{"id":10503,"date":"2010-01-22T17:59:41","date_gmt":"2010-01-23T00:59:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10503"},"modified":"2020-11-24T16:27:08","modified_gmt":"2020-11-24T23:27:08","slug":"between-heaven-and-hell-1956","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10503","title":{"rendered":"Between Heaven and Hell (1956)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard about you, Gifford. First you go get yourself a silver star, then you get busted to private. Oh, it&#8217;s a rough war, ain&#8217;t it?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster-198x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-54499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster-198x300.png 198w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster-676x1024.png 676w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster-84x128.png 84w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster-178x270.png 178w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Poster.png 733w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA spoiled Southerner (Robert Wagner) serving under a sadistic commander (Broderick Crawford) experiences a fundamental attitude shift.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Broderick Crawford Films<\/li>\n<li>Character Arc<\/li>\n<li>Flashback Films<\/li>\n<li>Richard Fleischer Films<\/li>\n<li>Robert Wagner Films<\/li>\n<li>Ruthless Leaders<\/li>\n<li>Soldiers<\/li>\n<li>Terry Moore Films<\/li>\n<li>World War Two<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nStarring matinee-idol Robert Wagner, this unassuming WWII-era film (based on a novel by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Francis_Irby_Gwaltney\">Francis Gwaltney<\/a>) offers yet another perspective on the brutal ravages of war. Unfortunately, the ostensible focus of the film &#8212; arrogant Sergeant-turned-Private Gifford (Wagner) learns to love and respect his fellow soldiers, regardless of their station in life:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-1024x542.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"339\" class=\"alignleft size-large wp-image-54520\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-1024x542.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-300x159.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-768x406.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-1536x812.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5-510x270.png 510w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Wagner5.png 1711w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/> <\/p>\n<p>&#8212; comes across as somewhat heavy-handed, given that the brief flashbacks to his life as a callous plantation owner (married to Terry Moore) aren&#8217;t lengthy enough to give us a really good sense of who Gifford once was (or why). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-1024x492.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"308\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-1024x492.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-300x144.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-128x61.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-768x369.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-1536x737.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee-562x270.png 562w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Matinee.png 1831w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Much more effective is director Richard Fleischer&#8217;s ability to show us how the random brutality of wartime violence &#8212; starting with the death of his beloved father-in-law (Robert Keith):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-1024x509.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"318\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54516\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-1024x509.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-300x149.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-128x64.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-768x382.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-1536x763.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith-543x270.png 543w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Keith.png 1833w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8212; has a deeply powerful effect on Wagner&#8217;s psyche; the type of PTSD he experiences wasn&#8217;t explored nearly enough in other wartime films of the era. <\/p>\n<p>Broderick Crawford is appropriately unhinged as a Kurtz-like commander slowly going off the deep end (with a weirdly homoerotic attachment to his two buff young henchmen, who often roam around shirtless): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-1024x514.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"321\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54515\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-1024x514.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-300x151.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-128x64.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-768x385.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-1536x771.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford-538x270.png 538w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Crawford.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>My favorite performance in the film, however, is given by Buddy Ebsen as Wagner&#8217;s lower-class &#8220;buddy&#8221;, who quietly befriends him and helps him see the good in himself. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-1024x489.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"306\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54514\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-1024x489.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-300x143.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-128x61.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-768x367.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-1536x734.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen-565x270.png 565w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Ebsen.png 1835w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Much less fortunate is the casting of Harvey Lembeck as &#8212; what else? &#8212; an obnoxious wiseacre; fortunately, his role is relatively small. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-1024x491.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"307\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-1024x491.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-300x144.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-128x61.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-768x368.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-1536x737.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck-563x270.png 563w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Lembeck.png 1833w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Note Hugo Friedhofer&#8217;s Oscar-nominated score, which draws heavily &#8212; and to nice effect &#8212; upon the &#8220;dies irae&#8221; motif. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A powerful portrait of the effects of wartime death on soldiers<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-1024x498.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"311\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54517\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-1024x498.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-300x146.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-128x62.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-768x373.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-1536x747.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2-555x270.png 555w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Shack-Still2.png 1841w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-1024x506.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"316\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54519\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-1024x506.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-128x63.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-768x379.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-1536x758.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1-547x270.png 547w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/Between-Heaven-and-Hell-Cinematography-1.png 1825w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, but it&#8217;s worth a look, and WWII film fans will certainly want to check it out. Listed as a Sleeper and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0049004\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve heard about you, Gifford. First you go get yourself a silver star, then you get busted to private. Oh, it&#8217;s a rough war, ain&#8217;t it?&#8221; Synopsis: A spoiled Southerner (Robert Wagner) serving under a sadistic commander (Broderick Crawford) experiences a fundamental attitude shift. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Broderick Crawford Films Character Arc Flashback Films Richard Fleischer Films Robert Wagner Films Ruthless Leaders Soldiers Terry Moore Films World War Two Review: Starring matinee-idol Robert Wagner, this unassuming WWII-era film&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10503\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10503","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10503"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10503\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54524,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10503\/revisions\/54524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10503"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10503"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10503"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}