Beach Blanket Bingo: German Saboteurs Wash Ashore

I can’t deny it. One of my all-time favorite WW2 films is Robert Aldrich’s 1967 blockbuster The Dirty Dozen. Based on a 1965 bestselling novel by E. M. Nathanson, the plot involves twelve hardened convicts, five of whom were awaiting execution, recruited as a commando team by the US military for a top secret, most likely suicidal, mission behind enemy lines. A full pardon would be their reward for success. The movie featured an all-star ensemble cast that included: Lee Marvin, George Kennedy, Trini Lopez (a popular musician), Telly Sevalas, Charles Bronson, Donald Sutherland, and football legend, Jim Brown. Who doesn’t remember his grenade run?