Take the High Ground!
From its rowdy, ribald horse-play, to its rousing marching song... from its hard-boiled hates and slugging feuds to its tough-but tender love story... this is a drama of our times... exciting, exalting, young, brave and alive!
1953 | 101m | English
Popularity: 5 (history)
| Director: | Richard Brooks |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Millard Kaufman |
| Staring: |
| Sgt. Thorne Ryan, who once fought bravely in Korea, now serves as a hard-nosed drill instructor to new Army recruits at Fort Bliss, Texas. But is he really the man he is often described as? His fellow instructor, and friend helps him to face the ghosts of his past experiences in Korea. One night in a bar across the border in Juarez, Mexico, Sgt. Ryan meets a lady who begins to turn his life around. Will this be enough to help him deal with the past? Or will he continue to be so hard on his troops? | |
| Release Date: | Oct 30, 1953 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Richard Brooks |
| Writer: | Millard Kaufman |
| Genres: | Comedy, Drama, War |
| Keywords | drill instructor |
| Production Companies | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 19, 2026 Entered: Apr 25, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Richard Widmark | Sgt. Thorne Ryan |
| Karl Malden | Sgt. Laverne Holt |
| Elaine Stewart | Julie Mollison |
| Carleton Carpenter | Merton "Tex" Tolliver |
| Russ Tamblyn | Paul Jamison |
| Jerome Courtland | Elvin C. Carey |
| Steve Forrest | Lobo Nagalaski |
| Robert Arthur | Donald Quentin Dover IV |
| Maurice Jara | Franklin D. No Bear |
| William Hairston | Daniel Hazard |
| Bert Freed | Sgt. Vince Opperman |
| Acquanetta | Bar Girl (uncredited) |
| Matilda Caldwell | Mrs. Hazard (uncredited) |
| Charlita | Mexican Girl (uncredited) |
| John Close | Military Policeman (uncredited) |
| Joe Dominguez | Shooting Gallery Proprietor (uncredited) |
| Lester Dorr | Army Doctor (uncredited) |
| Nacho Galindo | Mexican Man (uncredited) |
| Jack Gargan | Army Doctor (uncredited) |
| Dabbs Greer | Shorty (uncredited) |
| Don Haggerty | Commanding Officer (uncredited) |
| Creighton Hale | Army Doctor (uncredited) |
| Harry Hines | Drunk (uncredited) |
| Gordon Jones | Moose (uncredited) |
| Richard Landry | Recruit (uncredited) |
| Bill Lee | Singer of "Julie" (uncredited) |
| Mickey McCardle | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Steve Mitchell | Quartermaster Sergeant (uncredited) |
| Tom Quinn | Army Doctor (uncredited) |
| Vernon Rich | Army Doctor (uncredited) |
| Suzanne Ridgway | Bar Girl (uncredited) |
| Harry Stanton | Army Doctor (uncredited) |
| Clarence Straight | Cowboy (uncredited) |
| Regis Toomey | Chaplain (uncredited) |
| Tommy Walker | Soldier (uncredited) |
| Guy Wilkerson | Carey's Father (uncredited) |
| Robert B. Williams | Supply Sergeant (uncredited) |
| Wilson Wood | Marine Friend (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Millard Kaufman | Screenplay, Story |
| John D. Dunning | Editor |
| Edward C. Carfagno | Art Direction |
| Alfred E. Spencer | Set Decoration |
| John Truwe | Makeup Artist |
| Frank Wesselhoff | Painter |
| Conrad Kahn | Sound |
| George Robotham | Stunts |
| Guy Way | Stunts |
| Walter K. Sims | Technical Advisor |
| Mentor Huebner | Production Illustrator |
| Richard Brooks | Director |
| John Alton | Director of Photography |
| Dimitri Tiomkin | Original Music Composer |
| Cedric Gibbons | Art Direction |
| Edwin B. Willis | Set Decoration |
| William Tuttle | Makeup Artist |
| Jerry Thorpe | Assistant Director |
| Douglas Shearer | Recording Supervision |
| Fritz Ford | Stunts |
| Rai Sanders | Stunts |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Herman Hoffman | Associate Producer |
| Dore Schary | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
| 2024 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2024 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 2 |
| 2024 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
| 2024 | 9 | 6 | 13 | 2 |
| 2024 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| 2024 | 11 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| 2024 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
| 2025 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
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