Posted on 05/31/2004 7:49:27 AM PDT by sonofatpatcher2
Being somewhat older than most folks here and a film buff for all those years I could speak and listen, the thread on Favorite War films got me to thinking. There are many fine war films that have never been seen by those born past 1970, so I have put as many as I could remember. Just cut & paste the film's title into IMDb search mode and click away. IMDb is at http://us.imdb.com/ There are so many genres of films, television series and mini-series about warfare, so I will start threads to list all your favorites in each category: Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, The War Between the States, Indian Wars, Pre-World War One, World War One, Pre-WW2, World War Two (Made 1939 - 1946 & Made After 1946), Korean War, Vietnam War, Cold War, Gulf Wars, The Homefront, War Bios, Service Comedies, Foreign Wars and Best of All.
Made 1939 - 1946:
First, let me say if there was ever a mini series made about the Doolittle Raid from films made during WW2, it should be Destination Tokyo (1943), Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944) and The Purple Heart (1944) edited together. I put them in a place of honor all by themselves.
1. They Were Expendable (1945)
2. Guadalcanal Diary (1943)
3. Bataan (1943)
4. In Which We Serve (1942)
5. Story of G.I. Joe (1945)
6. Uncertain Glory (1944) Errol Flynn as crook who becomes war hero.
7. Battle of Midway, The (1942) John Ford Documentry - The Japanese attack on Midway in June 1942, filmed as it happened.
8. Gung Ho! (1943)
9. Passage to Marseille (1944) A Bogart film that showed there may have been heroic Frenchmen afterall.
10. Flying Tigers (1942)
Honorable Mention:
Back to Bataan (1945)
The Fighting Seabees (1944)
Dive Bomber (1941) Errol Flynn & Fred MacMurray in a film that has stunning color footage of Naval Aviation just before the war.
Desperate Journey (1942) Errol Flynn & Ronald Reagan as downed RAF flyers fighting Nazis.
Northern Pursuit (1943) Mounty Errol Flynn hunts Nazis.
Edge of Darkness (1943) Errol Flynn in Norway.
(Hey, I like Flynn!)
A Guy Named Joe (1943)
Immortal Sergeant (1943)
Song of Russia (1943)
Back to Bataan (1945)
Made 1947 - 1967:
1. Twelve O'Clock High (1949) Greg Peck's 2nd best role as Brig. Gen. Frank Savage.
2. Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)
2. Battleground (1949)
4. Casablanca (1942)
5. Battle Cry (1955)
6. Above and Beyond (1952) Robert Taylor as Col. Paul W. Tibbets, 509th Composite Group CO (pilot of Enola Gay)
7. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
8. The Train (1964) Burt Lancaster tries to keep a train of great art from the Nazis.
9. Go for Broke! (1951) Van Johnson & the story of Japanese-American soldiers who fought in Europe during World War II.
10. Command Decision (1948)
11. Darby's Rangers (1958)
12. The Caine Mutiny (1954)
13. Five Fingers (1952) Superb Spy flic with James Mason as Ulysses Diello (Code Name: Cicero) who almost broke the D-Day secret to the Nazis.
14. Stalag 17 (1953)
15. From Here to Eternity (1953)
16. The Battle of San Pietro (1945) John Huston's story of the 36th 'Texas' Infantry Division in the fight for a small Italian village. By far the best World War Two documentry ever made.
17. 36 Hours (1965)
18. Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison (1957)
19. The Guns of Navarone (1961)
20. To Have and Have Not (1944) Bogart meet Bacall and fights with French Nazis. What else do you need?
21. Homecoming (1948)
Honorable Mentions:
In Harm's Way (1965)
Action in the North Atlantic (1943)
Attack (1956)
Force of Arms (1951)
Last Blitzkrieg, The (1959) Very good film with Van Johnson leading a German commando team operating behind American lines during the Battle of the Bulge.
The Enemy Below (1957)
Sahara (1943)
Dunkirk (1958)
Run Silent Run Deep (1958)
Behold a Pale Horse (1964) Greg Peck in Spanish Civil War.
The Desert Rats (1953)
D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)
Gallant Hours, The (1960)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Counterfeit Traitor (1962)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Hong Kong (1952)
Beach Red (1967)
The Longest Day (1962)
The Wings of Eagles (1957)
Flying Leathernecks (1951)
The Sea Chase (1955)
Operation Pacific (1951)
Battle of the Bulge (1965)
Eight Iron Men (1952)
Never So Few (1959)
Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) Greg Peck, Angie Dickenson & Tony Curtis in drama of WW2 soldiers' mental problems.
