Features: DVD
Editor's Note
GUNG HO! is the true story of a special battalion picked from the toughest men in the U.S Marines and given the dangerous mission of recapturing Japanese-held islands in the South Pacific during World War II. Hollywood tough guy Randolph Scott stars as their commander, Colonel Thorwald, who recruits and trains the soldiers--collectively known as "Carlson's Raiders"--in all imaginable forms of combat, culminating in an explosive battle sequence at the Japanese stronghold on Makin Island. The film, which also features a great performance by legendary icon Robert Mitchum, introduced the expression "gung ho" to the American vernacular and was an important piece of morale-raising propaganda during U.S. involvement in World War II.
Plot Summary
The title comes from the Chinese phrase meaning "work together," and was a popular expression among Marines during World War II. The film dramatizes the first American offensive in the Pacific when land was recaptured from the Japanese on Makin Island. A detailed description of the preparations show the selection and training of 200 Marines, their transportation by submarine to the island, and finally, the raid itself. | Most of the narrative comes from first-hand accounts of the battle, giving the film's action a hard-edged realism.
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