# Best All-Time Military Movies -- Pre-Poll Data Gathering **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 26, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835 "2015-05-26T00:38:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/121 "2015-05-27T23:48:20Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I believe **terentii** was referring to _Operation Crossbow_ (1965), with George Peppard, Sophia Loren and Trevor Howard. > > [Operation Crossbow (1965) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059549/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) > > Oh, and I see no one has mentioned _Valkyrie_ (2008), a pretty decent recounting of the July 20 plot against Hitler: > > [Valkyrie (2008) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0985699/?ref_=nv_sr_1) Thanks! I’ll add those, too. > [@zbuzz](#): > > I was referring to this [Excalibur](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082348)- Arthur, knights, swords, etc. It has armies fighting battles, so it seems like a war movie to me. > > You wanted a wide net, right? Do you want to take this opportunity to exclude fantasy or sci-fi war movies? Otherwise, you can add Star Wars and Lord of the Rings and a million others, too. I have no problem adding all that sort of thing, but I do think another thread for that purpose might be better suited. The voting is likely to get weird anyway, assuming there _is_ any! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/122 "2015-05-28T00:56:19Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > _The Eagle Has Landed_, which IIRC had Robert Duval and Michael Caine as German officers. And Donald Sutherland as an Irish patriot fighting for the Germans and probably the best Heinrich Himmler of all times - Donald Pleasence. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/123 "2015-05-28T01:27:00Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > What I’m proposing now is to take the 120+ movies and group them in roughly chronological sets (maybe five or six sets or so) and have voters pick some reasonable number (on the Honor System) of five or ten per group. It seems like a reasonable method. I like chronological by release (since we could be talking about time frame the movie is set in or release). That lumps things together by similar levels of production techniques and cultural limitations on what is shown. It let’s Saving Private Ryan not compete against The Longest Day in the first round. We get to pick the best military movies of the time before we put them head to head. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/124 "2015-05-28T01:37:12Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > [excalibur] > > I have no problem adding all that sort of thing, but I do think another thread for that purpose might be better suited. The voting is likely to get weird anyway, assuming there _is_ any! 🙂 How about Monty Python and the Holy Grail. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/125 "2015-05-28T01:52:36Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > It seems like a reasonable method. I like chronological by release (since we could be talking about time frame the movie is set in or release). That lumps things together by similar levels of production techniques and cultural limitations on what is shown. It let’s Saving Private Ryan not compete against The Longest Day in the first round. We get to pick the best military movies of the time before we put them head to head. Good points. I believe the Conflicts approach would be unwieldy with way too many in one, and way too few in another. Release dates make for similar sized groups by decade, and that makes it feel fairer, too. I’m still open to an even smarter approach, though. > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > How about Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I really would like a separate thread for that genre. Be my guest. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/126 "2015-05-28T02:17:28Z")
Filling in eras/wars I offer Revolution with Al Pacino > **[Revolution (1985) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089913/)** > > Revolution: Directed by Hugh Hudson. With Al Pacino, Donald Sutherland, Nastassja Kinski, Joan Plowright. A trapper and his young son get pulled into the American revolution early as unwilling participants and remain involved through to the end. It kind of sucks to anyone who really knows the times but ----------- it does have Al. Suckish as well is Allegheny Uprising (based barely on true events) > **[Allegheny Uprising (1939) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031033/)** > > Allegheny Uprising: Directed by William A. Seiter. With Claire Trevor, John Wayne, George Sanders, Brian Donlevy. In 1759, in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Valley, local settlers and Indian fighters try to persuade the British authorities to ban the... Better in a lot of ways is The Devils Disciple > **[The Devil's Disciple (1959) - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052735/)** > > The Devil's Disciple: Directed by Guy Hamilton, Alexander Mackendrick. With Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Janette Scott. The black sheep of a family and the local minister discover their true vocations during the Revolutionary War. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/127 "2015-05-28T03:26:55Z")
Let’s get this thing going with > **[Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=757956)** > > Pick your Top Five (or fewer) from this list: For King and Country http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160109/?ref\_=fn\_al\_tt\_2 (1913) The Battleship Potemkin http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0015648/?ref\_=fn\_al\_tt\_1 (1925) The Big Parade... Your favorite/best War Movies Prior to 1940 5/27/2015, 10:18 PM Zeldar Other polls to come later. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/128 "2015-05-28T03:30:12Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I believe **terentii** was referring to _Operation Crossbow_ (1965), with George Peppard, Sophia Loren and Trevor Howard. > > [Operation Crossbow (1965) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059549/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) Quite right, thank you. _ **Crossbow and Overcast** _ was the book it was based on. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/129 "2015-05-28T03:32:59Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I believe **terentii** was referring to _Operation Crossbow_ (1965), with George Peppard, Sophia Loren and Trevor Howard. > > [Operation Crossbow (1965) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059549/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) > [@terentii](#): > > Quite right, thank you. _ **Crossbow and Overcast** _ was the book it was based on. Thanks to both of you. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/130 "2015-05-28T03:34:45Z")
_ **Perilous Journey** _: Errol Flynn and Alan Hale as RAF airmen trapped behind enemy lines. Trivia: The shot of the crashing B-17C in British markings was later used in _ **The Dam Busters** _ (even though all of the planes on that raid were Avro Lancasters). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/131 "2015-05-28T03:39:08Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **Perilous Journey** _: Errol Flynn and Alan Hale as RAF airmen trapped behind enemy lines. Trivia: The shot of the crashing B-17C in British markings was later used in _ **The Dam Busters** _ (even though all of the planes on that raid were Avro Lancasters). Might that be [Desperate Journey (1942) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034646/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_41) Desperate Journey (1942) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/132 "2015-05-28T03:41:44Z")
_ **The Battle of Britain** _, if for no other reason than the “Luftwaffe March”: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5ZJdRRN3dOQ/hqdefault.jpg "Battle of Britain（1969）-Ace High March") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZJdRRN3dOQ) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/133 "2015-05-28T03:42:59Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Might that be [Desperate Journey (1942) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034646/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_41) > Desperate Journey (1942) And a thanks to you! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/134 "2015-05-28T04:00:23Z")
Outrageous comedy: Laurel and Hardy in _ **Bonnie Scotland** _ and _ **Blockheads** _ (“Remember how _dumb_ I used to be? I’m\* better\* now!” “You’re ‘better now.’ _MMMMMMPH!_”) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/135 "2015-05-28T04:09:23Z")
_ **The Dawn Patrol** _, both the original with Jimmy Finlayson and the remake with Errol Flynn (not playing the same role!). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/136 "2015-05-28T04:17:55Z")
Tangentally military: _ **The Great Impostor** _. Tony Curtis serves in the Royal Canadian Navy. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/137 "2015-05-28T10:58:12Z")
Don’t know if it’s too late, but I would nominate Kokoda. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481390/?ref\_=fn\_al\_tt\_1](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481390/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/138 "2015-05-28T11:58:37Z")
Dark Blue World Great film: [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244479/](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244479/) ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/139 "2015-05-28T13:15:19Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _ **King of Hearts** _ with Alan Bates Yes! Yes! Yes! Alas, this fantastic 1966 anti-war movie set in WWI has probably not been seen by enough people to get many votes. IMDB link: [King of Hearts (1966) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060908/) ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835/140 "2015-05-28T13:18:05Z")
And **War Is Hell** , starring Audie Murphy in the 1961 movie telling the tale of Audie Murphy during WWII. IMDB link: [War Is Hell (1961) - IMDb](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052376/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_14) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-all-time-military-movies-pre-poll-data-gathering/720835.md?page=8)