Favorite World War II Movies

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#41

Librarian –

I was taken to task for some of my thoughts on Imperial Japan, particularly in comparing the atrocities committed by the Japanese military in China and during the Bataan Death March. I didn’t research who was responsible for the horrors committed against American and Filipinos–I shall, and I’m hoping the instigator was executed after the war.

I was fortunate enough to pick up The Reader’s Digest Illustrated Story of World War II–and the death march was written up by one of the survivors. It’s hard reading–very hard reading.

I know the Japanese looked with contempt on soldiers who lay down their arms and surrendered. Even the Germans accepted honorable surrender, and surrendered. Probably, the regular Wehrmacht, contrasted to the Japanese military, treated troops of co-signers of the Geneva Conventions, more humanely. Offhand, I don’t know if Japan signed the Geneva Conventions–I know the Soviets didn’t–which is not to excuse how the SS treated captured Soviet soldiers.

I guess I should end up saying something about movies, which is what the thread is all about: I did see Purple Heart, but it’s been a while. Did you see The Fighting Sullivans? Weren’t there four brothers who went down with their ship? Even now, when I see it–I have a copy–it’s hard to control my tears. At the time, the U.S. Government didn’t want to release the film because of the heart-wrenching poignancy of this wartime film. I think they had a ruling, after the Sullivans’ deaths, that this could never happen again–nor could they force all the sons of a family to be drafted.

#42

I suppose, when we’re fighting a war, particularly World War II, we have to demonize our enemies, as we particularly did the Japanese. I’m not sure when the first ‘positive’ depiction of a Japanese officer or statesman was made–perhaps Bridge to the Sun, which I remember seeing in 1961, with James Shigeta as the young Japanese diplomat Hidenari Terasaki, and Carroll Baker as his American wife, Gwen Terasaki. Although I’ve read later that perhaps ‘Terry’ wasn’t quite as innocent as his widow made out.

I admire the Japanese people—Japan rose from a feudal society within less than a hundred years to a major world power—which she is now, at least economically speaking. They accepted Western technology, utilized it, and kept their traditional values. Most Japanese today grew up long after the war, so I don’t blame them.

During the height of the Cold War, we discussed world affairs in social studies, but I don’t remember anything particularly bad being taught about Russia—except the Soviet system contrasted with the free-enterprise one.

A couple of years ago, I exchanged emails with a fellow member of my fiction-writing group. Gennady lives in St. Petersburg, Russia, and was a former Soviet officer. He wrote that all through school, and into the military, he was indoctrinated with anti-American teachings—apparently, it didn’t take. We did disagree on the reasons why President Bush went into Iraq, but Americans have done that. I have always liked Russia–old Imperial Russia, however, not the USSR–and was always pro-Russian people, and I was never called down for it.

As my mother once told me, even an enemy soldier is someone’s son.

#43

I shall be very indebted to you for your kind excusing my inability of prompt responding to your previous answers, my dear Mr. Gary D. I hope that you will take into consideration the highly unpleasant circumstances - subsequent receipt of an official information that my personal account with Photobucket was allotted with 10 GB of monthly bandwidth, and that official records show that I have less than 2 GB of bandwidth left to my account.:shock:

Great pressure of work connected with reallocation of photographic material prevented me from dispatching answers in time. Every precaution will be taken to avoid a repetition of a similar event.

Words are never enough, my dear Mr. Gary D. The eye sees. The mind knows. The heart feels. But the words do not exist to make us see, or know, or feel what reality is, what actually happens. The words, alas, are never right about the precise meaning of humanism.

It is a pleasant-sounding word, and it brings with it a graceful touch of fresh air from the Renaissance. That word is a kind of ideal attribute to man – lithe of mind, unprejudiced, unfettered by ancient rigmaroles, skilled in his control of the whole province of man. But has there ever been such a being? From time to time someone emerges out of the gray who looks, in favorable light, like the hero we all might wish to be. Sir Philip Sydney on the field of Zuthpen, Shelley lamenting Keats, Senator William Pitt Fessenden in a eulogy delivered upon the death of senator Foot of Vermont, Lieutenant Arthur Rhys-Davids sincerely regretting death of Werner Foss, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin unfolding the phenomenon of man…

Yet again, those sadly forgotten instances of humanity are the only seeds of true nobility and greatness capable to heal a soul of an individual or the wounded spirit of a society, cultivating those perilous deserts of unawareness and neglecting where stereotypes are ruling, destroying nature’s unique experiment to make rational intelligence prove itself sounder than the reflex. Knowledge and understanding, my dear Mr. Gary D, is our destiny, it is a responsibility for what we are, primarily of what we are as ethical creatures.

Since even things written down have an extraordinary propensity for going wrong in the writing, we ought to be permitted to show the pictures – not just the words, but also the real things. And we ought to have the moral fiber to look at those things.

