1956 American film
Screaming Eagles is a 1956 American war film directed by Charles F. Haasd starring Tom Tryon, Jan Merlin and, in her film debut, French Miss Universe 1954 runner-up Jacqueline Beer. It was released by Allied Artists.
The story is set in World War II during the night of the Normandy invasion where the 101st Airborne Division parachutes into France. The title of the film refers to the nickname of the division based on its shoulder sleeve insignia.
The film is notable for its large cast of up-and-coming actors.
Plot
Prior to the Normandy landings, new recruits Mason, Corliss and Talbot are assigned to 1st Platoon, D Company, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment. Mason gets off on the wrong foot with certain members of the platoon, mainly Sgt. Forrest and Cpl. Dreef.
A few nights later, Mason gets drunk as he reads a Dear John letter from his girlfriend. Meanwhile, the platoon's passes into town are canceled because the men are ordered to standby for the invasion. Thus they are restricted to barracks. When the platoon returns to the barracks they find it destroyed by a drunken Mason. Platoon leader Lt. Pauling keeps Mason in the platoon and gives him another chance despite his behavior.
On the night of June 5, 1944, the 502nd find themselves boarding troop planes bound for Normandy, marking the beginning of Operation Overlord. Serving as a jumpmaster, Sgt. Forrest instructs the men regarding the jump and their mission when on the ground. The platoon is tasked to set up roadblocks and hold a bridge along the Douve. Their drop zone is a mile beyond that of 2nd Battalion. Only seconds after the planes fly over the coast, the Germans fire their anti-aircraft guns at the planes. Peterson is killed when flak hits the plane.
The platoon is misdropped but they create a rallying point. Lt. Pauling splits his men up into three small patrols. While on patrol, Mason sees a German sentry aiming his rifle at Cpl. Dreef. Mason kills the sentry, which results in a firefight in which Cpl. Dreef is killed. Not having seen what Mason did, Corliss and Dubrowski blame him for a hotheaded stunt. The platoon is outraged when Dubrowski tells them about how Cpl. Dreef was killed. Moments later, Lt. Pauling is blinded by enemy fire. Sgt. Forrest selects Mason to take care of Lt. Pauling.
The platoon attacks a German-occupied farmhouse later that morning, resulting in the deaths of Lambert, Hernandez and Nolan. The platoon raid the farmhouse after silencing a German machine gun team. They find a German soldier, Hans Schacht, holding a French girl named Marianne hostage. Hans is taken prisoner and Marianne volunteers to aid Lt. Pauling. Hans informs the platoon that there are 300 German soldiers between them and the Douve.
The platoon hijacks a German truck and forces the driver to take them to a tavern that is being used as a German headquarters. They capture a number of German soldiers and send them to a cellar. At gunpoint, Hans telephones false orders to draw German troops away from their positions. Behind the platoon's back, Hans leaves the telephone line open so that the Germans can hear their chatter. A truckload of Germans are dispatched to the tavern, causing the platoon and Marianne to flee. Hans and the Germans who were sent to the cellar are killed by friendly fire. Talbot, Foley, Smith are killed by enemy fire while Mason sustains an arm wound.
The seven surviving members of the party (Mason, Lt. Pauling, Marianne, Corliss, Sgt. Forrest, Grimes and Dubrowski) escape the tavern by truck. By midday the party links up with the rest of D Company at the bridge that they were supposed to hold. Lt. Pauling bids farewell to Marianne before him and Mason are driven to a field hospital.
Production
Parts of the film were filmed at Fort Benning, Georgia.[1] The technical advisers were Richard Haynes Case, a D-Day veteran of the 101st and Werner Klingler, a German film director who also had a role in the film. Case had also acted as an adviser to The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit the same year.[2]
Jan Merlin recalled that he was originally supposed to play Private Mason because of his reputation for playing villains. As his character was to continually carry the blinded lieutenant who was to have been played by the much taller Tom Tryon, the men agreed to switch their roles.[3]
