Your Favourite WW II Movie ?

You guys ever heard of the movie, "The Scarlet And The Black?" It's about this Vatican priest named Monsignor O'Flaherty who, helps hide thousands of Jews, POWs and refugees in Rome, Italy during the German occupation. The Gestapo is, of course, after him and they want to end this hiding organization he has started. But since he has diplomatic immunity he cannot be shot or hurt. The movie was shown on TV in 1983 and its based on what Monsignor O'Flaherty did during World War II. I highly recommend it. One ironic thing about the movie is that Christopher Plummer plays the Gestapo Cheif of Rome when in the "Sound of Music" it shows him trying to escape being drafted into the German navy.

 

You guys ever heard of the movie,


Yes, very good movie. Gregory Peck played the role well.

Also known as "The Vatican Pimpernel"

 

Hi,

Mine would be in no particular order :

Saving Private Ryan
The Longest Day
Band Of Brothers - Whole Series
Memphis Belle
Dunkirk BBC Production

 

You guys ever heard of the movie, "The Scarlet And The Black?" It's about this Vatican priest named Monsignor O'Flaherty who, helps hide thousands of Jews, POWs and refugees in Rome, Italy during the German occupation. The Gestapo is, of course, after him and they want to end this hiding organization he has started. But since he has diplomatic immunity he cannot be shot or hurt. The movie was shown on TV in 1983 and its based on what Monsignor O'Flaherty did during World War II. I highly recommend it. One ironic thing about the movie is that Christopher Plummer plays the Gestapo Cheif of Rome when in the "Sound of Music" it shows him trying to escape being drafted into the German navy.


Hey, War movies are great work if you can get it. Plummer also played a spy in another movie I like called Triple Cross. Hot actress in her day Romy Schneider costarred and everybody's favorite Kraut:

Gert ( "No Mr. Bond I expect you to die") Fröbe other than Gold Finger and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang starred in The Longest Day.

Reminds me of some other movies I forget the titles to

One about Dunkirk, not the one with Richard Attenborough, although that was a good BW film.

One about Norway and blowing up a ferry.

The Train, I think with Burt Lancaster.

Just a note to you movie war fans, It's worth seeing the old films again on DVD. The TV networks cut tons of footage from the original films especially these days, for example, Battle of the Bulge gets chopped to pieces when aired on Analog broadcast.

 

1- Patton
2- The Big Red One
3- The Battle Of The Bulge
4- Sink The Bismarck
5- Stalingrad

Their was another movie I enjoyed about a german living in afrika I believe, and the British made him a SS spy aboard a ship full of supplies, that they wanted capturing.

 

At the moment I jusr love.

The Desert Rats with Richard Burton. Love the sound, Real live firing, the Brens in the raid on the ammo dump sound 'so' loud, jump out your skin. The driving of the Italian lorries, throwing them around and Richard Burton I could just watch all day.

"Get on your feet you desert rats, Come on !!!!!"

Kev

 

At the moment I jusr love.

The Desert Rats with Richard Burton. Love the sound, Real live firing, the Brens in the raid on the ammo dump sound 'so' loud, jump out your skin. The driving of the Italian lorries, throwing them around and Richard Burton I could just watch all day.

"Get on your feet you desert rats, Come on !!!!!"

Kev

Great show. Some critics give it a kicking however it is a movie after all.

All that went on in the storyline was near the mark with a few things thrown in to bring Burton into the film.

One of the best films I have seen is "Where Eagles Dare" with Burton and that is complete fiction.

 

Just stumbled upon this thread.

Picking a top 5 is hard..................

Colonel Blimp is one of my favourites, although I don't think of it as a WW2 film, but others would include

Dambusters
Great Escape
Battle of Britain
Reach for the Sky
Schindlers List.

Just about to order Come and See

 

I looked over everyone's choices and it was good to see that there were few to no clunkers like Battle of the Bulge or Force 10 From Navaronne listed as favs.
There are several others worth mentioning:
Bridge on the River Kwai
Mrs Miniver
The Secret of Santa Vittorio (Anthony Quinn doing comedy)
What Did You Do In The War, Daddy? (a Blake Edwards comedy-don't expect too much and you won't be disappointed.)
The Best Years of Our Lives
Cross of Iron
The Bunker
30 Seconds Over Tokyo
The Caine Mutiny (Bogey makes the movie)
Twelve O'clock High (Gregory Peck sure looked the part)
From Here to Eternity

Movies Dogs to avoid:
Battle of the Bulge (Henry Fonda et al. A real Big Name dog)
Fireball Forward (A double dog, using outtakes from the above movie)
DDay, The Sixth of June (James Garner dogging at his level worst)
Is Paris Burning? (sucker-punched Cornelius Ryan in his dog with this adaptation)
Anzio (Robert Mitchum couldn't act his way out of a dog food bag)

And of course, the pièce de résistance
Pearl Harbor (The Dog of Dogs, it was just so bad in so many ways)

I did not care for Hell in the Pacific, Kyt, but I think it had more to do with the cinematography than the story. I don't care for the style of movie making a lot of directors used during that time. The directors seemed to be trying to make a statement and the statement was "We make bad movies." But then in the same year (1969), we get Patton, go figure. edit---Patton was released in 1970. Apologies all around.

