Darby's Rangers (1958 Film) - Production

Production

Warner Brothers had had a financial and critical hit in Battle Cry, and wanted to repeat the success with Major James Altieri's biographical account of Darby's Rangers, The Spearheaders. Altieri was known to Warners as he had been technical advisor on Force of Arms (1951). Director William Wellman's reputation for superb war films lay in The Story of G.I. Joe and Battleground. He was hired on condition that Warner Brothers finance his dream project, Lafayette Escadrille, about his (Wellman's) own World War I Foreign Legion air squadron. Warner Brothers emphasised the romantic pairings of most of the leads, as a feature of the film, to emulate the success of Battle Cry; problems arose.

Although the U.S. Marine Corps enthusiastically lent Camp Pendleton, Marine film extras, material, and color film of the Pacific Island campaigns to stimulate recruiting and its public image (see The United States Marine Corps on film), the U.S. Army was not keen on the Rangers, because they had suffered excessively high casualty rates of excellent soldiers that the Army thought would be better employed leading regular infantry units. The U.S. Army of the 1950s preferred training individual officers and NCOs at the Ranger School who then returned to their parent units and trained them in Ranger tactics and military values, and not have separate Ranger companies and battalions, thus, the U.S. Army's co-operation was limited to training the actors and providing black and white stock footage.

Originally, Charlton Heston was cast as William O. Darby. He was enthusiastic about portraying a recent historical figure; he could interview people who knew Darby in creating his characterisation. However, he asked for five percent of the profits. Jack Warner thought he was joking, until just before filming. Producer Warner looked to his contracted stock company, and, fortuitously, choose thirty-year-old James Garner who had the proper appearance and age to play William O. Darby, who died at age thirty-four. Garner, a Korean War veteran, had just broken through as a leading man with the Maverick television series and replaced Heston. Garner's first leading role demonstrated the thespian range that made him believable as a Ranger infantry officer. Garner's original role in the film was taken by Stuart Whitman.

Originally, Tab Hunter was to play the Lieutenant, but quit before filming; Edd Byrnes replaced him. Garner's interpretation of Ranger commander Darby is earnest and sensitive; Byrnes' character is a heartless, over-serious, young lieutenant, the ultimate "square", the opposite of the two stars portrayals of their character of the easy going cyncial Bret Maverick and the hip "Kookie" of 77 Sunset Strip.

Darby's Rangers was filmed, economically, on the studio backlot. The supporting cast includes: Murray Hamilton, Adam Williams, Corey Allen, and William Wellman Jr. French actress Etchika Choureau (née Françoise Choureau) made her Hollywood début in this film, and acted in Lafeyette Escradille, then returned to Europe. Francis De Sales had an uncredited role as a captain. The film emphasizes romantic subplots, as Darby counsels his soldiers about their personal problems. William H. Clothier's black and white cinematography blends with the stock footage, and renders the sets believable.