| Red Ball Express | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Budd Boetticher |
| Screenplay by | John Michael Hayes |
| Story by | Marcy Klauber (as Marcel Klauber) William Grady Jr. (as Billy Grady Jr.) |
| Produced by | Aaron Rosenberg |
| Starring | Jeff Chandler Alex Nicol |
| Cinematography | Maury Gertsman |
| Edited by | Edward Curtiss |
| Color process | Black and white |
Production company | Universal Pictures |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 83 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $1.5 million (US rentals)[1] |
Red Ball Express is a 1952 AmericanWorld War IIwar film directed byBudd Boetticher and starringJeff Chandler andAlex Nicol, featuring early screen appearances bySidney Poitier andHugh O'Brian. The film is based on theRed Ball Express convoys that took place after theD-Day landings inNormandy in June 1944.[2]
In August 1944,Patton'sThird Army has advanced so far following theD-Day invasion towardParis that it cannot be supplied. To maintain the momentum, Allied headquarters establishes an elite military truck route. Oneracially integrated platoon of thisRed Ball Express encounters private enmities, German resistance,minefields, and increasingly perilous missions.
Lt. Chick Campbell, head of the platoon, clashes with Sgt. Red Kallek over an incident that occurred when they were civilian truck drivers and resulted in the death of Kallek's brother.
The character of General Gordon appears to have been loosely based onGeneral Patton, although Patton is also specifically mentioned in the film. Major GeneralFrank Ross, who was in charge of the actual Red Ball Express, acted as a technical adviser.[3]
Because of the high percentage of African-American drivers in the Red Ball Express operation, theDepartment of Defense insisted to Universal that the film be modified so that "the positive angle be emphasized" regarding race relations. DirectorBudd Boetticher claimed:
The army wouldn't let us tell the truth about the black troops because the government figured they were expendable. Our government didn't want to admit they werekamikaze pilots. They figured if one out of ten trucks got through, they'd save Patton and his tanks.[4]