The idea of "Carter's Army" is a good one, though awfully reminiscent of the contemporary film "The Dirty Dozen". However, the execution of the plot is, at best, sub-par. Too many of the characters seem like caricatures and often they seem more like 1970 actors than WWII soldiers by the way they talk and look. I call this sloppy. It's a shame, as a group of black soldiers proving themselves in combat is a great concept.An oddly cast Stephen Boyd (the Irishman) plays a redneck captain during WWII who is told they only soldiers available for a special assignment are some ragtag black infantrymen with zero combat experience and very little discipline. Considering how important the assignment is, giving the Captain these men really seemed very contrived.Among the black soldiers is a very nice group of actors--with Rosy Grier, Richard Pryor, Robert Hooks, Moses Gunn, Billy Dee Williams and Robert Turman among the soldiers. The problem, however, is that the dialog and situations they are given really don't given them much chance to show their acting talents. With too many clichés and some illogical characters (one is deaf....how many DEAF soldiers served in WWII?!?!?!).In many ways, this film might have worked better had it been a Vietnam War drama--because often the characters acted like folks from the civil rights generation of the 60s and 70s. As it is, it's mildly entertaining but also a bit stupid.

I bought this for a dollar at a local chain store and was a little surprised by the good storytelling in this. The reasons I happened upon buying this was because A, I'm trying to own 1000 movies, and B it had great actors on the cover. When i saw that Billy Dee Williams was in this all I could think was how cool it was going to be to see a young Lando Calersion type fighting in the second world war. But he really had no vigor in him in this film. He was serious and to the point which is probably more real life as what this film needs to be showcased proper. Richard Pryor was the second actor who influenced me into buying this because I thought his comedy would shine through the move. Again it did not. He is the cut up of the unit but he is still serious in this which I believe is one of first roles. Robert Hooks who is an actor I had never heard of and have still yet to see any follow ups to this is very good in his performance of a red neck put in charge of an all black squad only to realize that they fight just as hard as any white man for what the believe in. The film does a good job of showcasing racial tensions during a 1940's setting. It is hard to take that we actual segregated that little back in our history. If your on the look out for a film that will grow your mind this is it. I recommend it for war buffs.

OK, first off I should say that I found this DVD for only $1.00 at Wal-Mart. That alone is scary-- I knew it might stink, but with the cast list, I thought it might actually be OK, and it is. It's a crappy DVD transfer though, but for 1 dollar I can't complain too much! It's what I thought it was, a TV movie originally aired on ABC from 1969 written by TV mogul Aaron Spelling and Produced by the great Danny Thomas Productions, who produced in such classic TV shows as The Dick Van Dyke Show, That Girl, The Andy Griffith Show, etc,. This film stars Stephen Boyd, a great character actor/leading man known for his roles in such movies as 'Ben Hur' and 'Fantatstic Voyage'. It features young newcomers such as Richard Pryor and Billy Dee Williams & football star Rosie Grier in great supporting roles as members of an all-black WW II US Army company ('B' Company) in France who are doing the 'grunt' work of the Army. Digging latrines, digging graves, dealing with garbage, etc. Basically getting No Respect. Blacks were considered second class citizens during WW II. The story shows how Racist Redneck Major Carter (Boyd) is asked to go on a dangerous mission to blow up a Dam held by the Nazis and the only company of men to help accomplish the task are 'B' Company, (the all black company). They appear lazy and shiftless to Lieutenant Carter, who doesn't believe they can help him blow up the dam. Little does he know, they are more than up for the job. Carter asks their lieutenant in charge for 'volunteers', and he picks 6 men, including Pryor, Williams & Grier. It's fairly standard TV movie fare, and it's kind of neat to see Pryor and Williams in early roles, as well as great black character actors Moses Gunn & Glynn Thurman (Cooley High)--as well as Susan Oliver, a great blonde character actress who appeared in lots of TV drama in the 60's on shows like 'Star Trek', 'Mannix', 'The Wild Wild West',etc.I think it's a nice forgotten addition to black cinema, and shows that black men in WWII could be just as heroic as their white brothers. It's an interesting look at race relations in the late 60's context too, what with the Black Panther movement and all. It's kind of funny how all the black actors have big afros and a few have mustaches/goatees--not typical of WWII U.S.Army standards, but more like1969 fashion. Pryor sports a natty red beret throughout the whole story, too. I guess I recommend it as a piece of nostalgia. Again, The DVD transfer is Horrid, but viewable.

I thought I knew it all when it came to Blaxploitation films and for that matter tv shows such as White Shadow and What's Happening. I came across this film in a chain video store and had to make a command decision. It was necessary to determine whether to buy and risk losing the few dollars or more arguably having an eyesore of an item that second hand stores would not even give money for. That would mean throwing it away if it were truly dreadful. I decided to pass at first b-lining home to read online reviews to see the scoop. Fortunately, the critics were kind enough, prompting me to return to the store with renewed vigor and confidence that I was not buying a total turkey. I played the first half of the tape on several occasions only halfway paying attention to ensure that it worked at least functionally. Well finally I had an audience and played it from beginning to end, and was not just impressed but very impressed. I grade on a curve considering the time period and budget put into the project. I really liked the character development in which the subtle differences of personalities remains consistent. The best friend twosome of Pryor and Grier is formable and yet handled in a subtle manner. The other allstars of Moses Gunn, Glynn Thurman, and Billy Dee Williams make this a film that a film expert of black cinema should not miss.