Rock Hudson gives a perfect performance as Colonel Dean Hess, a World War II pilot who launches an air attack that inadvertently obliterates a German orphanage. After the war, Hess becomes a minister and tries desperately to deal with the guilt he retains from the bombing. When the Korean War erupts, Hess learns about hundreds of Korean children left orphaned by the fighting and reenlists. He flies missions and trains pilots and, hoping for redemption, founds an orphanage.
Director Douglas Sirk, much as he did with an earlier Hudson vehicle, MAGNIFICENT OBSESSION, crafts a riveting, poignant melodrama around the themes of guilt and redemption. BATTLE HYMN, steeped in choral music and illuminated by epic production values, features Korean orphans flown in to Universal Studios to play themselves.
Plot Keywords:
Personal Triumph |
Theatrical Release |
True Story |
War
Film Collectors & Archivists: Alpha Video is actively looking for rare and
unusual pre-1943 motion pictures, in good condition, from Monogram, PRC,
Tiffany, Chesterfield, and other independent studios for release on DVD. We
are also interested in TV shows from the early 1950s. Share your passion
for films with a large audience.
Let us know what you have.