Plot: During the Korean War, the lieutenant in charge of a Marine rifle platoon is killed in battle. Before he dies, he places the platoon's sergeant, who's black, in charge. The sergeant figures on having trouble with two men in his platoon: a private who has much more combat experience than he does, and a racist Southerner who doesn't like blacks in the first place and has no intention of taking orders from one.
Alternative Plot: While fighting in the Korean War, a Marine lieutenant is killed, leaving Sgt. Eddie Towler (Sidney Poitier) in charge. However, since Towler is black, he faces resistance from some of the men, most notably Pvt. Bracken (Paul Richards), a racist soldier from the South who doesn't hide his prejudice, and Sgt. Kincaid (Alan Ladd), who actually has more experience in the field. As Towler struggles to maintain order within his platoon, the men must continue to battle the enemy.
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