Consequently, he was able to invest the action with a scale, immediacy and realism that continued to influence the way in which naval combat pictures were made during and beyond the Second World War. Based on Patrick O'Brian's renowned seafaring adventure novels, Peter Weir's Master delivers an intimate, seemingly accurate portrayal of rugged life on the high seas, limited in creature comforts but rich in camaraderie. ©2021 British Film Institute. The docu-dramatic style pioneered by Walter Summers in his silent trilogy became a key facet of British films during the Second World War. Best Naval War Films 53 titles 1. As in all his 12 films with Michael Curtiz, Errol Flynn epitomises swashbuckling bravado as the patriotic privateer seeking to confound the Spanish Armada. Mister Roberts (1955) - Adapted from Joshua Logan's Broadway hit, this service drama tells of Lt. Doug Roberts (Henry Fonda), an officer on a WWII cargo ship, desperate to see action, who instead has to cope with irascible, by-the-book Captain Morton (James Cagney). Subscribe now for exclusive offers and the best of cinema. World War 1 - Documentaries & Films, 1914 to 2008. Master and Commander (2001) - During the Napoleonic Wars in the early nineteenth century, Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) commands the British frigate, HMS Surprise. Part of HuffPost Entertainment. Complete with a new score performed by the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands completes Summers’ British Instructional Films trilogy, which had started with the Western Front reconstructions, Ypres (1925) and Mons (1926). Major naval battles were anticipated in the Mediterranean both at the beginning of the war and in the final months of the war. This Detail is definitely worth enlisting for. Convinced that monochrome did insufficient justice to the visual and dramatic spectacle of the war in the North Atlantic, the Ministry of Information ordered the Crown Film Unit to use Technicolor for this study of the bond between those sailing under the white and red ensigns. And Laughton is truly brilliant in the most unsympathetic of roles. The Liverpudlian director had seen action as a sergeant in the trenches, with the second of his three decorations for bravery inspiring the epochal play, Journey’s End, which was written by 9th East Surreys comrade, R.C. This German propaganda movie was part of a U.S. Navy archive compiled during WWII, and acquired by Periscope Film. But never mind -- this is still grand, sweeping entertainment, suitable for the whole family. https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/6-best-navy-films But just like the movie, this WWII battle was overshadowed by the start of the Battle of the Bulge which happened a few days later. A Ticklish Affair (1963) Finale features a rescue from an aerial ladder into a U.S. Navy blimp gondola Battleships, submarines and sea warfare are the co-ordinates of this week’s list, in celebration of the London Film Festival Archive Gala screening and nationwide rerelease of one of the great, forgotten British war films. The Japanese Infantry could also bring on the shores 142 artillery pieces, not counting the guns of their ships, 4 battleships, 2 battlecruisers and 1 destroyer, representing a large section of the Imperial Navy. In Which We Serve (1942) - With Britain in the pit of the Second War, playwright Noel Coward was desperate to develop a morale-boosting film, and this was the inspired result. Skipper John Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and his right hand man, Rusty Ryan (John Wayne), have difficulty convincing the navy brass of the PT boats' value to the war effort. Mental incapacity was a recurring theme in 1950s American naval films, with Humphrey Bogart’s Captain Queeg in Edward Dmytryk’s The Caine Mutiny (1954) and James Cagney’s Captain Morton in John Ford and Mervyn LeRoy’s Mister Roberts (1955) each losing the respect of restless crews eager to do their bit. Once on terra firma, Queeg ensures the men get court-martialed for mutiny, and as the trial progresses, the sad truth is gradually revealed. Sign up for membership to become a founding member and help shape HuffPost's next chapter. Crowe makes an assured, compassionate hero, and his friendship with ship doctor and scientist Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany), who'd like Aubrey to slow down so he can collect samples of unknown species, provides some interesting character by-play between the full-bore battle sequences. Damn the Defiant (1962) - Lewis Gilbert's overlooked British entry fires on all cylinders. Military history films that commemorate Canada’s participation in the wars of the last 6 centuries. Dive! Several of Patrick O’Brian’s 20 Aubrey-Maturin novels were plundered for Peter Weir’s historical epic, which could stand as the dictionary definition of the phrase ‘rattling good yarn’. There are two versions each of the theatrical release and the TV mini-series. The joys