OLD WAR FILMS

[DuncaninFrance]

Last night I watched an old 1943 film called "Tomorrow We Live". A wartime moral booster with some very shaky models and special effects.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_We_Live

I must say that I am interested in these films made during the war and have recently seen "San Demitrio,London" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039797/ and "One Of Our Aircraft Is Missing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_of_Our ... is_Missing

[Niner]

I think the best WWII movies were made after the war but the ones made while it was going on have a special quality about them since the outcome was unknown as the movies were made and shown.

One made during the war that I like is Bataan made in 1943. It's got lots of action as a group of guys gathered together as a unit fight a delaying action on Bataan. The outcome must have been obvious to those seeing the movie for the first time as the US had written off the army on Bataan as unsupportable and Bataan and the Phillipines had already been lost at the time of first showing. And, another thing about it worth remarking on is that the sergeant leading the stay behind unit was shown as in the 31st infantry in the movie. That was the actual primary, regular Army, all US infantry outfit on Bataan. It actually was shot up and eventually defeated in the actual events. The 31st Regiment name lives on in the 4/31st today. That Polar Bear in my ikon is the regimental crest.... for the 6/31st as well....which I had some connection to once upon a time.

Another that was made during the war that I want to mention is The Story of GI Joe. It was made about Ernie Pyle and wasn't released until Ernie was killed after he transferred to the Pacific theatre. It's release date was 1945. It was based on a story or two from Ernies stories from the Italian campaign. Ernie had a great tallent for writing about how the ordinary soldiers in the war. I've read both Brave Men and Here is Your War a few times each over the years.

[joseyclosey]

Ice cold in Alex....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd7HTlkz ... re=related

....though it was made in 1958.

Joe

[PeterN2]

I like The Way Ahead and Went the Day Well. I have both on tape and watch them sometimes along with some others including Ice Cold in Alex.
Regards
Peter.

[DuncaninFrance]

I like The Way Ahead and Went the Day Well. I have both on tape and watch them sometimes along with some others including Ice Cold in Alex.
Regards
Peter.

Yes I agree, all good films

[Woftam]

Apart from Ice cold in Alex (which I liked) I haven't seen any of the films mentioned so far. However the ones I was raised on -
40,000 Horsemen and The Rats of Tobruk are real corkers.

[DuncaninFrance]

Apart from Ice cold in Alex (which I liked) I haven't seen any of the films mentioned so far. However the ones I was raised on -
40,000 Horsemen and The Rats of Tobruk are real corkers.

You see, I have not heard of either of them. Would be good to watch them if I ever get the chance.
Here is some Wikipenia info:-

The Rats of Tobruk is a 1944 Australian movie that follows three friends who enlist in the Australian Army together during World War II. Their story is based on the siege of the Libyan city of Tobruk in North Africa by Rommel's Afrika Korps. The largely Australian defenders held the city for 250 days before being relieved by British forces.

Among the cast members were Peter Finch and Chips Rafferty.


Forty Thousand Horsemen (aka. 40,000 Horsemen) is a 1940 Australian war film directed by Charles Chauvel. The film tells the story of the Australian Light Horse cavalry which operated in the desert at the Sinai and Palestine Campaign during World War I. It follows the adventures of three rowdy heroes in fighting and romance. The film culminates at the Battle of Beersheba what is reputedly "the last successful cavalry charge in history". The film was clearly a propaganda weapon, to aid in recruitment and lift the pride of Australians at home during WWII.

Filming commenced in 1938 on the Cronulla sand dunes, south of Sydney, with interiors shot in the Cinesound studios at Bondi.

[Karl/Pa.]

Ah yes. One of our Aircraft is Missing. B for Bertie, calling B for Bertie. Love those old films.

12 O'clock High
Run Silent Run Deep
Back to Bataan
March to the River Kwai
All Quiet on the Western Front
Sgt. York

We could never had won the war without John Wayne and all the others.

[Aughnanure]

If I may digress a little and mention a film that was made long after its war, (for technical reasons), Red Badge of Courage. I always remember the authentic touch of the Union soldiers scratching little shelves on the bank of a dry creek and putting percussion caps there for quick reloading and sticking their ramrods upright in the ground for the same reason. Perhaps the fact that the leading player, one A. Murphy, had had some soldierly experience may have influenced the director.

[Niner]

I saw that old film Red Badge of Courage on Turner Classic Movies not many weeks ago. The movie originally was longer but an hour was cut out of John Houstons version before release because it seemed too anti war and we were cranking up for Korea at the time. (This according to Todd DePastino in his recent Mauldin biography.) And when the director wanted to put it back together for a later release it was found that the parts removed had been distroyed forever.

Bill Mauldin, the famous soldier cartoonist also played a part in that movie. But Mauldin and Audie Murphy didn't get along while making the movie. Murphy called Mauldin.."that faggot artist"," rear echelon inkslinger", because he was in some screwed up way resentful of Mauldin's wartime fame for his cartoons. Mauldin took him with a grain of salt considering he knew where Murphy's roots were in the same poverty of the South West, and Maudin had been close enough to the front lines to have a genuine feel for what Murphy went through as he collected his medals.