 

Das Boot

Talvisota (Finnish Winter War)

Stalingrad (Brutal scenes)

Tora!Tora!Tora!

The Longest Day - (diffrent point of views, Americans, British, French)

Flags of Our Fathers

Letters From Iwo Jima

Beyond the Front Line

Band of Brothers

There are more movies to be added; like Days of Glory has some very nice scenes etc etc. The movies isn't ranked.

 

I looked over everyone's choices and it was good to see that there were few to no clunkers like Battle of the Bulge or Force 10 From Navaronne listed as favs.

OOP's: I like to watch Battle of the Bulge as it at least tells a story and does not get bogged down. I always thought that if Dana Andrews had been my CO I would have been a bit careless with my aim.

DDay, The Sixth of June (James Garner dogging at his level worst)
Do you mean Robert Taylor? Agreed it was a horrible movie and an insult to the title.

Anzio (Robert Mitchum couldn't act his way out of a dog food bag)
I purchased this on VHS a few years ago for $5 as I could not remember having seen it. I know why now! It is in my top 10 worst movies.

And of course, the pièce de résistance
Pearl Harbor (The Dog of Dogs, it was just so bad in so many ways)
I expected so much from that movie and it was a disgrace. A 21st century "From Here to Eternity" it definitely was not.

 

I remember enjoying Mitchum in The Enemy Below but I was an impressionable teenager and haven't seen it since!

 

I remember enjoying Mitchum in The Enemy Below but I was an impressionable teenager and haven't seen it since!

I watched it last week and it is still an okay movie.

The U-boat Captain (Jurgens) was portrayed similarly (Honourable) to Captain Bernhard Rogge (Van Heflin) in "Under Ten Flags"

Story of the German surface raider "Atlantis" (Pacas) Very

Very well acted movie and I love Charles Laughton as an actor.

Under Ten Flags was written from the diaries of Rogge and Directed by Duilio Coletti who sadly went on to Direct "Anzio".

 

Do you mean Robert Taylor? Agreed it was a horrible movie and an insult to the title.

You are correct, Geoff. I was confusing this movie with 36 Hours, which had James Garner in it. It has been probably 20 years since I saw D-Day, the Sixth of June and I vowed never to watch it again.

Anzio has a scene where Mr. Mitchum is running across a battle field and jumps behind cover or into a shell hole or something and lands like he is jumping into a hammock outside a sea-side cabana, trying to exude coolness. It was just so lame.
I expected so much from that movie and it was a disgrace. A 21st century "From Here to Eternity" it definitely was not.


Not even a B movie when compared to FHTE.

I cannot believe that I forgot my favorite movie of all time, Mister Roberts. James Cagney, Henry Fonda, Jack Lemmon, William Powell, Ward Bond. A comedy, I realize, but it is such a good story. It was the first DVD I purchased.

OOP's: I like to watch Battle of the Bulge as it at least tells a story and does not get bogged down. I always thought that if Dana Andrews had been my CO I would have been a bit careless with my aim.

Yes, you hit it squarely, Dana Andrews’ character did need to take a dirt nap. What gets me about this cinematic train wreck is that they tried to pass off the story as the unvarnished truth about that battle. And Telly Savalas driving around in a tank in the deserts of Central Europe with the top half of the turret blown off, broken off or whatever was ridiculous. It just chapped my butt. I reckon they thought that they had to do something else to get the 7 year old boys into the theater. It’s on the TV here about every time the moon phase changes, but I cannot bring myself to watch it.

 

I would recomend the Soviet 4 series film "Protivostoyanie", maybe somebody of you knows?
Huge battle scenes, just Soviet-style...:m6:
:indexCAGHJY15:

 

Hi Pals
just a few favourites 1/ The Dambusters

2/ The Eagle Has Landed

3/ Mosquito Squadron

4/ Where eagles Dare

5/ Hell In The Pacific


all good to watch without getting to serious or picky

Regards Scott

 

Hi Pals
just a few favourites 1/ The Dambusters

2/ The Eagle Has Landed

3/ Mosquito Squadron

4/ Where eagles Dare

5/ Hell In The Pacific


all good to watch without getting to serious or picky

Regards Scott

I was reading an article where a "gentleman" described "The Eagles Has Landed" & "Where Eagles Dare" in his top 50 worst
ww2 movies.

I have them both and they must be nearly worn out. IMHO they are very well presented and acted even though they are a little unbelievable.

Maybe this gentleman thought they were real events and was disappointed when he found out they were just bloody good novels by Alistair Maclean and Jack Higgins.

