The summer of 1940, Pilot Officer T.B. Baird arrives straight out of flight school to join a front line RAF squadron at the height of the Battle of Britain. After an unfortunate start and a drumming down from his commanding officer, Baird (nicknamed ‘Septic’ due to his initials) must balance the struggle to impress his Group Captain, regain his pride, fit in with his fellow squadron mates, and survive one of the most intense air battles in history. This is the story of just one of “The Few” and how they managed to fight off the might of the Luftwaffe, despite overwhelming German air power.
Read More »
War
Breaking the Sound Barrier (1952) David Lean, Ralph Richardson, Ann Todd, Nigel Patrick, Drama, Romance, War
Tony successful fighter pilot during World War II marries into the family of a wealthy oil magnate who also designs airplanes. The movie traces the company’s attempt to break the sound barrier, as well as tensions between father and daughter. Lots of footage of early 50s jet aviation in Great Britain as well as shots of the Comet airliner, world’s first jet passenger plane.
Read More »
L’avventuriero / The Rover (1967) Terence Young, Anthony Quinn, Rosanna Schiaffino, Rita Hayworth, War, Drama
A former counterrevolutionary pirate befriends a mentally ill young woman and this in turn leads to tragedy when she falls in love with a French naval officer.
Read More »
Ship of Fools (1965) Stanley Kramer, Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Drama, Romance, War
Passengers on a ship traveling from Mexico to Europe in the 1930s represent society at large in that era. The crew is German, including the ship’s doctor who falls in love with one of the passengers, La Contessa. A young American woman, Jenny, is traveling with the man she loves, David. Jenny is fascinated and puzzled by just who some of the other passengers are. The once famous Mary Treadwell gets much of her attention.
Read More »
MacArthur’s Children / Setouchi shonen yakyu dan (1984) Masahiro Shinoda, Takaya Yamauchi, Yoshiyuki Omori, Shiori Sakura, Comedy, Drama, War
In this drama at the end of World War II, the inhabitants of a small Japanese fishing village must come to terms with their nation’s defeat and the sudden occupation of General MacArthur and his troops.
Read More »
Let Joy Reign Supreme / Que la fête commence… (1975) Bertrand Tavernier, Philippe Noiret, Jean Rochefort, Jean-Pierre Marielle, Drama, History, War
France, 1719. Louis 14th died four years ago, Philippe d’Orleans is the regent. He is a liberal and a libertine. His right-hand man, Dubois, an atheistic and cupid priest, as libertine as Philippe, tries to take advantage of a little rebellion lead by a Breton squire (Pontallec) and of the famine to become archbishop… Description of the life of the court in this period of transition where the French Revolution smoulders.
Read More »
Operation Crossbow (1965) Michael Anderson, Sophia Loren, George Peppard, Trevor Howard, Action, Drama, War
This is the story of the methods used to defeat Hitler’s V1 (doodlebug) and V2 (rocket) “revenge weapons” towards the end of the second world war. Even though the Nazis were in retreat these weapons could have turned their defeat into victory. The film includes references to Hannah Reich, who in real life was a German test pilot.
Read More »
Screaming Eagles (1956) Charles F. Haas, Tom Tryon, Jan Merlin, Alvy Moore, Drama, War
The D-Day invasion of 1944 provides a backdrop for the Allied Artists actioner Screaming Eagles. Tom Tryon plays Private Mason, an ill-tempered member of the 101st Airborne Infantry division. Mason makes plenty of enemies with his negative attitude until good-guy lieutenant Pauling (Jan Merlin) straightens him out. The 101st’ s main objective (once all personal travails are swept away, that is) is to capture and hold a vital bridge in Normandy. Jacqueline Beer, later one of the costars of TV’s 77 Sunset Strip, provides the feminine interest as an attractive resistance fighter (were there ever any unattractive resistance fighters?) Featured in the cast are TV favorites Martin Milner and Alvy Moore and second-generation thespian Edward G. Robinson Jr.
Read More »
Until They Sail (1957) Robert Wise, Jean Simmons, Paul Newman, Joan Fontaine, Drama, Romance, War
Four sisters in New Zealand fall for four U.S. soldiers en route to the Pacific theater in WWII.
Read More »
Zulu (1964) Cy Endfield, Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, Drama, History, War
Two Lieutenants, Chard of Engineers and Bromhead find that their 140 man contingent in Natal has been isolated by the destruction of the main British Army column and that 4,000 Zulu warriors will descend on them in hours. Each has a different military background in tactics and they are immediatly in conflict on how to prepare for the attack. Nearly a third of the men are in the infirmary, as the welsh company tries to somehow survive with no help in sight. Based on a true story.
Read More »