I saw it at the Illuzion Cinema in Moscow, with Russian overdubbing.
Twelve O’Clock High, whenever the general says “build yourself a drink!” Someone should insert a b&w shot of a pair of hands making a poo-poo parfait drink in a hurricane glass with a umbrella and an orchid in the top.
There is a third book, Red Blood, Black Sand by Chuck Tatum that covered Basilone’s request to be sent back into the war zone as opposed to selling Bonds, and his subsequent death on Iwo Jima.
If you saw the series, Tatum was in that one episode, one of the two marines Basilone was training while waiting for the rest of the company to show up at Pendleton (?)
Die Brücke, 1959. German movie
The Cruel Sea, 1953, British, convoy escort
Battle of the River Plate, 1956, British
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, 1943, a WW2 movie with flashbacks.
Ice Cold in Alex, 1958 British, North Africa
Upvoting:
Flags of Our fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima, recommended as a double feature.
Downfall and adding Conspiracy, they’re skin crawlingly good.
Tea with Mussolini and Life is Beautiful, off the beaten path.
For extra credit:
Review the stories of Operation cowboy, and the battle of castle Itter, and Priest’s Grotto(there’s a documentary). It’s a crazy world, man. They’re not movies, but I happen to love historical stories down little-known side streets.
Foyle’s War is being aired again on PBS. If you missed it last time around, it’s about a DCS investigating crimes on Britain’s home front during and shortly after the war. The first six seasons are followed by another two in which he works for the UK’s postwar intelligence services.
If you like Danger: UXB, you’ll want to watch Foyle’s War.
I just want to say that the recent movie is more accurate, in the sense that some Operation Mincemeat detail has come to light that wasn’t publicly known in 1956.
Plus the scene when they’re trying to take pictures of the corpse was hilarious and awful!
If you want a real (albeit fictional) war story, I recommend Hell Is for Heroes starring Steve McQueen, who for some reason constantly fiddles with the ejector port on his submachine gun. Bob Newhart is in it too, confusing the Germans with a fake field phone conversation.
I saw this when I was six or seven years old, and the scenes in the minefield had me on the edge of my seat.
Midway Either version; the older one has a lot of big stars
The Guns of Navarone Another of those war movies that every unemployed movie star wanted to be in
Letters From Iwo Jima
The Execution of Private Slovak (YouTube) Eddie Slovik was the only American executed for treason in WWII as “an example” to other soldiers. Stars a young Martin Sheen
A Midnight Clear A squad of army soldiers have an unusual encounter with a German squad of soldiers. Excellent cast and movie.
Inglourious Basterds
Great choice!
I’ve seen only the TV-censored version where virtually the whole minefield scene was clipped out.
So long as we’re on the subject of Steve McQueen and WWII, The War Lover, focusing more on the man than the war.
It seems like no one mentioned To Hell and Back. Audie Murphy isn’t a great actor but he’s playing himself. Everything that seems like Hollywood bullshit he actually did 10 years before the movie was filmed. After seeing the film I would suggest reading the book. Although the movie portrays the actions relatively accurately, it does have a Hollywood tone. In the book Murphy pulls no punches so it’s much more dark and gritty. To his credit Murphy was not afraid of talking about how war affects soldiers and about what would later be called PTSD.
Absolutely! I can’t believe I didn’t think of this one. And yes, the book is a great read!
Murphy joined the Army because no other service wanted him (he was too small and scrawny), and he became one of the most decorated combat veterans ever. The guy led a charmed life until it was cut short in a plane crash in 1971.
The producers of Stalag 17 sued for infringement. They lost. The producers of HH were Bernard Fein and the recently deceased Al Ruddy. Not sure how you combined those names. Al Ruddy went on to produce a little movie called The Godfather.
Loved Foyle’s War although it did suffer in tone by a bit by the gaps of time between seasons. Foyle was fantastic throughout. “Look out, he raised his eyebrow!”
It’s fun to see some of the guests in early seasons who later became stars.
I loved In Harm’s Way although I recognize its flaws and unevenness. Brandon De Wilde was a natural in his portrayal of a large block of wood.
You’re right about Fein and Ruddy. I stand corrected.
The producers of Stalag 17 sued for infringement because the working title of the TV series was Stalag 13. It was changed to Hogan’s Heroes to avoid further conflict, and it was a better title anyway.
There was a hell of a lot more similarities than that.
I’d hardly call it charmed.
Alcoholism, financial trouble, bad decisions and violent outbursts from a bad temper all probably related to severe PTSD. Not exactly charmed.
Anybody who can hold off fifty German soldiers while firing an M2 on top of a burning tank destroyer without getting killed himself has to have something going for him.