when faced with hungry Korean orphans, who invade the camp. Before long, Hess is diverting military supplies, utilizing government-issue vehicles, and using his own and his men's time in the noble pursuit of aiding the orphans, rather than fighting the war he was sent to win. If the film were true to fact, Hess could have been brought up on charges for misuse of government property during wartime.

Produced by Ross Hunter, audiences might expect a movie-star of Hudson's looks and shallow talent to be ably supported by Lana Turner as his wife and Sandra Dee as a Korean in charge of winsome orphans out of Central Casting. However, "Battle Hymn" does offer the daughter of a Welsh factory worker, Anna Kashfi, as En Soon Yang, a Korean-Indian with a yen for Hudson and tenderness for orphans. Sporting a long white beard, Philip Ahn depicts a stereotypical aged Asian, who imparts homilies of quasi-wisdom that sound profound. Veteran Dan Duryea lends a comic touch as a Sergeant, who purloins military supplies, such as chewing gum and candy, for the hungry tykes; with that diet, little wonder the Korean kids look catatonic and dazed throughout the film.

After a stilted opening, in which a uniformed Air Force general tells the audience how pleased he is that this story could be told, the glossy production begins, and the Hollywood hokum dreamed up by writers Charles Grayson and Vincent B. Evans unfolds. The trite dialog and clichéd situations suit the wooden acting, which is occasionally interrupted with a strained attempt at humor; occasionally, the mood is so light it resembles "MASH" in its irreverence towards war. Ross Hunter films always have a polished look; the production values are high, and the sharp cinematography by Russell Metty stretches across a Cinemascope screen. Unfortunately, the score by Frank Skinner will have eyes rolling; utilizing "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Swing Low Sweet Chariot," faux Oriental themes, and bombastic military music, the schizophrenic soundtrack evokes laughter at the wrong times.

Whatever the true story of Colonel Hess, which has largely been forgotten by time, "Battle Hymn" does not do him justice. Despite Douglas Sirk at the helm, the film is all surface gloss with a veneer of hokey inspirational overtones; a few standard air-combat sequences interrupt the melodrama with too many head-in-a-helmet shots of Hudson and DeFore. "Battle Hymn" may be on must-see lists for Sirk and Hudson completists and those eager to glimpse P-51 Mustangs, but others will likely find the film a forgettable unconvincing slog.

There are so many great TRUE stories in the world, and every time hollywood twists it to make it something else, it's a disaster. Why is hollywood so afraid of the truth?? Read the autobiography Battle Hymn by Major Dean Hess. If only the script would have gone along with reality, it would have been a great movie. We have a lot to learn and appreciate from real heroes, who are becoming scarce. I liked the plane fight scenes, the orphan scenes and this movie showcased probably my favorite character for Dan Duryea. I did not appreciate the hinting of possible romantic feelings between Hess and En Soon Yung. James Edwards had a small but admirable part as Lt Maples. I was saddened by Dan DeFore's character, who appears to have died not knowing Jesus' saving grace. But mainly, Major Hess's character and script was wrong in too many important ways.

When the film begins, you see a flashback of Dean Hess (Rock Hudson) as a pilot during WWII. By mistake, a bomb falls off his P-51 and hits an orphanage. He's haunted by this and this might explain why he became a minister after the war. However, he's still haunted by this mistake and when the Korean War breaks out, he volunteers to serve. His job is setting up an airbase for the South Korean Air Force, although much of his energy ends up being spent helping the many orphans displaced by the war.

In some ways, the film reminded me of the story "Lord Jim"--a guy makes a mistake and spends his life trying his best to do good and somehow atone for his past. It makes for an interesting film and Rock Hudson is just fine in the lead. Worth seeing and very well made.

Its heart is in its right intentions. However, this melodramatic fifties movie paces slower than most war movies. Besides Hudson, there's Don DeFore and that great noir actor Dan Duryea, playing the nice guy here teaching Korean kids how to chew gun.

But there is some race baiting but never on Hudson's part. He is the man in charge and also the Deacon and as such, bears the consciousness of this movie.

If you like and admire Douglas Sirk's other work, you won't be disappointed here.

Interesting look of the Korean War done just four years after the fact.

With all the controversy surrounding End of the Spear where openly gay actor Chad Allen plays a Christian missionary, I was reminded of Battle Hymn where Rock Hudson plays a minister who goes to war. If Rock Hudson were alive today and open about his sexuality, the same kind of controversy would be surrounding this film.

Battle Hymn is based on a book by the Reverend Dean Hess who after service in World War II as an Army Air Corps flier enters the ministry. It seems as though he accidentally bombed an orphanage in Germany, killing several children.

In an effort to redeem himself he enters the ministry, but he feels himself going through the motions of his faith at the church he's assigned to in Ohio. When the Korean War starts, the newly formed Air Force needed not only pilots for combat, but pilots to train the newly forming South Korean Air Force. Hudson takes leave of his church assignment and goes to Korea.