American Guerrilla in the Philippines (1950)
Run Silent Run Deep (1958)
Kings Go Forth (1958)
Betrayed (1954)
A Walk in the Sun (1945)
Wing and a Prayer (1944)
Up Periscope (1959)
Tobruk (1967)
Notorious (1946)
Crash Dive (1943)
Fighter Squadron (1948)
Made 1968-Date:
1. Band of Brothers (TV) mini
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
3. "Winds of War, The" (1983) (mini) & "War and Remembrance" (1988) (mini)
4. Schindler's List (1993)
5. Tora, Tora, Tora (1970)
6. The Eagle Has Landed (1976) Michael Cain and Robert Duvall, fantastic!
7. Where Eagles Dare (1968) Richard Burton & Clint Eastwood, fantastic again!
8. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
9. The Big Red One (1980)
10. The Devil's Brigade (1968)
Honorable Mention:
Anzio (1968)
Das Boot (1981)
Hornet's Nest (1970)
Raid on Rommel (1971)
Lion of the Desert (1980)
Counterpoint (1968) Chuck Heston - Famous orchestra conductor is captured by the Germans in WW2, is forced to put on private concerts for the Nazi generals.
Midway (1976)
Hell in the Pacific (1968)
On the Homefront (All Wars):
1. Best Years of Our Lives, The (1946)
2. Great Santini, The (1979) Robert Duvall as Bull "Make way for a Fighter Pilot" Meechum around the Cuban Missile Crisis.
3.Man in the Gray Flannel Suit, The (1956) One of Greg Peck's best roles as Tom Rath who finds the memories of his WW2 service go hand in hand with this slice of life in the 1950s.
4. Since You Went Away (1944)
5. Islands in the Stream (1977)
6. Decoration Day (1990) (TV)
7. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
Honorable Mention:
Apartment for Peggy (1948)
Taps (1981)
Mr. Lucky (1943)
Tank (1984)
Up next will be Korea, Service Comedies, Vietnam, the Cold War, War Bios, Foreign Wars and Best of All...
4. Casablanca (1942)
14. Stalag 17 (1953)
19. The Guns of Navarone (1961)
D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Great Escape (1963)
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
2. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
don't forget about Patton (1974)
Mrs. Miniver, which I have watched several times since 9/11. There is also a sequel to this movie which is quite good.
Battle of Midway and a host of others too many to mention.
well done-KUDOS
Castle Keep I think it was misunderstood, but I liked it a lot.
I put Patton in the War Bios thread to be posted later, but it would fit in either...
Yesterday at Walmart I saw the Treasure series DVD of Walt Disney's "ON THE FRONT LINES THE WAR YEARS" FOR SALE.
I spent the afternoon watching and enjoying the nostalgia. This is a must have even if it is a Disney product. It covers the good Disney productions.
Yes, Castle Keep is a strange film. I should have added it to the Honorable Mentions just for Sfc. Rossie Baker's baking skills!
Imagine, in Castle Keep old Burt had only one eye and Peter Falk wore his glass one...
Yes, major goof not adding Mrs. Miniver. Greer Garson gave a fantastic performance in it and the sequel The Miniver Story (1950). My apologies...
Extra Memorial Day Favorite Films Thread - Revolution to World War One at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1145126/posts?page=9
One of my faves is "Golden Earrings" with
Ray Milland and Marlena D.
She plays a gypsy woman who takes Milland (an allied intelligence officer) in and makes him over to be a gypsy.
He finally crosses the Rhine to france and returns after the war to find her.
To hear Marlena say, "Mien Zussa" makes me melt.
"my sugar, my sweetie".
Glad you had "In which we serve" that's a good one.
Always liked "Against the wind" with Simone Signore.
When I was a teen ager in the 60s it was the heyday of
TV movies, movies all day, even late movies and a lot of
ww I and II movies. Even today with cable there aren't
as many shown.
"To Hell and Back"-Audie Murphy bio
"Sgt York"-WW I Hero Alvin York bio (Let's not forget WW I)
Go to this thread to see the bad movie that is Kerry's lifetime of bad faith.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1145155/posts
FWIW, Patton is my movie.
Korean War films to Best of All at http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1145174/posts
Yes, I missed that one and it is a gem!
Especially the VW Swimming Scene
There were many odd moments in that film; Bruce Dern leading the conscientious objectors in singing carols comes to mind.
Yep. too bad old Greg did not understand his role (nor remember it) when he became such a roaring liberal...
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