History Film / TheDevilsBrigade

* FakeNationality: Cliff Robertson (a Californian) plays the senior Canadian as an Irishman (in actuality, the senior Canadian was Major John [=McQueen=] of the Calgary Highlanders). Richard Dawson (an Englishman who emigrated to the United States) plays Canadian Corporal [=MacDonald=] with a Scottish accent. Corporal Peacock is played by an actual Englishman, Jack Watson, and though audiences might be confused by his kilt, that is a reflection of his unit (the Calgary Highlanders) and not his nationality. The other Canadians (Jeremy Slate, Harry Carey) are played by Americans and speak with a neutral English accent. Jean-Paul Vignon, who plays the only Francophone Canadian, was actually born in Ethiopia to a French father and Italian mother. In short, there are no Canadian actors in the film.
** The use of English, Scottish, Irish accents among Canadians qualifies as a trope. This liberal mixing of accents is probably more indicative of the view Americans had of their cousins to the north, than of the actual proportion of soldiers raised in the UK serving in the Canadian Army in 1943. While in 1914, the proportion of UK-born soldiers in Canadian combat units was about 50%, that number declined during the First World War in favour of Canadian-born soldiers, and by 1939 the majority of soldiers in the Canadian Army would have used a flatter "Canadian" or possibly mid-Atlantic accent. Historical accuracy would have involved the actors portraying Canadians to sound no different than someone from Michigan or Montana (where the first third of the film takes place), and there would have been little to distinguish them from the American characters.
** American General Mark Clark was portrayed by English actor Michael Rennie while German General Knapp was played by American actor James Craig.

* MountainWarfare: The film's climactic battle sees the brigade scale the cliffs of Monte La Difenza, in order to attack the German positions near the summit from above and behind.

* MountainWarfare: The film's climactic battle sees the brigade scale the cliffs of Monte La Difenza and attack the German positions near the summit from above and behind.

* WinterWarfare: The unit is seen engaging in ski training in preparation for their (ultimately canceled) commando raid Norway. Additionally, in real life the 1st Special Service Force was initially deployed to the Aleutian Islands as part of the landings on Kiska.

** Rocky and Peacock (once they become friends) also end up becoming this.

--> Bronc: What's wrong with him?
--> [=MacDonald=]: Haven't you ever seen a man say goodbye?
* ActuallyPrettyFunny: During the ruck march, the Canadians are ordered to cease making derogatory insults about the Americans. A Canadian soldiers asks if ordinary insults are acceptable. Frederick has to turn away from the men to laugh.

* BaldHeadOfToughness: Greco is a a bald headed man whose acrobatic skills help out a lot.

* ObligatoryWarCrimeScene:
** The German commander on La Difensa shows a white flag as a ruse, and uses the brief cease fire to kill one of the officers sent to accept his surrender.
** Incorrectly reported as a war crime: Sgt. O'Neill dresses as a German soldier. The Hague Convention actually permits enemy uniforms to be worn as a legitimate ruse d'guerre. The rules state, however, that soldiers are not allowed to fight in them. Similar to a false flag ruse used by naval vessels, once contact with the enemy is made, one has to fight in the insignia of their own side.

A 1968 UsefulNotes/WorldWarII film directed by Andrew V. [=McLaglen=], starring Creator/WilliamHolden, Cliff Robertson and Vince Edwards.

* BaldOfAwesome: Greco is a a bald headed man whose acrobatic skills help out a lot.

* ThoseTwoGuys: Greco and Bronxc befriend each other. early on and do a lot together during training.

* SergeantRock: Canadian Sgt. O'Neill subverts this. His first appearance is as a bespectacled, trash-talking wimp. He quickly hands Pvt. Rockman his own rear, commenting on the human body's weaknesses with every blow and deflection.
* SuspiciouslySmallArmy: during the Force's graduation parade scene, it is obvious there are only a couple of companies of extras. The real life Force commander had chosen the title "Brigade" to mask its true size from the enemy. In actual fact the First Special Service Force was made up of three regiments of about 600 men in each, or about 1800 men in total. The most ever depicted on screen at once are 200 or so.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_devils_brigade_1968.jpg]]

The year is 1942. Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick (Holden) is called to answer to Lord Mountbatten for his rejection of a planned American-British commando raid into occupied Norway. Seeing his willingness to call out the plan's flaws as a sign of worth, the British decide that Frederick is precisely the man they need to lead the new 1st Special Service Force. A joint American-Canadian unit, Frederick is tasked with combining the rough and rowdy Americans with the prim and proper Canadians.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_devils_brigade.jpg]]

The year is 1942. Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick is called to answer to Lord Mountbatten for his rejection of a planned American-British commando raid into occupied Norway. Seeing his willingness to call out the plan's flaws as a sign of worth, the British decide that Frederick is precisely the man they need to lead the new 1st Special Service Force. A joint American-Canadian unit, Frederick is tasked with combining the rough and rowdy Americans with the prim and proper Canadians.

Released a year after the more-well-known film ''Film/TheDirtyDozen'', ''The Devil's Brigade'' is loosely based on the real exploits of the 1st Special Service Force.