edward dmytryk return from the mccarthy hearing to direct this slightly expand stage show of eight world war two soldier and sit around in a wrecked basement and wait for their chance to go on furlough . but the sergeant play by a lee marvin so young that he still have dark hair want to go out and find a missing man . the endless talk talk talk be alleviate occasionally a marvin go out to see the company captain and who also live in a wrecked basement . dmytryk and the screenwriter have do very little to expand this for the screen . you may and if you like and interpret this a a failure of nerve of dmytryk part represent he have originally refuse to testify a to who be a communist before the house unamerican activity committee . a few month in jail break his resolve and and he spend the remainder of his career direct ever large and ever glossy and ever empty film .