Once there and quite by accident he gets involved with the littlest victims of war, the orphan kids of Korea who know no politics, only that their world is being destroyed. And when the North Koreans start to push the South Koreans and their allies into the Pusan perimeter Hudson organizes a march and then an airlift of over 400 children south to an orphanage.

Rock Hudson had really come into his own as an actor having received an Oscar Nomination for Best Actor for Giant. He brings to Dean Hess an infectious sincerity. As Hess both as minister and Colonel USAF he feels the responsibility of command and faith more clearly than he could ever have been just pastoring a church. In his scenes with Anna Kashfi and Philip Ahn on the march and airlift with the Korean orphan kids, he's just great. And his acting high point comes when he comforts the dying Don DeFore who was his friend in both wars. Hudson really reaches some sublime levels there.

Dan Duryea normally playing some of the nastiest villains ever on the screen shows the good side in his role as the tough Air Force sergeant who helps Hudson in his mission. And James Edwards who for some better breaks could have been the first black actor in leading roles instead of Sidney Poitier, is just great as the pilot who himself machine guns some children while on a mission. Hudson's scene in revealing himself to Edwards and urging to seek divine forgiveness is also touching and compelling.

Were we ever a silly people at times back in the day. If Rock Hudson had been open about his sexuality in 1956 he would have had no movie career. If Battle Hymn were made today it would probably be the subject of as much controversy as End of the Spear. As if love and compassion and care for orphans can only be the products of the straight people in this world.

One other note. Originally offered the role was Robert Mitchum who was turned down by the real Dean Hess because of his marijuana bust in 1948 as not having the proper image to play a minister. How ironic indeed.

Battle Hymn is a fine film, probably belongs on Rock Hudson's top ten list. Catch it if it is ever shown on TCM or AMC.

I've had this movie for the better part of a year and finally sat down to watch it all the way through today.

Colonel Hess was a great American patriot who should always be remembered for his actions and this movie does a good job of showing how he cared about the orphaned children in a war torn country and how his religious convictions were the motivations behind his actions as an Air Force pilot, commander and sanctuary for young orphaned children who are a frequent casualty of war.

Watching the movie, I'm left with the impression that Rock Hudson doesn't like the role or unsure of how to portray him. I wouldn't say he was a bad actor, just not as good as I've witnessed in other roles. Other actors, even cooky (Alan Hale jr. of Gilligan's Island Fame) seem to at least come across as more natural. As a rule, I'm usually opposed to remakes but I would actually like to see this movie be redone, possibly by Mel Gibson who doesn't seem to have any reservations regarding movies from a faith based POV or possibly even the producers who made Fireproof or Flywheel. I'll even go so far as to say that I believe that this would be a decent role for Kirk Cameron to play.

As I said, it's a great story and as a result of my watching it I've been curious to learn more about Colonel Hess, hopefully you will be as well.

A movie starring Rock Hudson as a minister is. . . well, just as boring as it sounds. Rock feels he's not reaching his congregation anymore, so when the Korean War breaks out, he enlists to prove his worth. But since he has no intention of killing anyone in the line of duty, nor of letting any of his fellow soldiers know that he used to be a minister, his actual purpose isn't clear.

Dan Duryea plays the big, dumb fool with nothing to do but chew gum and play nice with the local Korean children. James Edwards plays the emotional soldier who takes war seriously, but instead of giving him real acting to do, they make him sing "Sing Low, Sweet Chariot." I'm not kidding. There are plenty of scenes that were supposed to be suspenseful or moving, but I wasn't impressed. If you're looking for a wartime movie starring a man who doesn't want to kill, check out The Amazing Dr. Wassell instead. I know I don't usually recommend a Gary Cooper movie, but it's far more effective and exciting.

In 1954,Rock Hudson,who was Douglas Sirk's favorite actor,(they made 8 movies together)starred in the remake of John Stahl's "magnificent obsession".It was a tale of redemption.A playboy trying to redeem himself by giving back eyesight to a blind woman (whose disability was his fault).

In "Battle hymn" ,Rock Hudson portrays an air force officer who destroyed an orphanage with thirty-seven children in WW2 and tries to redeem his soul.But it is not as convincing.As users have already pointed out,the true story was altered .The ideology is not clear; the old man's words are not so wise :war is necessary and that is the way God planned it ....

Sirk's pacifism was better applied on "A time to love and a time to die" based on EM Remarque's novel which is much superior to this preachy effort.Colonel Hess deserved a better movie.

Like this ?try these.....

