TO HELL AND BACK was the (sanitized) big screen adaptation of Audie Murphy's autobiography of the same name. Murphy plays himself, supported by a number of familiar character actors, in all the production value Universal International can muster. This may be one of the earliest big-budget war epics to feature Patton tanks as German Panzers or Tigers, a practice which quickly became the norm -with the apparent promise that, "if you overlook the shape of the enemy tanks, we'll make up for it with big spectacle." Murphy was seen as something of a runt, but eagerly enlisted when the War came to America -lying about his age in order to join up, as did several young men. By War's end, the tenacious Murphy had fought in nine major campaigns and been wounded three times. Audie was the highest-decorated combat soldier of the War, earning 33 medals and decorations from the US, France, and Belgium -including America's highest honor, the Metal of Honor. He is credited with no less than 240 kills. Seemingly ageless, handsome, and talented, he eventually got into acting, and made for a good leading man. Of all his films, though, no doubt his most personal was TO HELL AND BACK.
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