War movies you seldom if ever see on TV

[L. Kafka]

The Jack Palance, Jeff Chandler WWII story "Ten Seconds To Hell" comes to mind here. Former German soldiers are give the task of disarming bombs in postwar Germany. Saw it maybe 30 years ago but not since.

"The Hunters" was a entertaining movie about USAF Sabre jet pilots in the Korean War. Robert Mitchum and Robert Wagner star. Found it recently on DVD. Haven't seen it on TV since the 1960s. I give it a B minus.

Never saw "The Sinking of the Graf Spee" (title?) starring Peter Finch until recently. No classic, but entertaining.

One of the better POW movies out there that doesn't get TV play is "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence'.

I've been told the ownership of rights to movies and deciding where it gets played and for how much is a major reason some movies are seldom seen on TV.

I'm guessing there must be many Russian and Eastern European produced war movies out there that are never shown in North America.

Sometime ago I rented a video titled "The Bridge", a story about German school kids in WWII. It is rated as one of the best ever war movies, but I wasn't captivated by it nor entertained.

I'm still trying to locate a video of "Dien Bien Phu" that came out about 10 years ago. No luck.

Meanwhile, the History Channel is rolling the hell out of "Midway" on Saturday evenings.

[Uli]

I can't recall seeing that Jeff Chandler film, though I well recall the Robert Mitchum movie "The Hunters"--and it's a good one. Saw it just last year on Robert Osborn's Turner Movie Classics Channel.

Here's one I doubt anyone will remember, if indeed anyone has ever seen it:

Many years ago, I watched with my parents a black-and-white film detailing the Soviet entry into Berlin. For the life of me, I'd love to find this film and buy it, except that I can't recall just who played in it, nor its title. In fact, I recall only brief excerpts from it:

In one scene, a woman living with her uncle foolishly ventures into Berlin's rubble-strewn streets only to come face-to-face with a massive T-34 monster. In another scene, the woman is in her uncle's home just after an encroaching Russian assault patrol has shot the man dead. Terror-stricken, the woman flees upstairs, and is pursued by a drunken, overweight, and particularly beastly-looking Soviet NCO. As she edges out onto the apartment's rooftop, and balances precariously on worn rain guttering, the soldier follows, beckons to her laughingly, drunkenly, sinisterly, and then suddenly stumbles, catches hold of the guttering for a brief terrifying moment, and plunges to his death in the cobblestoned pavement far below. Incredibly, the Soviets arrest the woman and place her in jail for the 'murder' of the potential rapist.

To be entirely honest, I haven't seen the film since around 1960. As I recall, it was a popular movie in it's day, and yet I absolutely cannot remember it's title, nor those who starred in it.

Any help is greatly appreciated, though I'll imagine it's doubtful anyone--outside me--has seen it.

[Vagandubo]

Sometime ago I rented a video titled "The Bridge", a story about German school kids in WWII. It is rated as one of the best ever war movies, but I wasn't captivated by it nor entertained.

Kafka,
this movie is rated one of the best ANTI-war movies in Germany.
These school kids are member of the Hitler-Jugend (Hitler-Youth) and are part of the Volkssturm in 1945.
They are orderd to stop a british tank advance with some Panzerfaust 30.

[Rolf Steiner]

they had a brief season of russian war flicks at the ica theatre in london last year - stupidly i missed them all, partly due to work, but one called 'the star' is supposed to be particularly good.

has anyone else seen Cross Of Iron's ludicrous sequel? Richard Burton as Steiner. Not the best choice he made in his career!

[Herr Doktor]

Greetings,

Sorry I can't help with what's already been asked here, but I do have a question of my own.

Back during the 1970's, I recall seeing what I believe was an Italian made movie on TV in the States (dubbed into English), about a civil uprising against German occupying forces in Naples, as the Allies were approaching. The plot followed several civilians around town as they participated in fighting against the Germans in street battles, one I remember in particular was a little Italian boy wearing a Stalhelm and toting an MP-40 that he had hesitantly picked-up from a dead soldier. Some older kids came along and took the MP-40 away for themselves.

I have not seen this movie anywhere since. If this sounds familiar to anyone or you know the title, I would be interested in learning it.

Thanks and keep those questions coming, maybe there will be something I can answer!

HD

[Pirx]

I'm guessing there must be many Russian and Eastern European produced war movies out there that are never shown in North America.

Most of them is awful. Typical propaganda or fiction. I saw many "Tigers" on september campaign 1939, Stalin in frontline (always clear sky above him), or private Ivanov with last handgranade against dozens Germans (of course before he died, he kill all of them).
Don't think that this movies are like "A bridge too far" or "Patton". Generally they are much much much worse.
If I may recommend something from Poland it could be "Westerplatte". That is pure chronicle of first encounter of WWII.

[SvenW]

What's about tv-shows/series?

I like "Czterej pancerni i pies" or in German "Vier Panzersoldaten und ein Hund", shown in the early '70s in the GDR-tv.

Sven.

[Pirx]

Oh yes!
"Vier Panzersoldaten und ein Hund"!
That sounds great. This is as realistic movie as "Winetou" shows real wild west, or Indiana Jones shows how archeologist works. Anyway it's good adventure TV series, with great actors.
Funny but in this movie Germans had always clean uniforms, their are happy, they have a lot of food.

[awaygood]

The film about the chasing of the Graf Spee was called, 'The Battle of the River Plate'.

[Domen123]

The battle of Westerplatte (4:45 1st of September 1939 - 10:35 7th of September 1939). Westerplatte was ordered and supposed to hold on for 12 hours. It was fighting for the whole week:

"Westerplatte" - Polish war movie (91 minutes) + English subtitles:

Part 1:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=dFLB9j5LGVo

Part 2:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=lcCz-NQ5zdU

Part 3:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=mz6iysn6Gpg

Part 4:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=X43-iZ2cNT0

Part 5:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=yqjAu5wj1Nk

Part 6:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-9wL3As0w

Part 7:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=LnxYLo3ao9w

Part 8:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=d2IFH4bdH3M

Part 9:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=3Lb4goWnzIA

Part 10:

http://pl.youtube.com/watch?v=T0PbHVJrh6E

[Me-109 Jagdfleiger]

All quiet on the Western Front dosent seem to be on hardly ever...seen it once on a late night movie channel, and had to buy the DVD to see the begining, For being a anti-war movie it is pretty good.. Other than that how about Das Boot, I dont think I have ever seen that on American Movie channels, maybe because its a german language film? However I will give the Independent film channel some leway, they seem to play several foreign movies and it was on that channel i first saw "Der Untergang" AKA. Downfall here in the states.. a movie which i highly recomend for those who havent seen it, Just my two cents..Or Euros depending on where you live
Jonathan

[David N]

"Ten Seconds To Hell" was on Turner Classic Movies several months ago, the only time I have ever seen it. TCM was showing Jack Palance films that day. I'll try to post the news if this film is shown on TCM again.