Thursday 13 - Favorite War Movies
Posted: Thursday, March 06, 2008 by Travis Cody in
In no particular order, these are my favorite war movies.
1. The Longest Day (1962) features an all star mega cast and tells the story of the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944, from both the Allied and German points of view.
2. The Dirty Dozen (1967) features an all star cast led by Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, and John Cassavetes. It follows a US Major and his efforts to rehab and train a dozen US army murderers and criminals, and lead them on a suicide mission to assassinate German officers in the days leading up to the D-Day invasion in World War II.
3. The Great Escape (1963) features an all star cast led by Steve McQueen and Lord Richard Attenborough. It is based on the true story of several hundred Allied POW's in World War II as they plan a massive break out from a German POW camp. 
4. A Bridge Too Far (1977) features an all star mega cast led by Sean Connery and tells the story of Operation Market Garden, the failed Allied attempt to capture bridges through Holland with airborne troops and the tanks of the British XXX Corps, thus securing a path to the Rhine and into the industrial heart of Germany. 
5. Midway (1976) features an all star cast led by Charlton Heston and Henry Fonda. It tells the story of the US Navy's remarkable victory just six months after the attack on Pearl Harbor that became the turning point in the war in the Pacific.
6. Battleground (1949) stars Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban, and James Whitmore as soldiers of the US Army's 101st Airborne in December 1944 as they defend Bastogne during the last major German offensive of World War II.
7. In Harm's Way (1965) stars John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Patricia Neal as US Naval officers coming to terms with the defeat at Pearl Harbor and trying to turn the tide in the Pacific against the Japanese.
8. Battle of the Bulge (1965) features an all star cast led by Henry Fonda and Robert Shaw. It tells the story of the German press into the Ardennes in December 1944 from several fictional perspectives.
9. To Hell and Back (1955) starring Audie Murphy and Marshall Thompson. It is based on the true story of Lt Audie L. Murphy from his entry into the US Army at 18 through the acts of courage that ultimately made him the most decorated soldier in World War II.
10. The Devil's Brigade (1968) stars William Holden and Cliff Robertson. It tells the story of American and Canadian soldiers thrown together and trained to become the First Special Service Force in World War II.
11. The Guns of Navarone (1961) stars Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn as they lead a group of Allied commandos on a mission to destroy a massive German gun emplacement.
12. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) stars William Holden and Sir Alec Guinness. It tells the story of British prisoners of the Japanese in World War II Burma who are ordered to build a bridge on the route of the Burma-Siam railway.
13. Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) stars John Wayne, John Agar, and Forrest Tucker. It tells the story of a squad of Marines as they go through training and ultimately participate in the battle for Iwa Jima in World War II.
I haven't seen ANY of these.
Might have something to do with the fact that I am a chick. :)