First to Fight (1967 film)

First to Fight
Directed by	Christian Nyby
Produced by	William Conrad Jimmy Lydon
Written by	Gene L. Coon
Starring	Chad Everett Marilyn Devin Dean Jagger
Music by	Fred Steiner
Cinematography	Harold E. Wellman
Edited by	George R. Rohrs
Production company	Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release date	January 25, 1967 (1967-01-25)
Running time	92 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English

First to Fight is a 1967 American Technicolor Warner Bros. war film starring Chad Everett, Marilyn Devin, making her film debut, Dean Jagger, Bobby Troup and James Best. Based loosely on the story of United States Marine Gunnery Sergeant John "Manila" Basilone, who later went back into action and died at Iwo Jima.

The title of First to Fight was derived from the US military practice of sending in United States Marines first in attacks. The film features an early career appearance by future Academy Award winner Gene Hackman as Sgt. Tweed, already having starring in a breakthrough role in Bonnie and Clyde (1967).

In 1942, a force of American Marines are attacked by the Japanese in the jungles at Guadalcanal. Sergeant "Shanghai" Jack Conell (Chad Everett) is the sole survivor of his squad, and when he makes it back to his own lines, he is given a field promotion to Lieutenant and awarded the Medal of Honor by Lt. Col. Baseman (Dean Jagger).

Sent back home on a War Bonds Tour, Connell is reluctant to trade on his heroism and does not consider himself a hero, just a survivor. When he returns home, despite efforts of his friends to find him dates, he falls in love with Peggy Sandford (Marilyn Devin) and the two are married. Her fiance had been killed and Peggy extracts a promise from Connell that he will not go back into the war. For a time, he trains new recruits at Camp Pendleton Marine Base, but is emotionally distraught as he comes to think of himself as a slacker and treats his trainees harshly in the belief that they need to be hardened for battle.