Fireball Forward (1972) Online

Looks like the proponents of this film could use a little help. OK. Here it comes... Not being much of a historian, and stupid about discards from other pictures, I am unable to evaluate it with these things in mind. Perhaps this lesser intelligence accounts for my being entertained by this flick. It's about a newly-transferred General who concludes that somebody with access to his Command Post is tipping off the Germans with regard to his division's movements. I was not distracted by any inferiority in the easily-seen stuff, such as the acting, sound, lighting, writing, etc. Therefore, I was intrigued by the effort here to identify the source of the "leak". I, for one, would say that FIREBALL FORWARD (which refers to the nickname of the headquarters of the top brass) is worth reconning, and is no more of a gamble as to whether you'll like it or not, than most other movies.

Lets give everyone a minor TV history lesson. they used to have something made by the major TV channels called a TV Movie. This was one of them. It was made on a shoe string budget with the combat action being made up of stock footage from the big screen feature movie "Patton". One of the things you also have to remember is the political climate of the time. It was anti orthodox, anti Vietnam and anti military. So a General who was a mustang;it means to become a officer thru the ranks rather than thru West Point; and did not want to throw a enlisted man to the rear area paperwork lions because he ran away, at least not till he finds out why and in the process finds out he has a mystery on his hands and a big time security leak that he must fix before his battalion goes back into combat against the Germans.

I think you all missed the point! The premise of the movie is to try to guess who the traitor is--the one who is betraying their next moves to the enemy. That is where I get my enjoyment; from the suspense. And as far as the suspense went, it was terrific!!

I can't remember having seen this wartime mystery thriller since the Seventies, but I loved having the great performances throughout recalled to me as I just rewatched it yesterday on Youtube. It's one great result they have obtained here, the level of drama not limited at all by the TV-level budget. Naturally the special effects are at a minimum and I value it all the more for that.

Ben Gazzara is tops in the kind of authoritative role he was best at -- a dogface who made it up tomajor general through field promotions -- adding charismatic color andnever falling into the trap of leaning back on their laurels as the likes of staple character stars Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan or Carroll O'Connor sometimes did in "bigger" war movies of the day. Eddie Albert is good as always in an ambiguous role, Ricardo Montalban very good, along with Dana Elcar, L.Q. Jones and others in what must be called an ensemble effort. Even Morgan Paull, a lesser-known juvenile second lead of the day, added to the whole as a shell-shocked corporal. For this, a theme too deep for today's TV-watchers, and the excellent pacing and plot, I give it an unreserved 9/10 as an absorbing way to pass an hour and a half.

This is out on Video? They're showing it on TNT? Wasn't it banned by the People of America with Good Taste, Nebraska Chapter? It is truly a sad film, NOT that the premise of having a roving military guy investigating and fixing problems from Europe to the Pacific wasn't (isn't) a neat idea. Ah, the siren call of good premises.

I, unlike you recently fooled renters, saw the thing on ABC when it first aired. I remember reading that they had so much left over (unused) footage from both Patton and Tora Tora Tora (both 20th Century Fox) that they could keep the series going for years. Those two great WWII movies still remain great to this day, but Fireball Forward (who came up with that title?). Nah! You can probably tell the Patton footage as it looks terrific while the rest of this "special" is lit like a TV movie, which of course is what it is.

It never became a series, just this two-hour "pilot." Back yourself away from Fireball Forward. It hurts!

With a little dressing up, this movie could be served for Thanksgiving dinner. Not only is is boring, implausible, historically inaccurate and poorly directed, the best actors were the bit players (mainly because they had so few lines to say). A waste of time, even for war fanatics.

I have to admit I was deceived by the title and the summary on the back of the box. So I popped it in the vcr and kept waiting... and waiting... and waiting for something good to happen. But of course, it never does. The makers of this film should be tied to a chair and made to watch "Saving Private Ryan". Maybe they would learn something.

One of the worst war flicks I have ever seen. It was on TNT the day before Veterans Day. With so many good war movies out there why did they choose to show this mess. I only watched the entire movie in hopes that it would get better, it didn't!