Movie: "Welcome Home, Soldier Boys" (1972)

[stonemint]

I saw this movie only one time on WGN-Chicago late-nite some 25 years ago and I have never seen it repeated since then, nor am I aware of it ever coming out on video. IMHO, First Blood ripped this movie off.

The plot deals with 4 Vietnam Green Berets who are discharged somewhere in the middle of the country. One of them allegedly has a plot of land in sunny California, which they all planned to live on once they got out of Nam. They then buy a big Caddy and the flick becomes a road movie.

They encounter the usual alienation and discrimination from the public, and even Korean War vets who berate them for losing the war. They have money troubles, and end up breaking-down in a hick town short of their destination, and are out of gas and money.

The local sheriff then pulls up while they are trying to break the lock off the gas pump, and pulls his gun on them. Wrong move--the Green Berets have an arsenal in the trunk, and proceed to lay waste to the town.

It is a serious movie, but really is a drive-in exploitation movie that stereotypes Nam vets as deranged killers. If I recall right, it was entertaining, if you leave your mind at the door.

Anyone else remember it?

(Yes, that is Joe Don Baker in one of his first roles).

[stonemint]

Am I actually the only one who has seen this movie?!

Here is when the intrepid townsfolk shoot it out with the Soldier Boys (pretty violent for its time):

[stonemint]

If I recall right, this is after the initial shoot-out with the locals, and right before they don their Green Beret uniforms and take on the National Guard:

[stonemint]

If I recall right, this is after the initial shoot-out with the locals, and right before they don their Green Beret uniforms and take on US National Guard troops:

[stonemint]

Surprisingly enough, this turned up on youtube, but you have to watch it in parts, and it appears it was transferred from a VHS cassette with Japanese subtitles. You can see where "First Blood" got a lot of its ideas from:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGRZgizldUg

[stonemint]

Movie is now out on video:

[Matt M]

Available on Amazon