of archival discovery: The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands. With the peerless Connery joined by Baldwin, Scott Glenn, James Earl Jones, and Sam Neill (particularly good here as Ramius's loyal second-in-command), and directed by John McTiernan (fresh off his classic actioner Die Hard), Red October delivers high-octane, high testosterone adventure, packed with stars we know and love. (Photo by Touchstone) All World War I Movies Ranked By Tomatometer. David Parkinson Updated: 10 August 2018, The Battles of Coronel and Falkland Islands (1927). When Bligh's cruelty towards his crew goes beyond reasonable limits, second-in-command Fletcher Christian (Clark Gable) faces the fateful decision of whether to seize control of the ship. But, once the first planes fly unopposed over Hawaii, the speed, scale and precision of the attack is brilliantly recreated, with chilling details like the American sailors jumping into burning oil on the ocean surface bringing home the grim savagery of war. https://www.timeout.com/newyork/movies/best-war-movies-of-all-time The Caine Mutiny (1954) - Based on Herman Wouk's sprawling novel, this film centers on the neurotic, inflexible Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), a career naval officer whose men relieve him of command when Queeg supposedly falters in guiding his ship through a perilous typhoon. But are they really doing it for Meadows, or to ward off their own feelings of imprisonment? You can practically smell the salt air and taste the rum. DECEMBER. Works of naval history. ... 2006 - World War 1: American Legacy - stories of American men and women who served. As period war movies go, you'll find this Defiant ship-shape indeed. But its star was the Coreopsis, the sole surviving wartime corvette, which the producers purchased from the Maltese navy. Elting E. Morrison, Admiral Sims and the Modern American Navy, (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1942). One of … Naval … Jim Bledsoe and Clark Gable as martinet Commander P.J. Directed by: Don Taylor Reluctant, but thankfully Ensign Pulver (Jack Lemmon) -- "in charge of laundry and morale" -- is on board to provide him and the crew with much-needed laughs and sympathy. Exploring the psychological pressure involved in making decisions that would affect the lives of crewmates and countless faceless strangers, Eric Ambler’s screenplay places more emphasis on the human than the heroic. Statistical Tables Relating to the War (included in the Royal Navy Estimates 1919-20) THOSE WHO SERVED Montgomery (father of Elizabeth from TV's Bewitched, and an actual decorated PT boat captain during the conflict) is superb as the embattled but stoic Brickley, and the Duke is also in fine form as Ryan. Also notable as Powell's last screen appearance. Films about naval warfare. Throughout history, sea power has shaped the power of nations in wartime and in peace, with the Royal Navy's critical role in building the British Empire an obvious example. Supply convoys were the lifeline that enabled Britain to stand alone against the Third Reich for over a year. They must work to prove it, and do. Buy, Sell, and Trade your Firearms and Gear. The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) and later the US Naval Air Service provided cover, spotting submerged U-Boats and thereby deterring them from surfacing and accurately targeting the convoy. An airfield adjacent to the seaplane base was opened in 1915 and, the following year, an airfield was opened at Manston – just three miles behind Margate. His crew is also tops, with young star-to-be John Garfield a standout as a female-crazed sailor aptly dubbed "Wolf." Half a century after Gustav Ucicky revealed the vulnerability of submariners in the Nazi-approved Morgenrot (1933), Wolfgang Petersen reminded German audiences of the perils faced by U-boat crews in his epic adaptation of war correspondent Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s 1973 mémoire à clef. The first and best of the Tom Clancy film adaptations, Hunt is a sharp, nerve-jangling doomsday thriller. The Caine Mutiny (1954) - Based on Herman Wouk's sprawling novel, this film centers on the neurotic, inflexible Captain Queeg (Humphrey Bogart), a career naval officer whose men relieve him of command when Queeg supposedly falters in guiding his ship through a perilous typhoon. However, with so many European émigrés in key positions within the studio system, a steady stream of pictures emerged boosting the Allied cause and few would have missed the parallels between Hitler and Philip II of Spain in this rousing adventure inspired by the career of Sir Francis Drake. The Hunt for Red October (1990) - When a Russian nuclear sub goes off its intended course and heads directly for the United States, CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) must decipher whether its crew's intention is to attack America or stage a mass defection. Horatio Hornblower: The Wrong War (1999). Discover