Overwiew :Suggested by the book DARBY’S RANGERS by historian Major James Altieri, this film successfully combines the talents of old pro action director William Wellman with those of James Garner, in his first starring role. Garner portrays Major William Darby, the leader of an elite commando brigade that faces the Axis powers in North Africa and Italy. He unexpectedly finds himself spending equal amounts of time preparing his troops and sorting out their onshore amours. The film successfully shows his noble attempt to balance both desires and how the two types of missions intermingle in unexpected ways. Garner's performance works because it is more sincere than wry, and Wellman handles the action-packed aerial sequences with marked finesse. DARBY'S RANGERS was the final film of Wellman's illustrious directorial career.