Then, and then only, treating everybody and everything without any prejudice or discrimination, we will be able to appreciate universal strength of the human spirit that a passionate commitment to the Noble Cause by George Tomas, Francis Henry, Joseph Eugen, Medison Abel, and Albert Leo who were prepared to walk the road of duty – and they did – when it came to the price of their splendid commitment.

Condolences of the President F. D. Roosevelt sent to Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan (official draft)

Then, knowing that even a solitary candle of chivalry, even in the midst of otherwise cruel hostility possesses enduring capacity to absorb evil, to transform human existence from a dungeon of shame to a heaven of human dignity, we will be able to work through our fears.

Example of a chivalrous surrender of Japanese soldiers

Those, as well as numerous other examples of humanism, able to prove that perfect courtesy can be shown even to those who may look upon someone as to their archenemy, completed in a special thread called Examples of Humanity, will substantiate the old-fashioned claim that human problems can be solved in humane ways, and that the glades of grass growing on graves are symbols of regeneration – the final act of reconciliation between death and life.

And now back to the films.

Yes, my dear Mr. Gary D, I watched “The Fighting Sullivans”, and that film really is an example for nowadays outdated and quaint, heartbreaking and honest artistic reflections. However, I think that Hollywood never filmed a story about another, for me much more heartrending occurrence – that sadly forgotten scene when colonel Frences I. Fenton kneeled by the body of his own son, also a member of the 1st Marine Division, a 19-year old scout-sniper who was killed in action on Okinawa, May 7, 1945.

I, too, sometimes do look at that photo and weep. Spontaneously. For once we lose our compassion, we lose our souls.

In characterizing all Hollywood films from the 40s, the greatest war film of the 40s was perhaps the “Guadalcanal Diary” (1943), directed by Lewis Seiler.

Anthony Queen, Guadalcanal Diary (1943)

This was perhaps the only film entitled to take its own place as an individual work of art, being capable to encompass overall historical grandeur and personal vignettes, such as those incredibly convincing shots of close-combat battle, with absolutely brilliant play of Mr. Anthony Queen as Private Jesus “Soose” Alvarez.

Well, that’s all for today. In the meantime, as always – all the best! :slight_smile:

#44

I copied Mr. Roosevelt’s letter to the parents of the Sullivan boys. It’s obviously heart-felt and not boil-plate. It’s trite to say, but there are times when words, indeed, fail even the most eloquent statesman.

I know FDR wrote a letter to a ‘future President,’ requesting that the Sullivans’ grandson be admitted to West Point. President Eisenhower was more than willing to accede to this request, but young Sullivan wanted to make it on his own–he did. I think, to this day, there is a The Sullivans ship in the U.S. Navy.

#45

I’m not sure if there is still one on active duty. But there was indeed a retired USS Sullivans that is now moored at the Buffalo, NY Naval Park. Been on it many times, and the ship is rumored to be haunted. :shock:

#46

I have to check this out, but it seems I recall, a few years ago, seeing a new ship christened, when the first The Sullivans was replaced. Wouldn’t swear to it, however.

#47

There was a USS The Sullivans off of Cork in 2006.
Even equipped with a shamrock,
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/photos/090213-N-4774B-028.jpg

#48

I have a copy of The Fighting Sullivans but haven’t viewed it in years. Even after sixty-five years, or so, it’s still an emotionally touching movie. I can imagine how it affected wartime audiences.

I wanted to see what the five Sullivan brothers looked like, and I did manage to find a few pictures of them. As in most Hollywood films, they ‘changed’ it somewhat. According to the film, four brothers went into the ship to rescue another one. I suppose this was thought to be more dramatic. According to what I learned on the Internet, four brothers went down with the Juneau and George, the eldest, was in the sea for hours, until he finally died, from exhaustion and possibly from sharks. Their sister joined the service and she and her mother made many wartime bond rallies.

It’s difficult to think in terms of millions of deaths. Someone replied, when asked about how to count a million deaths, replied: One, one, one, . . .’ It might have been Stalin, but I’m never quite sure of my quotations.

Anyway, I have decided to personify the Pacific conflict, from the U.S. side, with the Sullivans. We lost five brothers during the Civil War, but, hopefully, the Sullivans were the last.

When I think of the Korean Conflict, or war, I always think of a friend of my brother. Jim never came back. My mother said he came by the house just before he left for training. To this day, I still remember him–very polite and soft spoken. Most teenage boys, at the best, ignore their friends’ small siblings, but I recall him as always being friendly and nice to me.

