Fireball Forward

Fireball Forward is a 1972 American TV movie. It was directed by Marvin J. Chomsky and written by Edmund H. North. It was produced by Frank McCarthy who called it "son of Patton": it follows a hard luck Army division in 1944 France, and the General who must lick it into shape. The film was a pilot for a proposed TV series.[1]

Fireball Forward
GenreAction
Drama
War
Written byEdmund H. North
Directed byMarvin J. Chomsky
StarringBen Gazzara
Ricardo Montalbán
Dana Elcar
Edward Binns
Morgan Paull
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerFrank McCarthy
CinematographyRobert L. Morrison
EditorsHarry Coswick
Charles L. Freeman
Pembroke J. Herring
Running time98 minutes
Production company20th Century Fox Television
DistributorABC
Release
Original networkABC
Picture formatColor
Audio formatMono
Original release
  • March 5, 1972 (1972-03-05)

Plot

After D-Day the Maj. General Joe Barret (Ben Gazzara), was decorated with Distinguished Service Cross medal, after that, Gen. Omar Bradley transfers him to 14th Division due to poor performance in battle.

Barret found the 14th Division with a bad combat record, lack of morale and discipline. After two disastrous battles against the German army, Barret discovers that he has a mole who turns out to be the head of the French Resistance, Jean Duval (Ricardo Montalbán), Barret learned through Sgt. Collins (Morgan Paull), that before each battle the enemy knew their strategy.

Once Barret discovered the spy, the 14th Division won the next battle and clean all the way to Gen. Patton to Berlin. Except for the fact that U.S. Forces only went to the Elbe river. Everything East of the Elbe was left for the Russians. Only after the surrender did the Western Allied forces enter Berlin per the Potsdam Declaration.

Cast

References
  1. Fireball' With a Touch of 'Patton' Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 29 Feb 1972: g12.
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