Hell to Eternity

Guy Gabaldon

Cpl. Pete Lewis

Sheila Lincoln

Guy - as a Boy

Capt. Schwabe

Leonard

Sono

Kaz Une

Famika

Polaski

Papa Une

George - as a Boy

Martini

George Une (as George Takai)

Ester

Mother Une (as Tsuru Aoki Hayakawa)

Gen. Matsui

Drunken Officer (uncredited)

Freddy (uncredited)

The real Guy Gabaldon - unlike Jeffrey Hunter, the tall Anglo actor who played him - was Chicano and only 5'4", 130 pounds. He enlisted in the Marines after Pearl Harbor at age 17. Even though he captured more enemy soldiers single-handedly than anyone else, including WW I hero Sergeant Alvin C. York, he was not awarded the Medal of Honor, as York was.

Opening credits: This is the story of an immortal fighting man of World War II. Many who never even knew Guy Gabaldon are alive at the present time because of him. Though this United States Marine's deeds came into history's sharp focus on the bloodied hills of Saipan, his story starts in the melting pot of East Los Angeles during the great depression of the early Thirties.

Tsuru Aoki's first credited filmed role of any kind in 36 years. It was also her last appearance, as she died the following year.

The tanks used by the Marines were M-48 Patton tanks. This tank did not start production until 1952; seven years after the war ended.

When David Janssen's character Bill Hazen is killed, and Jeffrey Hunter's Gabaldon, enraged, rushes the Japanese position, shooting his M1 Carbine continuously, and killing all of the Japanese soldiers in sight. However, he fires more than the maximum thirty shots that could have been held by the largest magazine available for the M1, which held 30 rounds, without any evidence that he might have reloaded.

When Gabaldon visits "Mama san" (Mother Une) at the Internment camp, she says her sons are in Italy. This is prior to Gabaldon enlisting in the Marine Corps. Later, on Saipan, Gabaldon says his brothers are in the 442 Regimental Combat Team. The 442 landed at Anzio in May of 1944. The Marines landed on Saipan in June of 1944. Using the timeline established in the movie, there would not have been enough time for Gabaldon to enlist, go through boot camp and fight in the Battle of Saipan.

Capt. Schwabe: Lewis? How's it going? Says here you were shot in the ashcan.

Gen. Matsui: Even with that gun in your hand, you are captured. Hmm.

Guy Gabaldon: [after shooting two soldiers] I understood that double-crossing speech! These men died without any reason. I didn't want to kill them! You want to go to your army? All right, you go, but I'm going with you to keep you honest, and you're gonna tell those people on this island that the war is over. Now let's move!