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Battle Hymn ()

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A remorseful bomber pilot-turned-minister rejoins for the Korean War.
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Photos and Videos

49 photos | 1 video

Cast verified as complete

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Col. Dean E. Hess
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Mary Hess
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Sgt. Herman
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Capt. Dan Skidmore
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En Soon Yang
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Maj. Frank Moore
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Deacon Edwards
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Mess Sergeant (as Alan Hale)
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Lt. Maples
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Gen. Kim (scenesDeleted)
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Lu Ahn - Old Man
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Gen. Timberidge
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Lt. Hollis
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Korean Official
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Maj. Harrison
Jung' Kyoo Pyo ...
Chu
Art Millan ...
Capt. Reardon
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Navy Lieutenant
Paul Sorensen ...
Sentry
Earle E. Partridge ...
Gen. Earle E. Partridge
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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ROK Officer (uncredited)
Margaret Bert ...
Cleaning Woman (uncredited)
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German Man (uncredited)
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Bit Role (uncredited)
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Briefing Officer (uncredited)
Stanley Cha ...
ROK Officer (uncredited)
Frank Chase ...
Sailor (uncredited)
Ashley Cowan ...
Operator (uncredited)
Glen Denning ...
Observer (uncredited)
Alan DeWitt ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Angela DeWitt ...
German Woman (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
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Lt. Thompson (uncredited)
Steve Hayes ...
Observer (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
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ROK Maj. Chong (uncredited)
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Li (uncredited)
May Lee ...
Korean Woman Spy (uncredited)
Warren Lee ...
Korean Boy (uncredited)
Paul Levitt ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Three-Star General (uncredited)
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Old Man (uncredited)
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Parishoner (uncredited)
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Captain in Control Room (uncredited)
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Young Matron (uncredited)
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Mrs. Peterson (uncredited)
John Truax ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
Steve Wayne ...
Navy Man (uncredited)

Directed by

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Douglas Sirk ... (directed by)

Written by

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Charles Grayson ... (written by) and
Vince Evans ... (written by) (as Vincent B. Evans)

Produced by

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Ross Hunter ... producer

Music by

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Frank Skinner

Cinematography by

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Russell Metty ... director of photography

Editing by

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Russell F. Schoengarth

Editorial Department

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William Fritzsche ... color consultant: Technicolor
Verna MacCurran ... assistant editor

Art Direction by

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Alexander Golitzen
Emrich Nicholson

Set Decoration by

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Oliver Emert
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by

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Bill Thomas ... (gowns)

Makeup Department

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Edith House ... hair stylist
Joan St. Oegger ... hair stylist
Bud Westmore ... makeup artist

Production Management

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Norman Deming ... unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Marshall Green ... assistant director
Wilbur Mosier ... assistant director
Terence Nelson ... assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department

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Frank Brendel ... props
Fay Frame ... props
Robert Murdock ... props

Sound Department

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Leslie I. Carey ... sound
Ed Hall ... sound
Henry Janssen ... sound
Corson Jowett ... sound
William Lambert ... sound

Stunts

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Bob Hoy ... stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton ... stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Ledge Haddow ... assistant camera
Edward Hobson ... best boy
Rollie Lane ... still photographer
Philip H. Lathrop ... camera operator
Max Nippell ... gaffer
Dean Paup ... grip
Kenneth Smith ... grip
Clifford Stine ... special photography
Roy Vaughn ... assistant camera

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Eddie Armand ... wardrobe
Seth Banks ... wardrobe
Martha Bunch ... wardrobe

Music Department

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Joseph Gershenson ... music supervisor
Ethmer Roten ... musician: flute (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Bob Forrest ... script supervisor

Additional Crew

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Charles Baqueta ... coordinator
Ernie Denard ... laborer
Dean Hess ... technical advisor (as Colonel Dean Hess)

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Dean Hess, who entered the ministry to atone for bombing a German orphanage, decides he's a failure at preaching. Rejoined to train pilots early in the Korean War, he finds Korean orphans raiding the airbase garbage. With a pretty Korean teacher, he sets up an orphanage for them and others. But he finds that to protect his charges, he has to kill. Written by Rod Crawford

Plot Keywords
Taglines The true story of Col. Dean Hess, clergyman turned fighter pilot! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide Add content advisory for parents »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • By Faith I Fly (United States)
  • Les Ailes de l'espérance (France)
  • Himno de batalla (Spain)
  • Strijd voor de vrijheid (Netherlands)
  • 大空の凱歌 (Japan, Japanese title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 108 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Robert Mitchum lobbied for the lead role. However, the real Col. Dean Hess wouldn't hear of a former jailbird portraying him. He personally approved Rock Hudson instead. See more »
Goofs When Skidmore is wounded and coming back to land, the exterior shots show the canopy open, but in the closeups of Don DeFore (Skidmore) the canopy is closed. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Where Is Everybody? (1959). See more »
Soundtracks Little Brown Jug See more »
Quotes Old Man, Lun-Wa: But, Colonel, you seem troubled.
Col. Dean Hess: There's nothing so terrible as war. I killed today.
Old Man, Lun-Wa: Yes, war is evil. I see what is in your heart. Colonel, may a poor, old carver of ivory babble for a moment? Understand that this is no more than babble and may not have more worth than a handful of sand. In times like these can a man of good conscience ask others, 'Protect me, kill for me, but do not ask me to stain my hands?' What must one do when a choice between two evils is all that is offered? To accept the lesser can sometimes be the only choice. In order to save at times we must destroy and in destructiom creates new life.
Col. Dean Hess: Is that the answer?
Old Man, Lun-Wa: The true answer, Colonel, is not in my babble... 'tis in the Book - 'Oh, Lord, though hast seen my wrong. Judge now my cause.'
Col. Dean Hess: Who are you?
Old Man, Lun-Wa: Just a very old man anxious to get back to his stall in Pusan.
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