 

Band of Brothers
Das Boot
The Pianist
Stalingrad
Saving Private Ryan
The Great Escape
The Longest Day
Der Untergang
Memphis Belle
Schindlers List
Sophie Scholl
Hitlers Elite

 

Band of Brothers
Das Boot
The Pianist
Stalingrad
Saving Private Ryan
The Great Escape
The Longest Day
Der Untergang
Memphis Belle
Schindlers List
Sophie Scholl
Hitlers Elite

Great list Kjaersqaard!

 

I thought I would post one of the more amusing User Comments from IMDb on "The Eagle has Landed".

From: The Eagle Has Landed (1976) - IMDb user comments

This comment was rebuffed and is on the next post.

not worth the time, 18 October 2004

Author: Ajtlawyer from Richland, WA
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Having just read Michael Caine's autobiography I was anxious to see some of his older movies. I must say that I was sorely disappointed by "The Eagle Has Landed" SPOILERS ALERT.

First, the title. I know it must be based on a book but after 1969 virtually anyone who knows history would associate "The Eagle Has Landed" with the Apollo 11 moon landing. Why have this as a title for a WWII movie?

Second, any movie which focuses on the Germans in WWII for its story is going to have a hard time getting the audience to pull and root for the main characters. Who wants the Nazis to succeed? No one, of course, so why should we interested in watching a story told from the German side?

Third, no one seems to keep his accent in this movie. Robert Duvall is a German officer but his German accent is barely noticeable. This is a movie that Duvall made after both of the "The Godfather" movies; I can't believe he decided to take a secondary role in this movie. Michael Caine doesn't even seem to try and affect a German accent. In fact his character, Col. Steiner, is said to have studied in England so I guess that was a way for his character to avoid trying to sound like a German. Of course Steiner goes to England posing as a Polish paratrooper (no jokes, please) and he doesn't attempt any Polish accent, either. Although a couple of his fellow commandos do it easily and seem to be able to speak Polish fluently. Lastly on accents, Donald Sutherland is trying to do an Irish accent and he at least is able to keep his brogue throughout the movie.

Fourth, why is Sutherland trying to help the Germans anyway? He is Devlin, an Irish nationalist who is so hell bent on a unified Ireland that he's thrown in with the Nazis. But by the time he's recruited for the mission (to kidnap Churchill) even Duvall's character has conceded that the war has been lost, and it is only 1943! If the Irish really wanted to assassinate Churchill they'd hardly need German help since Irishmen are all over England.

Fifth, the first part of the movie is entirely too long. It is used to try and establish I guess that Caine (Steiner) and his commandos are supposed to be the best soldiers in Germany but that they also aren't sympathetic to the Nazi cause. For that they're jailed. Then in a sort of German version of "The Dirty Dozen" Steiner and his men are offered a chance at freedom and reinstatement in the German Army if they will try and pull off this fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants mission to kidnap Churchill.

Sixth, Sutherland (Devlin) is dropped in a couple of days before the Germans in order to be a pathfinder I guess. He's supposed to be a "marsh warden" which I guess is something of a park ranger and everyone in the town seems to accept him in that role even though he's only been there a day or so. No suspicion on their part of an Irishman just showing up.

Seventh, Jenny Agutter, the ingenue for the movie, almost immediately falls in love with Devlin and even says she's in love with him, but having barely known him for more than 48 hrs. She's so much in love with him she murders his romantic rival after the rival discovers that Devlin is a Nazi agent of some sort. Even when Devlin confirms that he's working for the Nazis, Agutter still is loyal to him!

Eighth, some woman in the town is a Fifth Columnist for the Nazis but why she is working for them, who knows?

Ninth, very quickly the Germans' cover as Polish paratroopers is blown and they take the town hostage and are in a stand-off with a bunch of US Army Rangers led by a blow-hard National Guard colonel, Larry Hagman. You'd think you'd be waiting for a big battle sequence but no, the "battle" consists of an ambush by the Germans and then the Americans massacring the Germans who decide to die with their boots on, providing cover for Steiner and Devlin as they escape and try to continue on with the mission. You'd think that, knowing the war is lost anyway, they would've taken the chance to just surrender and sit the war out in a comfortable Allied POW camp.

Tenth, although the Americans seemingly have surrounded the town, Steiner and Devlin escape through an amazing, ancient tunnel that is in the church and which almost takes them out of town! Boy, was that a lucky break!

Eleventh, realizing that Steiner hasn't given up trying to kill Churchill, the Americans and British take Churchill to a place that is secure (why not get him the hell into his limo and take him back to London?). Steiner of course easily infiltrates the place and kills Churchill only to be gunned down the the Americans. Steiner dies believing he's killed Churchill but, wait a minute, it is Churchill's double! (an aside, the actor really does look like Churchill). The real Churchill is at the famous Tehran conference being held with FDR and Stalin. Now you would've thought that German military intelligence would've known about the Tehran Conference and realized that the real Churchill would be going to that meeting, not going to a vacation at some British coastal town.

In all, "The Eagle Has Landed" is a big disappointment. John Sturges, the director, had made "The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent Seven" and it is very sad that he pretty much ended a distinguished career with this sort of drivel.