Leofwine_draca PARATROOP COMMAND is a disappointing WW2 movie from the guys at AIP. It was shot in California standing in for various European theatres of war. The main character accidentally shoots one of his own men in a tragic accident, leading to much antagonism in future campaigns as he tries to overcome the hatred of his men. This one goes for a psychological approach but doesn't really hit home and the unknown cast members fail to make much of an impression. There's a bit of stock war footage here and there but this is mostly a bit of a bore.

JohnHowardReid "M-G-M Presents a Thrill-Packed Action Story of World War 2" is the main heading in M-G-M's campaign book for this "B" feature of virtually no distinction whatever. True, the direction is slightly more stylish than William Witney's usual humble standard, and gorgeous Carolyn Hughes is in the movie, but her footage is brief. The other players are no more than adequate -- and often less! Characters are one-dimensional, and the plot is really nothing more than a wearying series of skirmishes and shoot-outs, interspersed with some equally tedious dialogue of the "Let me tell you the story of my life" school. Credits are no more than routine, production values are tight, but there is a generous amount of obvious stock footage.

frankfob It's good to see veteran character actor Richard Bakalyan in pretty much anything, and he gets to show his stuff in this low-budget WW II "epic" from American-International and action specialist William Witney. Ken Lynch, a familiar face who specialized in playing tough cops and soldiers, is also quite good as an officer who leads his squad of paratroopers in a jump behind enemy lines. Unfortunately, the film itself isn't up to the talents of Bakalyan, Lynch or Witney. The supporting performances range from sub-par to embarrassing--not particularly surprising considering the hack script by producer Stan Shpetner--and the action scenes are poorly handled by the usually reliable Witney. The film is worth a look if you're a Dick Bakalyan fan, but otherwise there's not much else to recommend it.

amedec4 Charlie (Bakalyan) joins the paratroops because he has failed at everything else in his life. When he accidently kills another GI, things really take a turn down. The cast of relative unknowns does a fine job, and Bakalyan shows flashes of brilliant acting ability that thus far have gone undiscovered. This one is low-buck all the way, puts stock war footage to good use, but well worth catching on the late show.