The Quick and the Dead (1963)

With the Allies advancing into Nazi territory, a group of American soldiers find themselves vying for control of a strategic vantage point. Initially they seize the position, but then there is a counter-attack that sees them prisoners. Desperate to escape, and led by “Milo” (Victor French) they find some unlikely assistance in the guise of “Teresa” (Majel Barrett) and her more subdued friend “Maria” (Sandy Dorigan) and are soon battling their way through the Italian countryside. The start of this film reminded me a little of the “Hogan’s Heroes” series in that is has a slightly comedic feel to it’s squadron camaraderie but the writing and limited engagement of the acting talent really only takes us on a standard wartime adventure that sometimes quite violently showcases the perils of the war, even when they were on the winning side. It’s very much a low-budget affair with some ropey continuity and editing and though it does endow the two female characters with more substantial roles than in many similar adventures, the soldiers themselves offer us little beyond the standard ye-ha fayre and French is as wooden as his rifle butt. The pacing isn’t bad, and it avoids staying into romantic territory as they navigate snipers and minefields and though not exactly memorable, it’s a competent tale of WWII combat.