It is late 1941 at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt (Steve Railsback) is new to G Company. He is a skilled boxer who unintentionally severely injured a fellow soldier in an exhibition boxing match. As a result he refuses to be a boxer anymore. This places him at odds with his company’s commanding officer, Captain Holmes, who uses the reputation of many of the sergeants in his company as skilled boxers to further his military career. Captain Holmes has many of his sergeants harass and abuse Prewitt in an attempt to pressure him to join the company's boxing team. Prewitt is tough and refuses to bend to the pressure. The company's First Sergeant, Milt Warden, attempts to help Prewitt, but there is only so much he can do. Prewitt becomes involved with Lorene Rogers (Kim Basinger), a local prostitute. Prewitt's friend, Private Angelo Maggio, is sent to the stockade after being court martialed for getting drunk and fighting with MPs. Things take a turn for the worse when Pvt. Prewitt is sent to the stockade for a few months of what turns out to brutal mistreatment at the hands of the Sergeant of the Guard at the stockade, Sgt. Fatso Judson. Judson is a bully and a sadist. Angelo Maggio is nearly beaten to death by Judson. Maggio dies after panicking and falling out of the ambulance on his way to the hospital. After Prewitt is released from the stockade he tracks downs Judson and kills him in a knife fight. Prewitt is wounded in the fight and he takes refuge at Lorene's house while he heals. Captain Holmes is promoted to major and leaves the company. The new company commander does not care about the boxing team. The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and Schofield Barracks. First Sergeant Warden organizes the men of his company. He and the other sergeants of the company go to the armory and get Browning Automatic Rifles (B.A.R.s) and .30 caliber Model 1919 machine guns and return fire to the attacking Japanese warplanes. Warden and his men shoot down one of the Japanese "Zeros". Prewitt attempts to rejoin the company but is shot dead by a nervous sentry on the evening of December 7, 1941. Sgt. Warden takes charge of his body and makes sure that it gets a military burial. When asked by other soldiers at the shooting if Prewitt was a good soldier in his company, Warden replies, "Hell, he was the only soldier in my company."The mini-series reused some footage from Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) for the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Natalie Wood won the 1980 Golden Globe for Best TV Actress - Drama
From Here to Eternity (1979) TV Mini-Series
Cast: Andrew Robinson, Andy Griffith, David Spielberg, Joe Pantoliano, Kim Basinger, Natalie Wood, Peter Boyle, Roy Thinnes, Salome Jens, Steve Railsback, William Devane
