A war film that lost millions and left its director baffled by the failure.
In short: Robert Aldrich’s 1970 war drama Too Late the Hero was intended to replicate the massive success of The Dirty Dozen. Instead, it became one of the largest financial flops in ABC Films history, leaving its director confused and his studio’s future projects under intense, unforgiving scrutiny.
The film’s origins trace back to an unpublished novel titled Don't Die Mad by Robert Sherman, which had languished in studio drawers for over a decade. Aldrich, seeking to capitalize on his previous hits, secured a $6 million budget for the project after MGM rejected a $9.7 million proposal. Despite the high expectations, the production was plagued by friction, particularly between Aldrich and lead actor Cliff Robertson. The relationship deteriorated so severely that Aldrich reportedly left the set before filming concluded in April 1969.
Set in the 1942 Pacific theatre, the story follows a reluctant American interpreter assigned to a British commando unit. While the film aimed to explore themes of betrayal and war, critics were largely unimpressed. Reviews in The New York Times and Variety described it as a routine melodrama that failed to deliver on its premise, with some critics noting that the action was surprisingly sparse. The film’s marketing also reflected the era, with posters featuring a soldier in 1960s gear holding an M16 rifle, despite the World War II setting.
Ultimately, the film suffered a staggering loss of $6,765,000. While it found some popularity in the British box office in 1971, it could not recoup its costs. Aldrich remained puzzled by the outcome, consistently ranking it among his "marvelous movies" that simply failed to find an audience. The financial disaster changed the studio's approach to greenlighting films, as Aldrich noted that his professional standing became tied strictly to his most recent performance, making it increasingly difficult to sell better projects.
The production also holds the odd distinction of being novelized twice for different markets. A standard adaptation was published in the UK, while a stream-of-consciousness version written from the protagonist's perspective was released in the US. Despite the film's failure, it remains a curious case study in how a director's perceived infallibility can collide with the harsh realities of box office performance.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Too Late the Hero (film)
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