Posted on 05/30/2004 4:15:31 AM PDT by ken5050
If you happen to turn your TV set on at any time this Memorial Day weekend, there's a strong probability you'll come across a World War II war movie..... the classic Hollywood genre. There are many of them, and, happily a lot of very good ones. So, on this weekend of remembrance, and the dedication of the WW II memorial, what's your favorite, or favorites, and why?
The U.S.Government documentary series (7) "Why We Fight"
PBS' documentary "The Perilous Fight."
"Above and Beyond" - The story of Col. Paul Tibbets and the Enola Gay.
"Fat Man and Little Boy" - The story of the testing of the first atomic bomb.
"The Desert Fox"
"The Battle of El Alamein"
"The Desert Rats"
"The Bridge at Ramagen"
"King Rat"
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence"
"Paradise Road" - A Japanese pow camp for women
"Destination Tokyo"
"Pride of the Marines"
"The Flying Tigers" - loosely based on the story of Claire Chenault and his Flying Tigers
"Judgement at Nuremberg"
Saving Private Ryan
Midnight Clear
The Great Escape
The Pianist
Thin Red Line
I knew I was forgetting a great one:
Memphis Belle
Most the German Soldiers (extra's) in the movie are United States Air Force Enlisted men on Permissive TDY, I was overseas at the time when the memo came through asking for volunteers to help make the movie. I remember the US Army Enlisteds being upset they were not allowed to go on TDY.
Will first mention one I didn't see here.
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison...Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr (1957).Marine Corporal Allison is ship-wrecked on a Pacific island during world war II. The only other person on the island is a Nun... (more)....from IMDB.
War movie fans should make sure to see "Battleground"....saw it for the first time last year. Great film. Probably one of the best war films ever.
Among my favorites are all William Holden films...."Bridge on the River Kwai 57', Bridges at Toko-Ri 55' and Stalag 17 1953.
Why? Because one of my late friends was a ball turret gunner on a B17 over Europe. He was one of few veterans of WWII I knew who talked freely about their experiences. His was an unusual story as you will see, told as briefly as possible:
Cyril was a British teenager. Both of his parents were killed in a Blitzkrieg bombing raid. He was adopted by a wealthy couple that, for their safety and his, moved to New York City.
At the age of 18, Cyril volunteered for the U.S. Army. During basic training he became friends with a soldier from my hometown. During their training, the hometown soldier volunteered to become a radio operator. Cyril followed. They were transferred into the Army Air Force, trained to be radio operators and assigned to different B17 air groups.
Cyril's commanding officer, noting Cyril's small physical frame, moved him from radio operator to ball turret gunner.
The last time Cyril saw his friend the hometown boy, he was made to promise if the hometown boy didn't make it through the war, Cyril would come to my hometown and look after the hometown boy's sweetheart.
The hometown boy lost his life in a bombing raid over Europe. Cyril survived his bombing missions. True to his word, he came to my hometown to look after the sweetheart of his late friend. They eventually married.
Cyril, my old friend, may you soar forever in the deep blue vault of the sky, never again with frozen feet and fingers, never again shaken by bursts of flak and frightening passes by German fighters. My hat is off to you and your kind this Memorial Day. Soar in peace.
Most definitely PATTON!
There have been many excellent movies on WW2, I like the older ones the most. On a lighter side " Father Goose" with Cary Grant.
Good morning...it was an excellent film..thanks for suggesting it..'d never heard of it before..she's a marvelous actress, and the piece is very evocaive of the periord. Also, reminds us of what bastards the French were, and still are..the little speech by the French guy, praising "collaboration" with the Germans as noble, something that will allow "France" to keep her place in history...well, I guess the film didn'[t win a prize at Cannes, eh?
Good essay, I enjoyed your comments...it was a fun thread..
See my #289 this thread...it was emant for you also..it was a really good film. She's not really pretty, in the classic sense, but she can most definitely act..Thanks for recommending....when you were describingthe plot, I thought it was that awful film with Micahel Douglas and Melanie Griffith..similar premise....especially in the beginning..do you know which film came first?
Thanks for sharing your story withme. I hope others get to read it. This was a fun thread...My dad was in the 8th USAAF..He was on from 39-45...He flew the paratroops..dropped three sticks on D-Day..
I wasn't referring to the extras, I was referring to the actors. BTW, I was in the Army in Germany shortly before the film was made, and I understand. We had work to do.
Not to be confused with "Battlefield," the best war documentary series ever.
First:
Battle of Britain
and
TORA TORA TORA
then:
WAKE ISLAND
GUADALCANAL DIARY
Flying Leathernecks
Sands of Iwo Jima
Run Silent, Run Deep
One of our aircraft is missing (British movie, excelent story)
49th Parallel (Canadian Movie about a stranded U-Boat)
Gung Ho (Randolph Scott beats Lee Marvin any day!)
The Guns of Navarone (Bobby Darin beats Sting any day!)
The Longest Day
Halls of Montezuma
Code Talkers
A Walk in the Sun
BAND OF BROTHERS
Saving Private Ryan.
The Dirty Dozen.
The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Guns Of Navarone.
The Great Escape.
A B/W movie? Or a TV Series?
“Saving Private Ryan” and “Midway” are my two favorites, followed by “The Longest Day”.
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