Tanks Are Coming, The (1951)

The Tanks Are Coming follows the American 3rd Armoured Division’s entry into Germany through France during World War II, apparently led by sergeant Francis Alloysius “Sully” Sullivan (Steve Cochran) – a paragon of courage and ruthless resourcefulness from whom even generals are content to take inspiration.

Despite the title, the story of the tanks is woefully subordinated to the tale of Sullivan, who is pictured as some kind of superman.

In real life, he may have been an excellent tank corpsman, but not as Cochran portrays him here. His “Sully” is a mean, inhuman, arrogant type who would be more likely to be found on the German team.

He bullies his men, defies his superior officers, scorns the dead soldiers who probably deserved their fate, and he apparently justifies all this on the ground that he is winning the battle virtually single-handedly.

The Tanks Are Coming also suggests that the 3rd Armoured’s march across northern Europe was much easier than it was in reality. It is pictured as a headlong drive that pauses only to refuel, repair tanks and get going again. That there were tough German forces to impede this progress is ignored to the point of implying that the 3rd was barely extended.

Perhaps this is how Warners’ thought it had to be in an outfit led by such a mighty man as sergeant Francis Alloysius “Sully” Sullivan.

Francis Alloysius “Sully” Sullivan
Steve Cochran
Lt. Rawson
Phil Carey
Patricia Kane
Mari Aldon
Danny
Paul Picerni
Lemchek
Harry Bellaver
Ike
James Dobson
Tucker
George O’Hanlon
Col. Matthews
John Mcguire

Director
Lewis Seiler