Movie Recommendations?

[Mojave Jack]

With the Thanksgiving break, I've got a little time off from my work and classes on my hands. I thought I'd hit the video store and catch up on a few old aviation movies. Rather than watch Memphis Belle, Twelve O'Clock High, or The War Lover again, I thought a little input from some of you would be helpful. What are your favorite military aviation movies?

 

[MikeyB17]

One of my favourites apart from the ones you already mentioned is 'The Way To the Stars', a much underrated British classic, and showing both the RAF and 8thAF. Several rare aircraft to be seen in it too. I also like 'Stalag 17', not strictly aviation but a great POW film and loads of flight jackets. I recently watched 'Strategic Air Command' again, hate the cheesy bits with Jimmy Stewart and his missus, but the flying scenes with B-36s and B-47s are awesome. Any more? 'Battle of Britain', '633 Squadron', 'Appointment in London'. Don't know how many of these are still available, mind you.

MB17

 

[Patrick]

"Command Decision" with Clark Gable and Van Johnson. Sort of a generic version of 12 o'clock high, but very good and very intense in some scenes. IMHO.

P.

 

[Wild Root]

Here are a few for ya!

30 Seconds over Tokyo.

A Guy Named Joe.

Flying Tigers.

Flying Leathernecks.

Abbot and Costello in ?¢‚Ǩ?ìKeep?¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢em Flying?¢‚Ǩ?

Test Pilot.

Some of the good ones I have seen!

=WR=

 

[MDFrench]

Mosquito Squadron is a good one - great RAF Mosquito stuff (and on DVD to boot). (Not to be mistaken with 633 Squadron, also a good film.)

Another good one, though hard to find, is Fighter Squadron, about P-47 Thunderbolt pilots in Europe. The Tuskegee Airmen is a solid flick, good P-51 footage.

Hmm...Let's see. Other great war films (not limited to aviation, but great) include the original Sahara (with Humphrey Bogart), Objective Burma, The Great Escape, Tora Tora Tora (P-40s and a B-17), Midway, The Longest Day, Battleground, The Story of GI Joe, The Devil's Brigade, Bridges at Toko-Ri, Hell Is For Heroes, Where Eagles Dare, The 49th Parallel, The Purple Plain, Bridge On the River Kwai, and Spitfire: The First of the Few.

Some other good aviation movies include The Spirit of St. Louis, No Highway In the Sky (awesome movie with Jimmy), The Rocketeer, Sky Captain (this is an acquired taste), High Road to China, The Great Waldo Pepper and that's all I can think of on an empty stomach.

Mike

 

[Hemingway Jones]

How about:
"Only Angels Have Wings"
"A Guy Named Joe"
"Band of Brothers" -The episode when they jump at Normandy -Not old, but who cares.
"The Aviator" of course - my recent inspiration. Not really old though.
Original "The Flight of the Pheonix"
"Top Gun" -sorry.

 

[Quigley Brown]

'The Dam Busters' is a good one.

'Bombers B-52' is a campy one.

 

[MDFrench]

The original "The Aviator" is a good flick with Chris Reeve if you want to see some nice Stearman Biplanes.

Mike

 

[Mojave Jack]

Excellent recommendations all! Thanks!

MD, I saw Mosquito Squadron on the shelf at our local video store that--for being as far out in the desert as we are--is darn good. I was considering that one, so I'll put it up higher on the list. Sahara was pretty good, too, and fits in with my favorite genre: any movie about the desert. I really liked Five Graves to Cairo, especially the opening scene with the Lee or the Stuart crossing the desert without anyone at the controls. Very eerie scene.

A Guy Named Joe! That's another one I've been meaning to see! Thanks! I've seen Always, and knew it was a remake, but have never seen the original. There's a good chance that one is at our eclectic little video store, too.

Strategic Air Command is one I could watch over and over, just for the scenes of the B-36. Ever since I became a historian in the Air Force, I've often wondered if I could use my official position to finangle a visit inside the B-36 at Wright-Pat. Just once I'd like to ride that mechanic's cart down the tube between the front and rear sections.

This weekend I decided to go with Hell's Angels, which I found to be much more original that I had anticipated. I was prepared for a sort of campy, good guys always win sort of movie, but was pleasantly surprised to find a fairly gritty war flick with some real intensity at times. I also rented A Bridge Too Far, since I hadn't seen it in probably 20 years. I was hoping for a lot more footage of the gliders in flight and landing, since I just spent that last month or so doing glider research, but only saw a few scenes of Horsas loading, and then on the ground in Holland. Still, an excellent flick.

Thanks for the input, folks!

 

[Dismuke]

I am not really into aviation movies - but there is one that I have seen that is excellent. Wings from 1927.

 

[ShanghaiJack]

My Movie Picks

"Dark Blue World"
"30 Seconds Over Tokyo"
"The Battle of Britain"
"Everytime We Say Goodbye" is one to watch w/ your Lady.

SJ

 

[clsecmbt]

what?

No tora! tora! tora!?

 

[MDFrench]

Read my posts more carefully - I mentioned Tora Tora Tora.:cheers1:

Mike

 

[Biggles]

Of the classics(not all aviation), I'd go for...
The Cruel Sea
Sands of Iwo Jima
They were Expendable
Carve Her Name with Pride
Went The Day Well?
Angels one-five
OSS
Ice Cold in Alex
Flying Leathernecks
Sink The Bismarck
San Demetrio London
Of the more Recent...
Battle of Midway
Enemy At The Gates
The Eagle Has Landed
List could go on for ever of course.......