To Hell and Back is an extremely unique entry in the war movie genre, considering that its main character and star are one and the same. In 1955, Hollywood actor Audie Murphy starred as himself in To Hell and Back, a movie about his activities in World War II. To this day, Murphy is remembered as one of the United States’ greatest war heroes, as well as an actor with an impressive resume of Western movie roles.

Years after his time serving overseas in the military, Audie Murphy began a career in acting. Starting out with a bit role in 1948’s Texas, Brooklyn, and Heaven, Murphy signed a contract with Universal Pictures, which proceeded to cast him in a long list of B-movie Westerns, including Kansas Raiders, The Cimarron Kid, a remake of James Stewart’s Destry Rides Again, and more. During this time, he also starred in two war movies for the studio, one of which being a big-screen take on The Red Badge of Courage and the other being To Hell and Back, an adaptation of his own memoir.

To Hell And Back Is Based On A Book About One Of World War 2’s Greatest Heroes

Audie Murphy Was Cast As Himself In A Movie Adaptation Of His 1949 Memoir

Audie Murphy retired from military service after the conclusion of World War 2 in 1945. Four years later, he penned To Hell and Back, a memoir that detailed his personal experiences in World War 2, from his efforts to enlist to his greatest achievement in the war effort, which won him the Medal of Honor. Shortly afterward, Universal bought the rights to Murphy’s book and planned a film adaptation, with Murphy himself – one of their contracted actors – eyed as the movie’s lead. Hesitant to play himself in a film, Murphy suggested that Tony Curtis – a much bigger star at the time – take the part, but Murphy was eventually convinced to take the role.

In the style of a biographical film, To Hell and Back follows Audie Murphy’s story, starting from his early life in Texas. After exploring the personal hardships he endured having to lead his family’s household as a teenager, the movie shows how Murphy was motivated by the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941 to join the military. Deemed physically unfit for military service by three military branches, Murphy refused to give up and was eventually able to join the U.S. Army.

To Hell and Back also extensively covers the events that played out while Murphy was in the Army, following him from training camp, to North Africa, to the invasion of Sicily, and finally, France. Throughout this time, Audie Murphy performed a number of heroic feats, with the one he’s most known for occurring in France where Murphy climbs on top of a German tank that was about to explode, before using its mounted machine gun to shoot down a horde of enemy combatants. It was this deed that earned Audie Murphy the highest award an American soldier can receive, the Medal of Honor.

By the end of the war, Audie Murphy had built an amazing legacy. In total, Murphy accumulated 33 medals, making him the most decorated American soldier not only in World War II, but also in American history (a record he continues to hold).

To Hell And Back Is One Of The Best World War II Movies Of The 1950s

To Hell And Back Is Easily Audie Murphy’s Best Movie

Although To Hell and Back received mostly positive reviews at the time of its release, today it’s an under-the-radar film, one of that’s generally overshadowed by more high-profile World War 2 movies, such as Saving Private Ryan, Midway, and The Bridge on the River Kwai. That said, it still stands out as a gem of the genre, using the real-life story of Audie Murphy to deliver an inspirational tale of resilience and heroism.

To Hell and Back comes across almost as a Captain America story grounded in realism, with a protagonist whose sense of patriotism and desire to fight drives him to defy the low expectations of those around him and overcome challenge after challenge so that he can fight on behalf of his country. It’s a wonderful premise for a patriotic World War 2 movie, and one that’s made even better by the fact that it really did happen.

Making it all the more enjoyable is the decision to have Audie Murphy play himself; it’s perfect casting, and obviously not something that many – if any war movies – are capable of replicating. Naturally, no one was better suited for the role, as his personal connection to the story only enhanced the film’s immersive feel. And the age difference between the actor and the version of himself he was playing on screen was hardly an issue, because although he was 30 years old during filming, Murphy was known for his youthful appearance, meaning that it wasn’t difficult for him to pull off the role of a young soldier.

How Accurate Is To Hell And Back To Audie Murphy’s Real-Life Story?

To Hell And Back Includes Several Real Events From Audie Murphy’s Life

To Hell and Back accurately portrays the highlights of this particular period in Audie Murphy’s life, including the struggles of keeping his family together in Texas and the various military conflicts he was involved in during World War II. For the most part, there was much need for dramatization, especially concerning the moment where Murphy used the German soldiers’ own tank against them.

It’s also noteworthy that To Hell and Back doesn’t try to sidestep the more sensitive aspects of Audie Murphy’s story, specifically his PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Murphy discussed the heavy toll the war had on his psyche in his memoir, and To Hell and Back doesn’t shy away from tacking this particular issue and the problem he had with re-entering the society, although it admittedly doesn’t go as far as with the subject as the book does and does tone it down to some degree. However, the losses he endures over the course of the film offer a compelling glimpse into the emotional impact that the war had on Audie Murphy.