SKI TROOP ATTACK

 

SKI TROOP ATTACK is a 1960 black & white film produced and directed by the legendary Roger Corman. I stumbled upon it recently on the Tubi streaming channel. 

During WWII, a (very) small American patrol is scouting in the snowy Huertgen Forest, when the Germans begin the attack to open up what would be known as the Battle of the Bulge. The patrol is cut off, and its commanding lieutenant (Michael Forest) decides to continue on ahead and search for any available targets. The patrol gets the attention of a German group, and while trying to stay ahead of them the Americans come upon a railroad bridge. They attempt to destroy it, while holding off their German pursuers. 

When it comes to the low, low, low budget flicks Roger Corman was involved in during the late '50s-early '60s, the behind-the-scenes tales are usually more entertaining than what goes on in the films themselves. For SKI TROOP ATTACK, Corman took a small crew to South Dakota, and enlisted two high school ski teams to help with the skiing sequences. Right before shooting the man that Corman hired to play the leader of the German patrol injured himself in a skiing accident, so the director decided to play the role himself (despite the fact that he barely knew how to ski, and he didn't speak German). SKI TROOP ATTACK was filmed back-to-back with BEAST FROM HAUNTED CAVE, the latter film produced by Roger's brother Gene. (The reason the two films were made together was--you guessed it--to save money.) 

SKI TROOP ATTACK was written by longtime Corman collaborator Charles B. Griffith, but it's not one of his better scripts. Even at only about an hour long, the American patrol spends a fair amount of time wandering around and discussing what to do. The movie's running time is augmented by actual WWII footage taken on the Eastern Front. 

At one point, the patrol comes across a cabin in the woods, inhabited by a German woman (Shelia Carol), but this sequence doesn't amount to much. The pace picks up when the patrol comes across the railroad bridge, and the battle scenes are handled okay, even if they are a bit haphazard. 

Michael Forest is somewhat underwhelming as the American patrol leader (as he would also be as the lead in Corman's sword & sandal "epic", ATLAS). Future Euro Western veteran Frank Wolff has the best role as the sarcastic sergeant. Corman regular Wally Campo plays another member of the patrol. 

SKI TROOP ATTACK is no impressive WWII action-adventure, but the real-life wintry locations do help, and like all the other Roger Corman one-week wonders, there's a few elements worked in that gets the viewer's attention.