the best World War I movies, like They Shall Not Grow Old, War Horse, Gallipoli, Lawrence of Arabia, Paths of Glory and more! News, features and opinion on the world of film. Any additional suggestions are welcome, however. Directors: Richard Fleischer, Kinji Fukasaku, Toshio Masuda | Stars: Martin Balsam, Sô Yamamura, Jason Robards, Joseph Cotten. TASK FORCE (1949)—The history of naval aviation is embodied here in the reminiscences of a fictional admiral played by Gary Cooper. (Cassidy's tender thoughts of his wife and son as he heads his sub towards Japan served then as a potent reminder of what we were fighting for -- always a good question to ask during wartime). This is a list of movies, grouped by the era in which they were made, in which a submarine plays a significant role in the storyline. The battle sequences are designed to thrill rather than capture the realities of 16th-century naval skirmishes. Edward L. Beach loathed this adaptation of his book, which eventually sees disapproving number two Burt Lancaster take up Gable’s cause after he is wounded. Narrator: In the summer of 1917, at docks up and down the eastern seaboard, thousands of American soldiers boarded ships bound for France. The emphasis for much of the picture is placed on strategic planning, duplicitous diplomacy, flawed intelligence and missed messages. Director John Ford delivers a powerful human tale of faith and hope sustained during the darkest days of the war for the Allies. The story of lifeboat survivors who decide to rescue the oil tanker they had abandoned following a U-boat attack sounds like Boy’s Own derring-do. Many of these are set in World War I, World War II, or the Cold War; others depict relatively "authentic" terrorist scenarios. https://www.timeout.com/london/film/50-best-world-war-ii-movies Eventually, these nimble craft will play a vital role in turning the tide in the Pacific, allowing General MacArthur to fulfill his famous promise to return there in glory. The story of the 1941 Japanese air raid on Pearl Harbor, and the series of preceding American blunders that aggravated its effectiveness. The naval battles are an action fan's wet dream. The Best Against The Best (2020) Starring: Release: December 25 “The Best Against The Best” is the intense retelling of a major historical war story on a major battle called The Battle of Chosin Reservoir occurred in the severe cold winter of 1950 during Korea war between Chinese People’s Volunteer Army and US lead United Nations army from 17 countries. They did not occur. From 1910 to 2010, some 150 fictional films about submarines have been made. Produced by Lancaster's own production company, Run remains not only a riveting war film, but one of mega-star Gable's last shining moments. This gritty, wildly profane movie is equal parts funny and tragic, a tricky balance director Ashby sustains throughout. Switching the action from the 1812 Anglo-American contretemps to the Napoleonic wars in the year of Trafalgar, Weir plays down the period’s political complexities. This hefty book (almost 550 pages) is a biography of ADM William S. Sims (1858-1936), a Navy reformer and Commander of the U.S. Producer Elmo Williams liked to joke that this $22m recreation of the Japanese assault on Pearl Harbor cost more than the real thing. Edward Dmytryk's stunning production remains one of our best war films -- and (incidentally) courtroom dramas. Jürgen Prochnow excels as Captain Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock (who served as a consultant), while Rolf Zehetbauer’s production design, Jost Vacano’s handheld photography and Mike Le Mare’s immersive sound work (which received two of the film’s six Oscar nominations) expertly convey the cramped conditions and their psychological ramifications on the largely inexperienced recruits. Taking pity on the naïve, benumbed young man, the two older men resolve to show Meadows a wild time en-route, to make his upcoming incarceration more bearable. Looking for some good naval warfare movies. Interesting to watch . The denouement is worth waiting for, with stunning color footage recreating these beautiful ships in full battle mode. Peppered with nautical jargon and played with gritty naturalism, this deserves to be much better known. Movie begins and ends with multiple blimps flying on an ad campaign over New York and London Stars: Edward G. Robinson, Nigel Bruce, Ralph Richardson. Donald Sinden, Virginia McKenna and Denholm Elliott were among the newcomers to find fame through the film. But the anachronisms are as much part of the pleasure of this celebration of subversive heroism as Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s sublime score, Byron Haskin’s creaky special effects and Flora Robson’s “ruthless ambition” speech as Queen Elizabeth, which was supposedly admired by Winston Churchill. - a Maritime War, major naval battles were anticipated in the final months of Japanese. 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