Battle Hymn
“The true story of Col. Dean Hess, clergyman turned fighter pilot!”
Synopsis
Dean Hess, who entered the ministry to atone for bombing a German orphanage, decides he’s a failure at preaching. Rejoined to train pilots early in the Korean War, he finds Korean orphans raiding the airbase garbage. With a pretty Korean teacher, he sets up an orphanage for them and others.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Rock Hudson - " Battle Hymn " Trailer - 1957
Type: Trailer • Published 2013-05-08
Top Cast
Explore Star Directory →
Rock Hudson
Col. Dean E. Hess
Anna Kashfi
En Soon Yang
Dan Duryea
Sgt. Herman
Don DeFore
Capt. Dan Skidmore
Martha Hyer
Mary Hess
Jock Mahoney
Maj. Frank Moore
Alan Hale Jr.
Mess Sergeant
James Edwards
Lt. Maples
Richard Loo
Gen. Kim (scenes deleted)
Simon Scott
Lt. Hollis
Carl Benton Reid
Deacon Edwards
Philip Ahn
Old Man
Bartlett Robinson
General Timberidge
Teru Shimada
Korean Official
Carleton Young
Major Harrison
Jung' Kyoo Pyo
Chu
Art Millan
Captain Reardon
William Hudson
Navy Lieutenant
Release History & Theatrical Window
February 14, 1957
Wide Cinema Exhibition
March 26, 2019
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$1.4M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$3.9M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
2.79x
+$2.5M net gain
Theatrical Status
Profitable
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Douglas Sirk
- Screenplay & Story
- Charles Grayson, Vincent B. Evans
- Original Score
- Frank Skinner
- Original Title
- Battle Hymn
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- German, English, Spanish, Korean
- Runtime
- 1h 49m
- Production Budget
- $1.4M
- Worldwide Gross
- $3.9M
- Production Studios
- Universal International Pictures
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Douglas Sirk
Charles Grayson, Vincent B. Evans
Frank Skinner
Russell Metty
Russell F. Schoengarth
Ross Hunter
Department Leadership Roster
Douglas Sirk
Director
Charles Grayson
Writer
Vincent B. Evans
Writer
Ross Hunter
Producer
Russell F. Schoengarth
Editor
Russell Metty
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Battle Hymn.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Battle Hymn.
My Movies
Master List In Progress
***Retro***
War: World War II
Auto-filled from Letterboxd lists
Biographies
list_War
Movies categorized under War
Missing Mine
Similar Titles to Battle Hymn
Movies sharing stylistic DNA, tone, and thematic storytelling
6.6
5.7
6.9
5.8
7.5
6.0
7.1
7.0
6.2
5.0
6.8
4.5
6.5
7.7
More Like Battle Hymn
Recommended titles matching themes, cast, and genres.
Frequently Asked Questions About Battle Hymn
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Battle Hymn about?
Dean Hess, who entered the ministry to atone for bombing a German orphanage, decides he’s a failure at preaching. Rejoined to train pilots early in the Korean War, he finds Korean orphans raiding the airbase garbage. With a pretty Korean teacher, he sets up an orphanage for them and others.
Who directed Battle Hymn?
Battle Hymn was directed by Douglas Sirk.
Who stars in Battle Hymn?
The principal cast of Battle Hymn includes Rock Hudson, Anna Kashfi, Dan Duryea, Don DeFore, Martha Hyer.
When was Battle Hymn released and how long is it?
Battle Hymn was released in 1957 with a total runtime of 1h 49m.
What was the box office and production budget of Battle Hymn?
Battle Hymn had a reported production budget of $1.4M and grossed $3.9M at the worldwide box office (2.79 return on budget, classified as a commercial hit).
Who composed the musical score for Battle Hymn?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Battle Hymn was composed by Frank Skinner.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Battle Hymn?
Battle Hymn holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).