The Devil's Brigade

In World War II, a Colonel (William Holden) develops a special combat unit made up of a crack squad of Canadian soldiers and a host of American misfits.

The Devil’s Brigade was clearly an attempt to cash in on the success of The Dirty Dozen, released the previous year, and, while director Andrew V. McLaglen’s film may lack the edge of Robert Aldrich’s classic, it’s still an entertaining movie.

William Holden is good as the reluctant leader of the rag-tag group, and his supporting cast is solid, if unremarkable. Claude Akins is one of the few standouts, and that’s what ultimately hurts the film the most. It’s an ensemble picture, but none of the ensemble cast really steps up. It’s not so much that the cast is bad, as much as the combination of cast and script don’t provide any lasting impact once the credits finish rolling.

For his part director McLaglen handles the action scenes very well, particularly the stealth raid on an Italian town. The POV shot from the Italian commander as he opens his door to his entire force lined up with arms raised in surrender is a classic.

Thus, while it’s not The Dirty Dozen, fans of World War II actioners shouldn’t be disappointed.