re: TCM Memorial Day Marathon (War Movies) May 25-28

Monday movies:


5:45 AM Battleground (1949)
Synopsis: American soldiers in France fight to survive a Nazi siege just before the Battle of the Bulge.
Dir: William Wellman Cast: Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, Marshall Thompson, Denise Darcel, Don Taylor, Richard Jaeckel, James Whitmore, James Arness, Scotty Beckett.
LEONARD MALTIN REVIEW: Star-studded replay of Battle of the Bulge: division of American troops, their problems and reactions to war. Robert Pirosh's slick script, which was awarded an Oscar, lacks genuine insight into the characters; Paul C. Vogel also earned a statuette for his cinematography.


8:00 AM Red Badge Of Courage, The (1951)
Synopsis: A young Union soldier fights to atone for a moment of cowardice during the Civil War.
Dir: John Huston Cast: Audie Murphy, Bill Mauldin, Douglas Dick, Royal Dano, John Dierkes, Arthur Hunnicutt, Tim Durant, Andy Devine; narrated by James Whitmore.


9:15 AM Friendly Persuasion (1956)
Synopsis: A peaceful Quaker family's sanctity is tested during the Civil War.
Dir: William Wyler Cast: Gary Cooper , Dorothy McGuire , Marjorie Main .
For two years the Civil War has been elsewhere. Now Confederate forces are nearby, looting and burning. It is time to fight back, Jess Birdwell's neighbors insist. Yet Birdwell, a Quaker, knows there must be a better way to settle things.In a roleideally suiting his stalwart persona, Gary Cooper plays Jess in William Wyler's beloved film of Jessamyn West's novel that earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. Dorothy McGuire (the National Board of Review choice as Best Actress), Anthony Perkins and a superior cast get to the heart of family, faith and pacifism put to the test.


11:45 AM Men In War (1957)
Synopsis: Two enemies join forces to save their men during a retreat from the North Koreans.
Dir: Anthony Mann Cast: Robert Ryan , Aldo Ray , Robert Keith .
Director Anthony Mann (The Naked Spur) was best known for his intelligent westerns and hard-boiled film noirs. Men in War is an unflinching and intense look at the realities of combat set against the backdrop of the Korean War. Lieutenant Benson (Robert Ryan, Beware My Lovely) and Sergeant Montana (Aldo Ray, God's Little Acre) are two soldiers trying to deal with the shock and devastation War. Montana has been ordered to escort a colonel (Robert Keith, Young at Heart) suffering from extreme battle fatigue to a field hospital for treatment. Benson's loyalty lies with his platoon and his mission to overtake a hill occupied by the enemy. Beautifully shot in black-and-white by the great Ernest Haller (Gone with the Wind) with a rousing score by renowned Elmer Bernstein (Cape Fear). The great supporting cast includes Phillip Pine, Nehemiah Persoff, Vic Morrow, James Edwards and L.Q. Jones. Anthony Mann was nominated for a 1958 DGA Best Director award.


1:45 PM Pride of the Marines (1945)
Synopsis: A blinded Marine tries to adjust to civilian life.
Dir: Delmer Daves Cast: John Garfield , Eleanor Parker , Dane Clark .
Powerful drama stars John Garfield as a heroic Marine who is blinded in battle during World War II. Returning home for rehabilitation, he struggles to adjust to living without sight while questioning if fiancee Eleanor Parker still wants to marry him. Will Garfield manage to overcome the obstacles facing him? Dane Clark, John Ridgely co-star.


4:00 PM Best Years Of Our Lives, The (1946)
Synopsis: Three returning servicemen fight to adjust to life after World War II.
Dir: William Wyler Cast: Myrna Loy, Fredric March, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, Harold Russell, Hoagy Carmichael, Gladys George, Roman Bohnen, Steve Cochran.
LEONARD MALTIN REVIEW: American classic of three veterans returning home after WW2, readjusting to civilian life. Robert Sherwood's script from MacKinlay Kantor's book perfectly captured mood of postwar U.S.; still powerful today. Seven Oscars include Best Picture, Wyler, March, Russell, Sherwood, Daniel Mandell's editing, Hugo Friedhofer's score. Russell, an actual veteran who lost his hands, also took home a second Oscar, a special award for bringing hope and courage to other veterans.


7:00 PM The Great Escape (1963)
Synopsis: Thrown together by the Germans, a group of captive Allied troublemakers plot a daring escape.
Dir: John Sturges Cast: Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, Charles Bronson, James Coburn. Elmer Bernstein score.


10:00 PM Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
Synopsis: The Japanese Army forces World War II POWs to build a strategic bridge in Burma.
Dir: David Lean Cast: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Sessue Hayakawa, Geoffrey Horne, James Donald, Andre Morell, Ann Sears.
LEONARD MALTIN REVIEW: British soldiers in Japanese prison camp build a bridge as a morale exercise--under single-minded leadership of British colonel Guinness--as Holden and Hawkins plot to destroy it. Psychological battle of wills combined with high-powered action sequences make this a blockbuster. Seven Oscars include Picture, Director, Actor (Guinness), Cinematography (Jack Hildyard), Editing (Peter Taylor), Scoring (Malcolm Arnold--who used the famous WWI whistling tune "Colonel Bogey March"), and Screenplay (by Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson, based on Pierre Boulle's novel). The writers were blacklisted, so Boulle--who spoke no English--was credited with the script! Filmed in Ceylon. CinemaScope.


1:00 AM Breakthrough (1950)
Synopsis: An American infantry unit moves from basic training to combat in Europe.
Dir: Lewis Seiler Cast: David Brian , John Agar , Frank Lovejoy .


2:45 AM The Naked and the Dead (1958)
Synopsis: A green lieutenant comes up against incompetent officers and a sadistic sergeant during World War II.
Dir: Raoul Walsh Cast: Aldo Ray , Cliff Robertson , Raymond Massey .