To Hell and Back

The true WWII story of Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in U.S. history. Based on the autobiography of Audie Murphy who stars as himself in the film.

• Director: Jesse Hibbs
• Genre:Action / Biography / Drama / War
• Runtime:106 minutes

Cast

Audie Murphy : Audie Murphy
Marshall Thompson: Johnson
Charles Drake : Brandon
Jack Kelly : Kerrigan
Gregg Palmer : Lt. Manning

Murphy grows up in a large, poor sharecropper family in Texas. His father deserts them around 1940, leaving his mother barely able to feed her nine children. As the eldest child, Murphy works from an early age to help support his siblings, and when his mother dies in 1941 he becomes head of the family.

When World War II breaks out, Murphy is eager to enlist, but is rejected by the Marines, the Navy, and the Army paratroopers due to his small size and youthful appearance. Finally the Army reluctantly accepts him as an ordinary infantryman. After basic training and infantry training, Murphy is shipped out to the Third Infantry Division in North Africa as a replacement. Because of his youthful looks, he endures jokes about “infants” being sent into combat.

Murphy soon proves himself in battle, however, and is steadily promoted, at first against his will, eventually receiving a battlefield commission in the rank of second lieutenant. During his many battles in Sicily, Italy, and France, he gains the respect of his men and becomes especially close to fellow soldiers Johnson (Marshall Thompson), Brandon (Charles Drake), and Kerrigan (Jack Kelly). Gregg Palmer, later a western television actor, appears as Lieutenant Manning.

The action for which Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor is depicted near the end of the film. In January 1945, near Holzwihr, France, Murphy’s company is forced to retreat in the face of a fierce German attack. However, Murphy remains behind at the edge of a forest to direct artillery fire on the advancing enemy infantry and armor. As the Germans close on his position, Murphy jumps onto an abandoned M4 Sherman tank (he actually performed this action atop an M10 tank destroyer) and uses its .50-caliber machine gun to hold the enemy at bay, even though the vehicle is on fire and may explode at any moment. Although wounded and dangerously exposed to enemy fire, Murphy single-handedly turns back the German attack, thereby saving his company. After a period of hospitalization, he is returned to duty. The film concludes with Murphy’s Medal of Honor ceremony shortly after the war ends. Read more