Even though Bogart and Allyson appear in one comic scene in this 1953 film, the film is anything but a comedy.At the beginning, I thought that Allyson was out of her league here. However, as the film went on, she showed her mettle. For Bogart, even though he was war weary, he was somewhat subdued from his usual portrayals.The film depicted the successes and failures of a MASH unit during the Korean War. It does show how army nurse Allyson and surgeon Bogart fall for each other.The film deals with constant evacuations but even with the seriousness of having to evacuate so often, you never really get the feeling of dire circumstances prevailing.

This 1953 movie by MGM was filmed in the U.S. and hit theaters while the Korean War (then called a "police action" or conflict) was still going on. It was a precursor of the 1970 movie, M.A.S.H., and the long- running and highly popular TV series by the same name. It's only natural to compare the two films, and to compare them with the TV series that began 15 years after "Battle Circus." The TV series ran from 1972 through 1983 and was one of my all-time favorites. Some reviewers have commented on the more witty dialog in the later film and series, but I wonder how much of that might have been due to the change in our culture in the almost 20 years since the end of the Korean War. I wasn't aware of this earlier film about a MASH unit recent years. But, viewing it now gives a good perspective on that time and the experiences of the MASH units and personnel. In WW II Europe, my dad was a medic who then became a medical officer. He served in Japan and then stateside during the Korean War. The medical corps officers who were not doctors in those days were the ones in charge of the rest of the work to keep the medical services going – administration, supply, transport, meals, moving and setting up, etc. "Battle Circus" shows what all the support people did, and gives us an excellent picture of the work that went into the mobility of the MASH units. So, for that aspect alone, this film tops the later movie and series in its realism. As to the match of Bogart and Allyson for a romantic touch, I ask, why not? Bogie's character had the rank of major, so he would likely have been an MD who stayed in the service – active or reserves – after WW II. It seems to me in real life that there have been some famous couples with considerable age differences. And during war, might not a young green nurse fall for an older doctor in the service? I think that's just another touch of reality for this film. Sometimes, matches other than the usual Hollywood fare, might be best or more real. I think this one was right on target. When viewing a film, I try to get into the movie before me with no preconceptions, and without a Hollywood-influenced agenda of what the proper match should be for a film romance. That lets me best consider the actors for their performances and how their roles fit in the story. The acting, script, cinematography and scenery chosen for this film were all very good. As one of the very few films that have shown medical care in modern war, "Battle Circus" scores an A for its historical value alone.

It's amazing that this movie is overlooked as an earlier version of Mash, yeah it's not wild and crazy but all the elements are there: especially the operating room scenes that are gruesome.The film has loose feel and lack of a real plot other than Bogie trying to get into June Allison and everyone trying to cope with the realities of war.Bogie seems out of character as a surgeon that doesn't care about anything but it's worth watching if only to compare it to Mash the movie. One has to wonder if Robert Altman saw this film before he made his version,which he had to, it's about a mobile army surgery unit in the Korean war, and their day to day trials and tribulations.

I have the VHS edition, but would like to see it in DVD!!! I'm trying to convert all my VHS to DVD. I was stationed at Osan AB and had several good friends that were in the medics. So I am very aware of all the hazards and deadly confrontations that occurred during this "police action". I was an Aircraft Maintenance Tech. and was involved in many flights to and from forward M A S H sites, and saw with my own eyes some of the heroic actions that these people went through. There can never be enough said about the horrors of war and what some of those medics went through, in my opinion they should all be given M O H's (Medal of Honor) As I stated at the beginning of this comment I would like to see this film brought out in DVD!!!