Hold Back The Night

Payne is a Marine officer fighting in the Korean War. He carries with him a bottle of Scotch which he also carried during WW II, a gift from his wife, Freeman, who is seen in flashback. The fifth is to be opened upon victory and thus becomes a symbol of hope to the men he leads. A subplot involves flashbacks of Dalton, an Australian woman Payne fell in love with during WW II. Dwan's direction is keen, accurately capturing the look and feeling of field combat. Payne is excellent in his role, as are Connors and Graves as soldiers under his command. The musical score provides a stirring background.