Between Heaven and Hell

Between Heaven and Hell is a 1956 20th Century Fox Cinemascope colour war film based on the novel The Day the Century Ended by Francis Gwaltney that the film follows closely. The story is told in flashback format detailing the life of Sam Gifford from his life as a Southern landowner to his war service in the Philippines during World War II. The film stars Robert Wagner, Buddy Ebsen, Terry Moore, and Broderick Crawford, was directed by Richard Fleischer and was partly filmed on Kaua'i. The film's score by Hugo Friedhofer that included elements of the Dies Irae was nominated for an Academy... Award. The film begins with military drums and a shot of a bearded Robert Wagner behind barbed wire wearing dirty fatigues with the dark shadow of missing chevrons. A long tracking shot follows his release from the stockade as the music becomes the Dies Irae and the screen credits roll. When the United States gets involved in the war, Gifford's National Guard unit is called to active service with the United States Army. Gifford's father-in-law is the Colonel commanding his regiment.
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