Darby's Rangers (1958 Film) - Plot

Plot

Major William Darby (James Garner) is a staff officer who is placed in command of the volunteer US Army 1st Ranger Battalion based on and trained by the British Commandos. Darby and Master Sergeant Saul Rosen (Jack Warden), who also narrates the film, select a variety of men for training in Scotland. Darby tells his volunteers that the British Commandos are the best soldiers in the world, but in time they will be. The Americans are quartered in Scottish homes and several of the Rangers pair off with local lassies: Rollo Burns (Peter Brown) with Peggy McTavish (Venetia Stevenson), the daughter of the fearsome but humorous Scottish Commando instructor, Sergeant McTavish (Torin Thatcher), and vagabond Hank Bishop (Stuart Whitman) with the proper Wendy Hollister (Joan Elan).

After a landing in French North Africa, two more Ranger battalions are formed, with Darby promoted to colonel. Joining the Rangers is 2nd Lieutenant Arnold Dittmann (Edd Byrnes), a by-the-book West Pointer who is humanized by his encounter with Angelina De Lotta (Etchika Choureau). There are several action scenes in a bombed out Italian village where the men face a sniper, and a running firefight with the Germans.

Darby confides to Rosen a recurring dream of being run over by an oncoming train, foreshadowing the climax. His 1st and 3rd Ranger Battalions are ambushed and wiped out by the Germans at the Battle of Cisterna at Anzio. Darby leads his 4th Ranger Battalion in an unsuccessful rescue attempt. Of the 767 men who go in, only seven come back, the majority being captured.