Like THEY WERE NOT DIVIDED, THE RED BERET is a 1950s war effort made by the team (Albert Broccoli, Terence Young, etc.) who would later go on to make the early James Bond films and thus kick-start a whole genre of cinema. This film stars Alan Ladd as an Canadian soldier who joins forces with a squad of British paratroopers to go on missions behind enemy lines in both France and North Africa.It's a fairly typical war movie from the era, a little stodgy in places and ridiculous in others. The silly bar-room brawl is straight out of a western and seems to come from nowhere, it's so sudden. Ladd plays a perpetually grumpy fellow but Susan Stephen doesn't have any trouble falling for his less-than-ideal charms. The supporting cast of British talent is better: in his first film role, Harry Andrews is a scene-stealer as the RSM, and there are parts for Stanley Baker, Donald Houston, Anton Diffring, and Leo Genn.THE RED BERET seems to be suffering from a low budget, because the action sequences aren't quite up to scratch and never convince too much, although there's a novel use for a bazooka which is worth something. The skydiving stuff is better and more thrilling, and Ladd's back story, when it eventually comes to light, is an acceptable one.

One of the worst WW11 movies I've ever seen.And I reckon I've seen em all. That's the greenest looking North Africa I've ever seen and the final action(considering the acting talent at hand) is utterly unconvincing, unremittingly bad visual effects and the bazooka minefield escape all seems a bit pointless as relief by the Scots is not far away.The memory of the great John Frost is so much better preserved in A Bridge Too Far..and Alan Ladd in the leading role, with the whole clichéd redemption thing going on..just phones it in.The only reason I haven't rated this film awful(1)is the work of Leo Genn..great actor/great voice...apart from that .. truly astonished at its craptacular badness...Intriguing though to see regular 50/60's Nazi Anton Diffring turning up as a British para.

Not too bad for a typical Alan Ladd movie of its time (released in 1953). Not a must-see but it is entertaining. Having seen this movie a number of times, I was recently surprised to see what appears to be a lot of blue screen shots overlaid on backgrounds. Much of the static dialog seems to be shot on a sound stage and then superimposed on whatever was supposed to be going on in the scene.Of particular interest is the difference in equipment and training between British and American paratroopers. As with most Alan Ladd movies he's portrayed as the arch-typical quiet loner who, when pushed, reacts with sufficient violence as to be given plenty of space. In reality, Ladd was too small to be much of a menace to most (unless he's pulling a trigger). To give you an idea of how diverse his career was at this time, this movie was released in the same year as his hits "Botany Bay" and "Shane".

The exact quote is, "I'm sorry for the man who hears the pipes and who was na born in Scotland." The 6/8 march (featured twice and played very smartly) is The Piobaireachd of Dhonald Dhu. It is a regimental duty tune used for "Minutes to the Commanding Officer's Parade."Ladd's character tries to go for sexy-cool by being difficult and cocky. Sparse moments of unfunny wit, lots of silent suffering and his apparent difficulty reading are supposed to soften his character, but manage to come off as a bit psycho.The Technicolor is a treat. Colors are so bright and sharp you would think it was colorized.The supporting cast is phenomenal. Stanley Baker (Lt. John Chard in Zulu) has a brief, but important role. Harry Andrews is wonderfully over the top. Leo Gunn, the epitome of polish, is outstanding as always.