Review of Darby's Rangers (1958) by Benny B — 25 Dec 2009

William Wellman made several great combat movies, but DARBYS RANGERS cannot compare with BATTLEGROUND. Ostensibly, this explosive, standard-issue World War II epic chronicles the first actual commando force in the United States Army. DARBYS RANGERS qualifies as a good adventure movie set against the gritty background of war in North Africa and Italy. Virtually first hour is spent with Darby and his men learning the ropes about commando tactics and skills from the British in Scotland. When these G.I. Joes are not being run ragged by the Brits, they are running British women ragged. The second half of this 121-minute epic follows our heroes into North Africa where they blow-up a coast gun battery. Finally, they exhaust their luck in Italy and are shot to ribbons so badly blunting a German offensive after Anzio that the powers-that-be order the unit disbanded, and Darby goes off to the Pentagon. Several familiar faces crop up here including Peter Brown of LAREDO fame, Edd Byrnes of 77 SUNSET STRIP, Stuart Whitman, Murray Hamilton, and Jack Warden of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Indeed, DARBYS RANGERS emerges.

As a throwback to the 1940s rather than the 1950s. Mind you, Wellman does not have chaplains making anti-fascist speeches, but sexual escapades for these young lions pad out the time, while Darby.

(James Garner of MAVERICK) behaves like a monk and leads them into battle. You will not find any anti-authority issues in this war movie or soldiers complaining about wanting to kill their officers. Like a number of World War II movies of the 1950s, we do not get to see the German soldiers up close and personal, except during an ambush. Meaning, the Germans are depicted as an impersonal enemy. In fact, there are no real emotional villains on the enemy side. Wellman orchestrates several interesting combat sequences, but too many officers parade around unrealistically with their rank displayed on their helmets. One scene here that Sam Fuller used in his classic World War II combat movie THE BIG RED ONE has U.S. troops crossing a road in front of German tanks. As the noisy tanks roll over a hill, the G.I.s slip past it, narrowly missing being hit and escaping the notice of the enemy. Max Steiner provides a suitable martial score to underline the combat scenes. Edd Byrnes is good as a green, shavetail lieutenant who grows up quickly. The triumphant Max Steiner score heightens the moments when our heroes are not in battle.