Between Heaven and Hell (1956): Cast & Plot
Between Heaven and Hell is a 1956 war drama directed by Richard Fleischer, starring Robert Wagner as Sfc. Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford, Terry Moore and Robert Keith. It runs 1 hour 34 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 34m (94 min)
- Director
- Richard Fleischer
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Between Heaven and Hell About?
The premise of Between Heaven and Hell without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Sam Gifford, an arrogant Southern cotton‑plantation heir married to a colonel’s daughter, becomes a sergeant in the National Guard when war begins. After striking a cowardly lieutenant, he is sent to a disciplinary battalion under the brutish Captain Waco Grimes. In combat he bonds with privates he once despised, learning and becoming a better man.
Between Heaven and Hell Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- tommy gun
- gun
- semiautomatic rifle
- rifle
- bolt action rifle
- ptsd post traumatic stress disorder
- homosexual subtext
- wagner and moore
- wealth
- cotton
- colonel
- sergeant
+38 more Show fewer
- national guard
- booby trap
- reference to waco
- military officer
- panic attack
- combat stress psychosis
- stress disorder
- battle of the philippines
- philippines
- mortar
- mortar attack
- silver star
- warm beer
- father in law son in law relationship
- shaking
- ambush
- beach landing
- aircraft carrier
- archive footage
- burning photograph
- radio operator
- signal flare
- jungle warfare
- military outpost
- outpost
- pacific war
- year 1945
- sniper
- shot to death
- sharecropper
- reconnaissance
- landing craft
- island
- husband wife relationship
- hill
- friendship
- friendly fire
- flashback
Between Heaven and Hell Cast & Characters
Robert Wagner leads the cast as Sfc. Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford, with Terry Moore as Jenny Gifford and Robert Keith as Col. Cousins. Directed by Richard Fleischer; 17 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Richard Fleischer
-
Robert Wagner as Sfc. Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford -
Terry Moore as Jenny Gifford - Robert Keith as Col. Cousins
-
Brad Dexter as Lt. Joe 'Little Joe' Johnson
Also Starring in Between Heaven and Hell
· 13 more- Buddy Ebsen Pvt. Willie Crawford
- Broderick Crawford Capt. 'Waco' Grimes, CO Co.G
- L.Q. Jones Pvt. Kenny - Co. G
- Frank Gorshin Pvt. Millard - Co. G (uncredited)
- Scatman Crothers George (uncredited)
- Carl Switzer Savage
- Skip Homeier Pvt. Swanson - Co. G
- Harvey Lembeck .Pvt. Bernard 'Bernie' Meleski - Co. G
- Mark Damon Pvt. Terry - Co. G
- Biff Elliot Tom Thumb - Co. G
- Ken Clark Morgan
- Tod Andrews Lt. Ray Mosby
- Bart Burns Pvt. Raker - Co. G
Between Heaven and Hell Plot Summary
What happens in Between Heaven and Hell from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Sergeant Sam Gifford is a Pacific-front tale set in 1945, where a fierce moment of anger costs him his stripes and lands him in a punishment company led by the ruthless Captain Grimes, a commander who insists on being called “Waco” to shield himself from the deadly precision of Japanese snipers. The film uses stark flashbacks to peel back Gifford’s past, revealing a man whose civilian life was split between wealth and power as a cotton farmer and a strained marriage to Jenny Gifford, the daughter of his National Guard commander, the imposing Colonel Cousins. On home soil, Cousins’s daughter is the bright thread that connects their worlds, a plantation owner’s family whose status will shadow Gifford’s decisions in the swamp of war.
Full summary
The whole story of Between Heaven and Hell, scene by scene
Between Heaven and Hell Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Between Heaven and Hell.
How Well Do You Know Between Heaven and Hell?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main protagonist, the demoted soldier who leads the San Carlos patrol?
Between Heaven and Hell Also Known As
10 alternative titles, including “Le Temps de la colère” and “Djävulsön”.
- Also known as
-
- Le Temps de la colère
- Djävulsön
- Los diablos del Pacífico
- Feuertaufe
- Kirottujen kukkula
- I diavoli del Pacifico
- I Stillehavets helvede
- 太平洋生死战
- Entre o Céu e o Inferno
- Между раем и адом
Seen Between Heaven and Hell?
Movies Like Between Heaven and Hell
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Hell Is for Heroes, Hell Below and When Hell Broke Loose.
Between Heaven and Hell FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Between Heaven and Hell, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Between Heaven and Hell?
Between Heaven and Hell runs 1 hour 34 minutes (94 minutes).
When was Between Heaven and Hell released?
Between Heaven and Hell was released on October 11, 1956.
Who directed Between Heaven and Hell?
Between Heaven and Hell was directed by Richard Fleischer.
More films by Richard Fleischer Who is in the cast of Between Heaven and Hell?
Between Heaven and Hell stars Robert Wagner as Sfc. Pvt. Sam Francis Gifford, Terry Moore as Jenny Gifford and Robert Keith as Col. Cousins, among 17 credited actors.
Does Between Heaven and Hell have a post-credit scene?
No. Between Heaven and Hell has no extra scene during or after the credits.
Coming soon to your phone
The Plot Explained Movie Summary App
From blockbusters to hidden gems: plot summaries, endings explained and timelines on your phone. Save your favorites and never miss a twist again.
Be the first to know when it launches. Your email stays private, always. Learn more about the app
