All the Young Men (1960) DVD-R

Starring Alan Ladd, Sidney Poitier, James Darren, Glenn Corbett, Mort Sahl
Directed by Hall Bartlett

Print: black/white
Runtime: 90 min.
Genre: drama
Print Quality: B

Set right near the 38th Parallel, the dividing line between North and South Korea, this
conventional wartime tale focuses on the relationships of some GI's caught without
reinforcements in an old farmhouse. Although the house offers some protection, the men
are outnumbered and little by little, casualties mount. After the lieutenant dies, black
Sergeant Towler (Sidney Poitier) automatically assumes command, and that causes friction
among the white soldiers underneath him. Knowing that racial tension can do much more
damage than normal under these siege conditions, Sergeant Towler finally defuses the
situation when his nemesis, Kincaid (Alan Ladd) is wounded. Kincaid gets a life-saving
transfusion from the Sergeant which also shows up the stupidity of racial hatred — but
meanwhile, the enemy is still attacking and reinforcements are still needed.