Bold And The Brave (1956)

In 1944 Italy as the war nears its end, the film follows three soldiers. A coward (Wendell Corey), a religious bigot (Don Taylor, FATHER OF THE BRIDE) and a small time gambler (Mickey Rooney) with big dreams. The first half of the film is the best as Taylor's fanatic falls for the charms of a local tramp (Nicole Maurey, DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST) and begins to become human ... for awhile, at least. The second half, the combat portion, is fairly predictable. We know the coward will find his courage, the bigot will be humbled and based on Rooney's hyperactive performance, his fate is clear even before it happens. Still, the Academy liked it enough to nominate him for an Oscar in the supporting category and the screenplay by Robert Lewin got a nod, too. As war films from the 1950s go, it's pretty decent but it's no MEN IN WAR or PORK CHOP HILL. Directed by Lewis R. Foster with a score by Herschel Burke Gilbert though the hideous title song was the brainchild of Rooney and Ross Bagdasarian (best remembered today as the creator of Alvin and the Chipmunks). With John Smith and Race Gentry.