They were misfits, rebels…and heroes! Screen greats William Holden (Stalag 17) and Cliff Robertson (633 Squadron) topline this riveting World War II saga based on the true story of the First Special Service Force. Capturing the drama of combat with outstanding cinematography, The Devil’s Brigade is a thrilling tribute to this renowned fighting unit. Lt. Col. Robert T. Frederick (Holden) takes on the daunting task of melding a renegade group of American and Canadian recruits into a crack team of commando warriors. Frederick’s superiors doubt the rookies until Frederick volunteers them for a perilous attack on a Nazi stronghold in the mountains. His men will be outnumbered and outgunned, but that’s a fair fight to The Devil’s Brigade. Action veteran Andrew V. McLaglen (The Wild Geese, ffolkes) helms this top-notch adventure yarn with a strong cast including Vince Edwards (The Victors), Richard Jaeckel (The Dirty Dozen), Carroll O’Connor (TV’s All in the Family), Dana Andrews (Laura), Michael Rennie (The Lost World), Richard Dawson (TV’s Hogan’s Heroes), Claude Akins (Tentacles) and Harry Carey Jr. (The Rare Breed).

For thoughts on The Devil’s Brigade, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/EebQYEN6tQ8?si=nDAepS0OjUI9_hYU&t=2227]

Video Quality

The Devil’s Brigade comes to Blu-Ray with a new digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio that has a nice appearance with only intermittent deficiencies. The film was released on Blu-Ray a while back in 2017 by the label, although it appears to have been out of print for a spell. The new disc appears to be derived from the same base master, but this release utilizes a new BD-50 disc instead of the more compressed BD-25 from before. We do not have that disc to compare how they stack up against one another, but this makes a decent showing for itself.

Colors have a fine saturation and do not present with any anemic hues. Black levels could be stronger, but there is little in the way of crush. The picture showcases a bit of softness in long shots, which can most likely be chalked up to the source, but this does not prove to be a consistent issue. Optical transitions are where the transfer fares the worst. Major damage is in short supply, yet you will spot a pretty consistent sheen of speckling. The natural film grain brings out little details that are easily noticeable thanks to this transfer. Skin tones are natural and consistent with subtle facial details on display in closeup. We would love to see what this could look like with a new restoration, but Kino Classics has done just fine here.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that complements the material. Dialogue comes through with a favorable clarity that is never overshadowed by competing sounds. The score from Alex North sounds strong throughout the film as it establishes a charging atmosphere for the story. Environmental sounds such as machinery or gunshots are rendered deftly alongside everything else. You will find some age-related issues such as a low-grade hiss throughout this one. Kino Classics has delivered an acceptable audio presentation for this film. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Filmmaker/Historian Steve Mitchell and Combat Films: American Realism Author Steven Jay Rubin provide an informative commentary track in which they discuss the history behind the real-life events, how the film goes about telling the story, the careers of the creative figures involved, the special effects work, the legacy of the film and more.

Trailers: There is a four-minute trailer provided for The Devil’s Brigade. There are also trailers provided for Stalag 17, The Bridges at Toko-ri, The Counterfeit Traitor, The 7th Dawn, 633 Squadron, Masquerade, Hell Is For Heroes, The Train, Beach Red, No Man Is An Island, and The Hell With Heroes.

Final Thoughts

The Devil’s Brigade is a strong war picture that features a peerless ensemble that gives everyone a chance to shine. Andrew V. McLaglen wields a steady hand behind the camera with a very talented craft team that impresses on all fronts. The tonal balance is executed quite admirably with some levity to accompany the thrilling action set pieces. There could be some improvements when it comes to the pacing, but this film works well. Kino Classics has given this feature a new Blu-Ray featuring a pretty consistent A/V presentation and a great commentary track. Recommended

The Devil’s Brigade (Special Edition)is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.