MovieChat Forums > Battle of the Bulge (1966) Discussion > NICE BIT OF BAD ACTING!

NICE BIT OF BAD ACTING!

posted 15 years ago by naseby
7 replies | jump to latest

The scene where the American top brass are pulling out and I think Dana Andrews plucks a running scared soldier out of the mayhem. The actor is asked by Andrews where he's going, where's his unit/rifle etc, he replies something like 'Dead, gone, let me go'. Watch this guy - maybe I'm being cruel, but he does it badly! Just like another bit part in The Battle of Britain film. Robert Shaw's character berates an RAF corporal to make the German flyers/prisoners clear up the bomb damage they've caused on his airfield. 'Officers to the mess, NCO's to the guardroom sah' says the corporal, then his other line, 'but what about the officers sah?' Check it out - equally as bad!

[–] The_Khazi 15 years ago

Yes the "running scared soldier" is terrible.I always thought Bronson`s "what the hell" when he finds out about the bogus M.P`s isn`t much better.

[–] naseby 15 years ago

Ha ha yes Khazi, that's the other one - thanks, take matey!

[–] christopher_sargeant 15 years ago

What about the scene where Henry Fonda's (Kiley) Scout Plane is crashing and the guy at American HQ, on the receiving end of the radio, just keeps grimacing and repeatedly shaking the earphones! What would he have heard that caused that? (I would have thought all you would hear would be somebody talking then...just static?)

[–] naseby 15 years ago

That's another one to chalk up eh, Christopher!?! Ought to start a 'Battle of the Bulge bad acting award'. Bronson's probably bound to win that.

[–] nardpuncher 14 years ago

Ha! Yeah, I noticed that part and where the General lets him go and says "He's just doing what the rest of us are" (meaning retreating) but I thought "Acting poorly???"

[–] vermin40 13 years ago

In addition to the bad acting mentioned above I just watched my full length DVD version yesterday for the umpteenth time. It was one of my favourite movies as a kid and despite the shortcoming mentioned on the board I think it has held up reasonably well for a 45+ year old movie.
Two things have always bothered me more from the "why the heck did they do that....that's not what I would have done" file.
The first is when James MacArthur and the Sergeant are standing by their broken jeep and they hear a vehicle approaching and they scurry up the hill to take cover untill they can determine who is approaching. Instead of running up the hill a fair distance they hide behind a bush/rock that is like 15 feet away. I just thought that was kinda stupid especially when the halftrack full of Germans show up.
The other was when the *beep* Killer" American tank wipes out the Germans dressed as MP's and then spots the extremely long column of German tanks and troops on the other side of the bridge. I think taking one shot, watching the shell bounce off then hitting full speed reverse would have been a better move that sitting there and getting blown off the bridge.
No idea why but these 2 scenes bothered me when I was a kid and they still do today.

[–] DrEinstein 11 years ago

Another piece of bad acting: Henry Fonda repeating "Burn it!" while he staggers down the hill at the fuel depot.