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Another Pearl Harbor Day has come and is about to go. Turner Classic Movies spent the day showing period appropriate movies including a couple on this list. I understand that movies are movies and content in even the best of them is modified for continuity and often to make the characters more "interesting." I thought I'd share my personal favorites below
The three WWII produced films are, like all WWII war films, more or less laced with propaganda so that has to be considered as well. The two post war films do an honest job of trying to show the times but can't help but show just a smidge of later cultural influence. Here we go with my favorites from No. 5 to No. 1:
5. "Air Force" 1943. John Garfield, Gig Young, Harry Carey.
Heavily fictionalized account of the B17 (B17 C) "Mary Ann" from her arrival at Hickam Field, Pearl Harbor on Dec 7 through action in the early part of the Philippines campaign. Well done but the movie, by falsely showing Japanese 5th Column attacks in the Hawaiian Islands justified the internment of Japanese citizens during the war.
4. "They were Expendable" 1944. John Wayne, Robert Montgomery, Donna Reed.
Again, a heavily fictionalized story of US PT boats in the Philippines campaign of 1942. Excellent performances by John Wayne, Robert Montgomery (who actually was a PT boat commander in the Pacific,) and Donna Reed.
3. "Midway" 2019. Ed Skrein, Patrick Williams, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Woody Harrelson.
Excellent character development for a 21st century war movie. The film benefits from a lack of fictitious characters and names are seldom changed to protect the innocent or the guilty. A lot of research including interviews went into the making of the movie, for example Dick Best's daughter, Barbara's, recollection of the attack is captured exactly in the film. I especially enjoyed Woody Harrelson's portrayal of Chester Nimitz. The movie to see if you want to give someone a thumbnail account of the first six months of the war.
2. "30 Seconds over Tokyo." 1944. Van Johnson, Phyllis Thaxter, Spencer Tracy
Excellent and very accurate account of the Doolittle raid on Japan in 1942 adapted from Ted Lawson's book. Excellent character development with superb performances throughout. The combat part is longer than 30 seconds but not by much. The film is mostly concerned with the run up to and training for the raid and the Harrowing escape from China by Lawson and his crew most of whom were seriously wounded. I had to think hard about making this one number 1 or number 2 on my list.
1. (and my personal favorite) "Tora, Tora, Tora. 1970. Martin Balsam, Soh Yamamura, Jason Robards.
Almost documentary style film on the run up to and execution of the Pearl Harbor attack. The cast made up of mostly character actors does a superb job and the special effects which at that time revolved around models were excellent, as were the aircraft which, especially on the Japanese side, were expertly modified to look like the period originals. Extremely well done.
So my friends, what are your favorites??
The three WWII produced films are, like all WWII war films, more or less laced with propaganda so that has to be considered as well. The two post war films do an honest job of trying to show the times but can't help but show just a smidge of later cultural influence. Here we go with my favorites from No. 5 to No. 1:
5. "Air Force" 1943. John Garfield, Gig Young, Harry Carey.
Heavily fictionalized account of the B17 (B17 C) "Mary Ann" from her arrival at Hickam Field, Pearl Harbor on Dec 7 through action in the early part of the Philippines campaign. Well done but the movie, by falsely showing Japanese 5th Column attacks in the Hawaiian Islands justified the internment of Japanese citizens during the war.
4. "They were Expendable" 1944. John Wayne, Robert Montgomery, Donna Reed.
Again, a heavily fictionalized story of US PT boats in the Philippines campaign of 1942. Excellent performances by John Wayne, Robert Montgomery (who actually was a PT boat commander in the Pacific,) and Donna Reed.
3. "Midway" 2019. Ed Skrein, Patrick Williams, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Woody Harrelson.
Excellent character development for a 21st century war movie. The film benefits from a lack of fictitious characters and names are seldom changed to protect the innocent or the guilty. A lot of research including interviews went into the making of the movie, for example Dick Best's daughter, Barbara's, recollection of the attack is captured exactly in the film. I especially enjoyed Woody Harrelson's portrayal of Chester Nimitz. The movie to see if you want to give someone a thumbnail account of the first six months of the war.
2. "30 Seconds over Tokyo." 1944. Van Johnson, Phyllis Thaxter, Spencer Tracy
Excellent and very accurate account of the Doolittle raid on Japan in 1942 adapted from Ted Lawson's book. Excellent character development with superb performances throughout. The combat part is longer than 30 seconds but not by much. The film is mostly concerned with the run up to and training for the raid and the Harrowing escape from China by Lawson and his crew most of whom were seriously wounded. I had to think hard about making this one number 1 or number 2 on my list.
1. (and my personal favorite) "Tora, Tora, Tora. 1970. Martin Balsam, Soh Yamamura, Jason Robards.
Almost documentary style film on the run up to and execution of the Pearl Harbor attack. The cast made up of mostly character actors does a superb job and the special effects which at that time revolved around models were excellent, as were the aircraft which, especially on the Japanese side, were expertly modified to look like the period originals. Extremely well done.
So my friends, what are your favorites??
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