#49

After many a days I was finally able to find a snapshot connected with the touching scenes between heroes of the film directed by Mr. Llloyd Bacon:

The Fighting Sullivans – 1944

However, surprisingly little is known even today about the trial and everlasting merits of Borgstrom family of Thatcher (Utah). Hollywood producers until now were not interested in life and deeds of four of the five sons of Alben and Gunda Borgstrom, who died within a six-month period during 1944. Leroy Elmer, Clyde Eugene, Rolon Day and Rulon Jay have been called upon to make such a tremendous sacrifice for the cause of freedom and liberty, that a sincere and suitably undeviating account, a work in the high-tradition of a Hollywood war epic, achieved with power and grace of style, surely deserves a small amount of receptiveness by Hollywood producers even in our hard times.

Who knows – if those highly important people are to rediscover the inheritance so long taken for granted, perhaps even the Fomenko family from the village Berezshki, Usolyskie district (Бережки, Усольский район) finally will be respectfully mentioned and courteously remembered. After all, seven of the nine sons they sent off to battle died during the war.

And I think that the first “positive” depiction of a Japanese officer actually was presented by a legend of the silent screen, a Shakesperean actor educated for a naval officer who consistently delievered performances that could make most of the newer stars look to their laurels – by Mr. Sessue Hayakawa.

His absolutely brilliant role of Colonel Saito in “The Bridge On the River Kwai” (directed by David Lean) brought a touch of humanity to the tiring representation of the Japanese soldiers as absolutely soulless monsters. Those scenes where colonel Saito breaks down into tears, or that wonderful dinner scene between Sir Allec Guinness and Hayakawa, presented a truly three dimensional, understanding character and not a pre-casted panel-type of a cartoonish villain.

And that, after all, is how some of us remember the 40s – or like to think we do…

In the meantime, as always – all the best! :slight_smile:

#50

[QUOTE=Librarian;

And I think that the first “positive” depiction of a Japanese officer actually was presented by a legend of the silent screen, a Shakesperean actor educated for a naval officer who consistently delievered performances that could make most of the newer stars look to their laurels – by Mr. Sessue Hayakawa.

His absolutely brilliant role of Colonel Saito in “The Bridge On the River Kwai” (directed by David Lean) brought a touch of humanity to the tiring representation of the Japanese soldiers as absolutely soulless monsters. Those scenes where colonel Saito breaks down into tears, or that wonderful dinner scene between Sir Allec Guinness and Hayakawa, presented a truly three dimensional, understanding character and not a pre-casted panel-type of a cartoonish villain.

And that, after all, is how some of us remember the 40s – or like to think we do…

In the meantime, as always – all the best! :)[/QUOTE]

Sessue Hayakawa was indeed a prominent star who achieved his initial success in silent-film-era Hollywood. There was, of course, the depiction of the ‘yellow menace’ when he was active in the 1920’s, but it was probably as much anti-Chinese as anti-Japanese.

In any event, I always admired him. I recall him in the Claudette Colbert film Three Came Back (or was it Home?) made after the war. Without going into IMDb, which I don’t do when responding in a forum, because I like to come to the table with what I know at the time, I think she was the wife of a British planter and she, her husband, and their small son were interned by the Japanese during the war. After they learned that the Americans had dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, she missed her son, and rushed to Hayakawa’s character’s house, thinking he was killing her son along with the camp’s other children, in retaliation for the bomb. He replied, something to the effect, ‘Do you really think I would harm the children?’

All in all, though, I think James Shigeta presented the most positive view of the Japanese. [i]First in Bridge to the Sun /i and as Admiral Nagumo in Midway–a truly remarkable film which I’ve seen a few times. I say ‘positive’ for Nagumo, even though he was bent on the destruction of the American fleet. Shigeta’s Nagumo expressed an admiration for the torpedo-bomber pilots who appeared to be throwing away their lives in a fruitless attempt to stop his navy. I don’t know what Nagumo actually felt. I think even the pilot who headed the mission to bomb Pearl Harbor afterwards became a devout Christian and preacher. His life story would make interesting reading.

Kindest regards,

Gary

#51

Since writing about Admiral Chuichi Nagumo in the ‘favorite films’ section, I checked out some photographs of the real man. Nagumo was certainly no where near as handsome as James Shigeta; but, then, the real-life Americans who took part in the Battle of Miday didn’t stack up against the likes of Glenn Ford, Henry Fonda, Robert Mitchum, and, of course, Charlton Heston. We must keep our heroes photogenic.

#52

I’m glad that we do share those positive views concerning the performing capacity of Mr. Hayakawa. For me his biggest role was in “The Typhoon”, in which his wife also appeared. The title was a symbolical one only – the film was a strong political melodrama of a man who deliberately sacrifices his life, confessing to a murder that was actually commited by a diplomat. The murder was a crime of passion, and it was deemed more important that the diplomat complete his mission than that he pay for his crime with his life. Hence, the false confession by a patriot willing to sacrifice life, and more important – honor – for the sake of his country.

In a strong role like that Mr. Hayakawa was exceptionally fine, and brought a distinctly different type of hero to silver screens.

