Best War Movie from 1960s

[Old_Cop]

My first thought was "The Longest Day" and I'm sticking with it.

 

[Rule3]

The Bridge on the River Kwai is pretty good. Oops! Just looked it up. 1957. Withdrawn.

Close enough. Great movie!

 

[lkabug]

The Dirty Dozen was very entertaining.

 

[kmyers]

Three favorites from me:

The Sand Pebbles
The Great Escape
The Devil's Brigade

 

[Absalom]

I think that the Battle of the Bulge was one of the worst. especially the tank battle at the end. there isn't any sage brush in Belgium an Luxembourg for one thing

The movie had a great cast and told a good story, although that was a highly fictionalized and incomplete version of actual events. Ike himself was ticked off enough that he held a press conference denouncing the movie.

But being somewhat familiar with the actual terrain of the Ardennes, dark, steep, densely grown forest mostly, I also found the bright sunny plains of Spain, where this was filmed, totally off-putting. The nice weather of the movie was the worst part. A main reason that the Germans were so successful initially was the dreadful snowy winter weather that hampered Allied air power.

PS: Typical scene of what the Ardennes are NOT ...

And for real:

 

[WR Moore]

About the only one of those mentioned that I saw was "Zulu". Great movie, have always wondered if Michael Caine's character was overplayed as a supercilious ah, donkey.

Did read the book on The Devils Brigade. They listed the names of those brigade members they interviewed for information. I recognized an unusual name on the list. A brief question after class confirmed my Ethics and Logic professor had been a member, a chaplain. Apparently his calling didn't interfere with being qualified with all small arms.

The Reverend Doctor did tell some interesting stories in class, but never mentioned the 1st Special Service Force. One that stuck in my mind was a claim that he was the only person in the Anzio beach head that slept dry. He found an Etruscan tomb to bunk in.

 

[Dingotech]

The Sand Pebbles wasn't a war movie. The setting was a USN gunboat on the so-called Yangzee (sp?) patrol.

I love Kelly's Heros, but I see it as a bank heist movie in a war setting. More fun that way!

 

[culito]

Band of Brothers
Fury
Lone Survivor

 

[VaTom]

Does anyone remember "633 Squadron" ? In addition to those mentioned above, this was a great movie.

 

[rwsmith]

The bamboo boom..

The Sand Pebbles wasn't a war movie. The setting was a USN gunboat on the so-called Yangzee (sp?) patrol.

I love Kelly's Heros, but I see it as a bank heist movie in a war setting. More fun that way!

I'd say that the bamboo boom across river qualifies as a battle scene even if it wasn't a 'declared war'.

 

[rwsmith]

I know that...

About the only one of those mentioned that I saw was "Zulu". Great movie, have always wondered if Michael Caine's character was overplayed as a supercilious ah, donkey.

Did read the book on The Devils Brigade. They listed the names of those brigade members they interviewed for information. I recognized an unusual name on the list. A brief question after class confirmed my Ethics and Logic professor had been a member, a chaplain. Apparently his calling didn't interfere with being qualified with all small arms.

I know that supercilious donkeys certain existed in the British army as well as others.

 

[rockquarry]

Does anyone remember "633 Squadron" ? In addition to those mentioned above, this was a great movie.

I saw that film a couple of years ago; had never heard of it previously. While I didn't think it was really outstanding in any way, I found it a surprisingly good movie and certainly worth watching. They used real Mosquito aircraft, not graphic facsimiles or other airplanes altered to resemble Mosquitos.

 

[bigwheelzip]

You guys got all the classic choices of the 1960's covered. Watched pretty much all of the ones mentioned multiple times over the years.
The one that's a bit different that I'd nominate for the list is "Dr. Strangelove".

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[tlawler]

The Sand Pebbles wasn't a war movie. The setting was a USN gunboat on the so-called Yangzee (sp?) patrol.

Definitely gets an honorable mention in my book. It's one of my favorite movies.
I would nominate The Longest Day for the best, though.
Other honorable mentions would be The Great Escape, Fail Safe, The Devil's Brigade.
Anybody remember seeing Von Ryan's Express with Frank Sinatra?
Kind of a hokey movie, but I enjoyed it.

 

[Chino74]

Well if we are counting Mercenary action & Africa I'll offer 'Dark of the Sun' From the novel of the same name by Wilbur Smith...it's brutal & action packed & pulls no punches.

Now if it is conventional WW action then there is only one choice for me. 'The Dirty Dozen'.

 

[since 61]

I know "A bridge too far" was later than the 60's but the movie was good except the ending. I was shocked at the way it ended. I'm sure it
was historical correct but man that was bad.

 

[Dingotech]

Just remembered Bridge at Remagen. I liked it as a kid.

Another memorable WWII-set flick made in the 60s was Once Before I Die. It was a weird movie set in the Phillipines during the Jap invasion in 41. The ending battle was tres bizarre. But I was young, and watching Ursula Andress prance around the jungle made up for the rather ridiculous plot.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I think that the Battle of the Bulge was one of the worst. especially the tank battle at the end. there isn't any sage brush in Belgium an Luxembourg for one thing

Lets not worry too much about authenticity, the Battle of the Bulge did a good job generically representing the winter battle story, for the time, filmed in arid Spain. It is always enjoyable watching Henry Fonda.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

A favorite of mine is a 1964 Italian-Soviet production called "Italiani Brava Gente", released in English as "Attack and Retreat" About the ill fated Italian 8th Army on the Eastern Front. Very careful attention details of uniforms and equipment, very hard hitting and unsentimental.

 

[Baggy Wrinkle]

My first thought was "The Longest Day" and I'm sticking with it.

My Father-in-law was a member of this unit, the First Special Service Force, from its formation in early 1942 at Ft Harrison, MT until it was disbanded in December 1944 in southern France. He was a physician assigned to this front line commando unit. He was in the trenches, fox holes and landing craft with the troops treating their wounds and illnesses. For the assault on Monte la Defensa, seen at the end of the movie, he climbed up the mountain side in the dark with the troops while carrying medical supplies instead of rifle and ammo.