The inn of the sixth happiness (Robson)

55 days at Peking (Ray)

The keys of the kingdom (Stahl)

There has not been enough focus on the Korean war since Vietnam but I feel there is still a lot more stories to be told about that war and this movie is great example of the kind of sweeping stories that background has to offer.I highly recommend it if one wants a good slice of the atmosphere that war brought because of it's combination of attention to detail combined with entertaining aspects like great movie eye candy cinematography and a dramatic story that fullfills the movie's promise.A person who knows about movie making basics will definitely respect the efforts put into this movie because it truly shows.Delivers it's Korean war/drama genre expectations with a lot of extra treats thrown in.This extra effort has proven through time that this movie was under appreciated and is now considered to stand as one of the best war movies of all time.

This film has some lovely sentiments and messages. It's all the more touching given it's based on a true story. Hess is certainly a man I would have liked to shake hands with.

Hess, is a World War 2 veteran with emotional scars left after a bombing accident over Germany. After trying his hand as a preacher and feeling empty, he finds him self back in the US Air Force in the 1950s Korean conflict. A large group of child refugees move him to act, and hopefully, ease the pain of the previous war. Certainly a story worth telling.

Sadly the direction and much of the acting are very very cheesy. Hudson is adequate and the children are wonderful (as you'd expect). But many of the other performances are contrived and stilled. With the exception of some real combat camera footage, the battle scenes are thin. Evidently only men bleed when they are shot? If you are making a War film about a serious subject, I believe Hess is such a subject, do it the honour of not wrapping war in a flouncy skirt. Just a mid afternoon filler.

Beyond Rock Hudson being, quite possibly, the perfect movie star- handsome movie star and P-51 Mustangs, there's pretty much nothing to recommend here. Battle Hymn doesn't know what it wants to be--a war movie, a testament to the healing power of Christianity, or a vanilla-ized biopic of a fighter pilot turned minister.

Here's a pretty easy rule to understand: If you try to be a bunch of things at once, you'll probably fail at all of them.

Battle Hymn is so completely bland in its treatment of USAF Colonel Dean Hess' search for how to jibe being a minister with being a warrior that about all you can really hang on to are the cute Korean kids milling and jabbering about and those incredible Mustangs.

I saw Battle Hymn as a kid on TV. Once again, age has not been kind to a movie I liked (or in this case, sort of liked) way back when.

Skip it.

I found this older movie in an unusual way, I was looking for Martha Hyer movies. In this one her role is somewhat brief as the wife of the main character but in her early 30s was as beautiful as ever.

Rock Hudson is very good as Colonel Dean E. Hess, who in real life was an American minister and United States Air Force colonel who was involved in the so-called "Kiddy Car Airlift," the documented rescue of 950 orphans and 80 orphanage staff from the path of the Chinese advance during the Korean War on December 20, 1950.

As the movie opens we see Hess as a minister but still feels guilt from an accidental bombing of a church and orphanage in Germany during WW2. He isn't sure he is genuine as a minister and goes back into active duty, training Koreans to fly fighter planes. But his soft spot for orphans gets him involved in providing care for them, an activity that he continued in future years. He died, aged 97 in 2015.

Good movie.

Solid Rock Hudson vehicle dealing with a preacher's accidental bombing of an orphanage in a small German city during World War 11. The preacher, Dean Hess, played beautifully by Rock Hudson, comes back to the states following the war but is unable to fulfill his duties and reenlists for action in Korea 5 years later.

It is through his work in Korea that Hudson is able to reaffirm his faith.

Carl Benton Reid plays the town deacon. I remember Reid for playing Hudson's father-in-law in "One Desire" with the mean Julie Adams as his wife and the kindly Anne Baxter, the woman he should have married.

The film does go a little over-the-top with the death scene by Hess's buddy, played to the hilt by Don DeFore. When Hudson tells a dying DeFore that death is where one door opens after another closes is a little too much to take; although, it's effectively done.

Married to Martha Hyer in the film, Hudson soon learns that she is with child when he goes off to Korea. There, he meets Anna Kashfi, a young woman who has fled the ravages of war in her town. Due to his religious upbringing, romance does not evolve around the characters. In fact, she dies tragically near the end of the film.

The remaining part of the film deals with the attempts of Yang (Kashfi) and Hess to get the children out of a warring province to safe haven somewhere else. I thought we were going to see another "Inn of the 6th Happiness" here but we did not.

This is definitely a film of the triumph of the human spirit. It's another solid film for veteran director Douglas Sirk. He made so many of those women's pictures in the 1950 that starred Rock Hudson.

Without any opening credits, I would have recognized here a movie directed by Douglas Sirk, a movie that of course evokes FAREWELL TO ARMS, maybe because of the plot and also the presence of Rock Hudson. That's not my cup of tea, both features, but that's the recipe of a war melodrama, the kind of scheme for which you can also expect a William Holden, a Rock Hudson or a Jimmy Stewart's presence, and certainly not Dan Duryea, who is totally in midcast here. It is a routine job from the duo Douglas Sirk - Rock Hudson, and I forgot the producer Ross Hunter. I prefer a true melodrama without any war lines.