In the very same time I completely do share your views about that truly brilliant war film directed by Mr. Jack Smight. Nevertheless, I have another giant spectacle with tremendous battle scenes on my personal list of all-time favorites: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" from 1970. True, it seems a trifle unemotional, but there are some of the most accurately reconstructed combat scenes ever put on film - big, terrifying and superbly staged! I think that I have somewhere one less important, but to a certain extent unknown color snapshot connected with this film. I shall try to find it. You know, in those times even the villains were somehow photogenic as well! :o

In the meantime, as always – al the best! :slight_smile:

#53

I have to do some reading on Sessue Hayakawa, particularly the film you mentioned. On the whole, I like silent films. I’ve seen Ramon Navaro’s Ben Hur and, believe it or not, prefer it to Charleton Heston’s. Too bad, however, that Stephen Boyd, as Messala, couldn’t have been born early enough to take Francis X. Bushman’s part. Bushman, to me, really hammed up this role. I don’t see what women saw in him. This, is not, of course, World War II-related.

I have just finished an episode of History Detectives, where American airmen crash-landed in Borneo in 1944. The tribesmen so hated the Japanese that they rescued and protected the downed men.

The Japanese could have had allies of many people across Southeast Asia, as could the Germans have had in the Ukraine–and we know what happened there. The Japanese rampaged across Borneo, killing and taking whatever they wanted. Consequently, many of the Japanese heads were smoked and hanging in the longhouses.

#54

Great World War 2 movies for me are:
-Saint & Soldier

  • Come and See
  • Talvisota
  • Stalingrad( I’m talking about the german film, not Enemy At the Gates)
  • Die Brücke (1969 or 2008 version)
#55

I could watch Patton all day, everyday and never tire of it. I love the epics like A Bridge Too Far, The Longest Day, Battle of the Bulge and Saving Private Ryan. Smaller scale stuff like Hell is for Heroes and Cross of Iron hold my attention too.

#56

I know this actually happened–maybe it was a military necessity–General Patton, in real life, ordered a recalcitrant mule shoved over a bridge. During the filming of Patton this happened, not once, but twice–two different mules met their deaths. I am not sure this part ever made it to the American screen, considering our strong animal-rights groups. I do warn people about this. Where was Patton made? Not in the U.S.

I knew Jacquelyn Smith’s cousin (Charley’s Angels), and Kay was charged with ensuring that no animals were harmed during one of Smith’s movies made in Arizona. Her charges: hundreds of tarantulas!! Not my favorite pets. Anyway, you can be sure that, unlike Patton, not even a creepy, crawly thing was hurt.

#57

Hmmm…If that was the movie Tarantula! starring William Shatner, then I have to wonder. There was a scene where the arachnids were swarming this cabin and Capt. Kirk was doing this horrid soft-shoe routine and grinding the l’il buggers into the hardwood floor. If they were fake then I was totally taken in. Same thing goes for the Madagascar hissing cockroaches in Damnation Alley. I’m sure a lot of them died in the cause of art. I understand that they’re able to be more careful as of late in movies like Eight Legged Freaks and Arachnophobia. This is reminding me of that woman that died on the set of Dr. Zhivago. Something to do with a train. Now I’m gonna check snopes to see if they got something on it.
Here’s snopes’s call on Patton.
and the Zhivago one if you’re interested.

#58

I’d have to look it up on IMDb, but William Shatner wasn’t in it. The movie, by the way, except for Jacquelyn Smith’s beauty, was totally forgettable.

#59

In the last week I viewed, again for the 100’th time, The BOB, Stalingrad, Das Boot, and Yamato. All are great movie but The BOB is simply incredable due to the special effects and the presence of so many actual airplanes. Spits, Hurris, made in Spain 109s and 111s, you’ll never see so many actual planes in the air like that again. This is a great flight movie.

The other three? I think its important to view WW-2 movies NOT made in or by Americans. You wont feel cheated buying the DVD of any of these.

#60

On this blessed day, honorable ladies and gentlemen, I’m offering to you perhaps the most appropriate and consecrated Great Hollywood epoch war-scene ever presented on a silver screen… Christmas Eve, somewhere in the European Theater of Operations in late 1944… What a sequence!

White Christmas – Michael Curtiz, 1954

Beautiful episode, fulfilled with deep and sincere human emotions. Honestly, I don’t think that we still have today artistic performers with such a high sound quality of human voice, which represented everything he truly needed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRYPWlyU_Zk&feature=related

What the coming year may hold none of us can foresee. It is my earnest wish that for you it may bring forth a generous harvest of happiness, blessing and good fortune, honorable ladies and gentlemen. Good cheer and plenty, the love of your dear ones, the affection of your true friends – may all these contribute to a merry Christmas! :slight_smile: