The First Great Picture Of The Second World War!
Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and his American compatriots have already seen one of their own, Roderigues, perish under enemy fire. The men try to rebuff another series of Nazi attacks, but what they really need is a change in the weather. Without clear skies, they'll never get the air support they need.
Battleground (1949) is a action, drama and war film directed by William A. Wellman, released on November 9, 1949 with a runtime of 1h 58m. It stars Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban and George Murphy. Viewers rate it 6.7 out of 10 across 107 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Battleground before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Battleground.
Trailer
Clip
Clip
Van Johnson
as Holley
John Hodiak
as Jarvess
Ricardo Montalban
as Roderigues
George Murphy
as 'Pop' Stazak
Marshall Thompson
as Jim Layton
Jerome Courtland
as Abner Spudler
Don Taylor
as Standiferd
Bruce Cowling
as Wolowicz
James Whitmore
as Kinnie
Douglas Fowley
as 'Kipp' Kippton
Leon Ames
as The Chaplain
Herbert Anderson
as Hansan
Directed by William A. Wellman, written by Robert Pirosh and Robert Pirosh, produced by Robert Pirosh and Dore Schary.
Average viewer score of 6.7/10 from 107 ratings.
The Battered Bastards Of Bastogne. Dedicated to the battered bastards of Bastogne, this major player in the war film genre is directed by William Wellman & tells the story of a U.S. Army division involved in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. The terrific cast features George Murphy, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, Van Johnson and James Whitmore. The film was nominated for four Academy Awards and won two…
Reviewed on June 4, 2019
Based on the true life activities of an American division shortly after the D-Day landings in the winter of 1944, this offers one of the most authentic interpretations of the wartime experiences of a dozen or so ordinary soldiers far from home, cold, hungry and fearful. They are led by “Holley” (Van Johnson) but rank means precious little really as the squad try to navigate the foggy countryside around Bastogne…
Reviewed on June 4, 2025
2014
2022
2018
2019
2015
2014
1998
1995
2021
1988
2012
2017
2021
2025
1965
2020
1999
2021
1989
2016
2012
1980
1998
1969
2008
1946
1971
2021
2023
2014
1966
2006
1990
1943
2024
1979
1979
2001
2006
2007
Battleground (1949) is available to stream on TCM, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home and Spectrum On Demand. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Battleground (1949) includes Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy and Marshall Thompson. The film was directed by William A. Wellman. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Battleground was released on November 9, 1949 and runs for 1h 58m.
Battleground (1949) holds an average rating of 6.7 out of 10 from 107 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy action, drama and war films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Battleground trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
