When Trumpets Fade

When Trumpets Fadeis a 1998HBOtelevision movie directed byJohn Irvinand starringRon Eldard,Frank Whaley,Zak Orth,andDylan Bruno.First released on June 27, 1998, the film is set inWorld War IIduring theBattle of the Hürtgen Forest.

When Trumpets Fade
Television poster
Written by	W.W. Vought
Directed by	John Irvin
Starring	Ron Eldard Frank Whaley Zak Orth Dylan Bruno
Music by	Geoffrey Burgon
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producer	John Kemeny
Running time	92 minutes
Production company	HBO NYC Productions
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	June 27, 1998(1998-06-27)

Plot

Private David Manning of the28th Infantry Divisionsurvives theBattle of the Hürtgen Forestand is given a battlefield promotion to sergeant, with a new platoon of green recruits. He tries to get out of it, saying he is unqualified for the position, but his company commander, Captain Roy Pritchett, disagrees. Manning then tries to back out of responsibility by asking to be discharged underSection 8(designating him mentally unfit due to combat stress), to no avail.

Manning dutifully takes command and leads his unit back onto the American line. The next morning, while on patrol, Manning puts Private Warren Sanderson on point. However, Sanderson goes forward too quickly and gets separated from the squad, before narrowly avoiding contact with the enemy. Manning eventually decides the squad must leave without Sanderson right before the latter returns. After this incident, Manning is scorned by his peers and berated by newly assigned First Lieutenant Terrence Lukas. Manning's company makes a push toward the town of Schmidt in order to take and hold a key bridge. However, they move into an enemy minefield and are fired on. The company retreats, and Pritchett comes to Manning with a volunteer mission to destroy the enemy's guns, before promising to grant Manning a Section 8 if he volunteers for and succeeds on the mission.

During the mission, Private Sam Baxter panics and starts to flee. The other men follow suit. To stop them, Manning shoots Baxter, hitting theflamethrowerhe is carrying on his back, which causes it to explode and burn him to death. Horrified by this, the men resume their attack on the German guns. Led by Sanderson, the group succeeds in destroying the guns. Manning's company secures the bridge after suffering heavy casualties but is soon attacked by German tanks and forced to retreat. During the retreat back to the American lines, Lonnie is killed and Despin is captured. Manning and Sanderson escape. Pritchett, who has also survived the ordeal, cracks under pressure and is ordered off the lines before he can uphold his promise to Manning.

When the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel George Rickman, asks him about the status of his platoon, a traumatized Lukas snaps and assaults him. Manning confronts Rickman as Lukas is led away, picks up the mass of blood-soaked dog tags Lukas dropped, and presses them against Rickman's chest as his answer to the platoon's status. Despite Manning's insubordination, Rickman has no choice but to promote him again, this time to lieutenant, and order him to take the disgraced Lukas' position as platoon leader.

Talbot and Corporal Toby Chamberlain confront Manning for shooting Baxter. In the ensuing altercation, Manning reveals a plan to destroy the German tanks the night before the assault. Chamberlain states they have no proof that Manning will not just shoot them as he did Baxter. Sanderson, who survived the retreat, defends Manning's conduct. Manning informs them that the battalion is making another push in the morning, and that if they do not destroy the tanks, then the whole force stands to be wiped out.

Manning leads Talbot, Chamberlain, and Sanderson in a pre-dawn raid on the German tanks, without the battalion's knowledge or support. Manning clears a minefield and cuts a barbed wire obstacle, enabling the group to continue on, before they destroy the tanks with abazooka.The operation costs the lives of all but Sanderson and Manning, who is left severely wounded. While being carried back to friendly lines by Sanderson, Manning loses consciousness from his wounds. An epilogue states that after three months of heavy combat, the Battle of the Hürtgen Forest claimed more than 24,000 dead and wounded and most historians today agree that there was little to no strategic justification for so great a sacrifice because German reinforcements ultimately thwarted the American offensive. The battle itself was overshadowed by theBattle of the Bulgesoon afterward.

Cast

• Ron Eldardas Private / Sergeant / Second Lieutenant David Manning, who progresses from greenie, to squad leader, to platoon leader in C Company
• Zak Orthas Private Warren "Sandy" Sanderson, a replacement in Manning's squad
• Frank Whaleyas Corporal Toby Chamberlain, a medic attached to C Company
• Dylan Brunoas Sergeant Patrick Talbot, a squad leader in Lukas' platoon
• Devon Gummersallas Private Andrew Lonnie, a replacement in Manning's squad
• Dan Futtermanas Private Doug Despin, a replacement in Manning's squad
• Steven Petrarca as Private Sam Baxter, a replacement in Manning's squad
• Dwight Yoakamas Lieutenant Colonel George Rickman, the battalion commander of First Battalion
• Martin Donovanas Captain Roy Pritchett, the company commander of C Company, First Battalion
• Timothy Olyphantas 1st Lieutenant Terrence Lukas, the leader of Manning and Talbot's platoon
• Jeffrey Donovanas Private Robert "Bobby" Miller, a fellow soldier of Manning's
• Bobby Cannavaleas Captain Thomas Zenek, the new commander of C Company
• Frank-Michael KöbeasOberfeldwebel,a German Army patrol leader

Production

When Trumpets Fadewas filmed on location inBudapest,Lake Balaton,Hungary,and inCalgary,Alberta,Canada. US troops supportingOperation Joint Guard,stationed inTaszar,Hungary, were used as extras on the set.

Awards

John Irvinwon the Silver FIPA Award for Best Director for the film at the Biarritz International Festival in 1999.

The film was also nominated for best cinematography (byThomas Burstyn) by theAmerican Society of Cinematographersand best sound editing by theMotion Picture Sound Editors,andRon Eldardwas nominated for best actor at theSeattle International Film Festival.

External links

• When Trumpets FadeatIMDb