Alfred Hitchcock's LIFEBOAT.
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?
I disagree with you about the movie, A Bridge Too Far. I understand how you feel that the book provided so much more detail--but think of all the scenes in that movie that the film recreated so well.
And consider how difficult it must have been, not only to recreate the individual scenes, but to edit the book into a comprehensible movie.
By the way, the book became a bestseller at the top of the NYT list--a rarity for a military history.
Enemy at the Gates. Excellent performances by Jude Law and Joseph Fiennes. A must see!
My female friends and I really enjoyed watching "Pearl Harbor" (the latest version with Ben Affleck) in the cineplex. We thought it was heart-stopping at several points. We were unanimous in raves for it. (Ducking and running for cover now.)
Sands of Iwo Jima; 12 O'clock High; A Bridge Too Far; Bridge on the River Kwai; Stalag 17; The Great Escape...
Although I loved movies like Kelly's Heroes and The Dirty Dozen, and the Guns of Navarone, they are in my second tier.
My favorite WWII movies are "Stalag 17" and "The Devil's Brigade".
Alfred Hitchcock's LIFEBOAT.
I would add one of my favorites: an obscure Alfred Hitchcock movie titled "Lifeboat".
I saw the documentary about this operation. It was as good as the movie!
And, he had never had a role in a movie or play. Astounding.
LOL! Maybe not so obscure.
My wife who has many family members in the military, who dislikes guns,( but understands their importance), absolutely loves "The Devils Brigades." Go figure?
One other war movie I saw and was very impressed with it's realism was "Red Dawn." Though fictional, it was a good war movie.
We only get basic cable and are very disappointed with the lack of no WAR Movies. May have to go down and rent a couple.
I never minded the PC story line simply because Charlton Heston is there to give it "gravitas".
yes and some of the air footgae in tora, tora, tora, appeared in midway. hate the pc plot, love henry fonda as nimitz and glenn ford as spruance
Someone said 5 already, so I'll guess strawberry 12. I think it was one of those two.
Strawberry 3
My favorite is "To Hell and Back," -- Audie, of course. He has always been one of my heros, just a couple of years older than myself.
A link, for those interested: http://www.audiemurphy.com/
Naw. It was Jurgen Prochnow.
Oops! "just a couple" = five. Oh me. I don't feel that young. heh.
has anyone mentioned IN HARM'S WAY with john wayne and kirk douglas. the battle scene models weren't very good but the movie is more about the people anyway. the book , HARM'S WAY, is even better than the movie. it was written by james bassey, who served on halsey's staff during www2. my paperback is held together with masking tape and a rubber band.
love oddball in KELLY'S HEROS but i am a former tanker which explains a lot.
THE LIGHTHORSEMEN about the australian mounted infantry at beersheba in ww1.
OPERATION PETTICOAT and FATHER GOOSE. they are just fun movies
UNDER EIGHT FLAGS about the german raider atlantis
SINK THE BISMARCK
PURSUIT OF THE GRAF SPEE so so but they used real ships including ajax and achilles which were in the battle of the river plate (exeter was sunk by the japanese in '42)
THE DAM BUSTERS
MERRILL'S MARAUDERS
GUNS OF NAVARONE and the movie is equal to the book.
THE ENEMY BELOW
THE HALLS OF MONTEZUMA
what, no one mentioned (cough, cough, barf) Pearl Harbor
1. "The Best Years of Our Lives". Charlie Russell as the amputee, won an Oscar and later became director of the VA. Heartrending scene: Hundreds of B-17s with multi-missions on their noses being scrapped. Good ending scene: The "takeoff" as Dana Andrews starts getting rid of his demons in a B-17's nose. Memorable scenes: Russell going for a guy who says the war was for nothing - "If I only had hands!". Shooting a .22 rifle in garage and the neighbors don't get excited.
2. "A Walk in the Sun". I knew one veteran who hated it. Said it was b/s that ANYBODY would use a whistle as an attack signal. Great song by Burl Ives and realistic performances by all, including Dana Andrews.
3. "Tank Attack". Jack Palance, Eddie Albert, Buddy Ebsen and Lee Marvin giving bravura performances in a morality tale of awarding a well-connected coward a posthumous medal.
4. "Between Heaven and Hell". Robert Wagner, Buddy Ebsen and Broderick Crawford - who makes a great loony (dangerous) officer. Plantation owner (Wagner) loses his elitism and has a great rapport with sharecropper Ebsen. Realistic combat scenes in the Phillippines.
5. "Tora Tora Tora". Meticulously exposing the FUBARS scene by scene. Read the BIG book "Long Days Journey Into Night" which does the same hour-by-hour around the world on Dec. 7th.
6. "Das Boot". w/subtitles. Agree with Labyrinthos. It just doesn't sound RIGHT in English.
Biggest Stinker: "The Bridge on the River Kwai". Smarmy Hollywood smothers the real horror the Burma Railway prisoners went through as well as that insipid use of the "Col. Bogey March". Read the real story and see if I'm off.
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