The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

In my movie viewing that covers many of the war films of the twentieth century I've often noted that the Korean War (1950 -53) is the least represented among movies showing the combat that occurred there with only a handful I've seen - Pork Chop Hill, Fixed Bayonets, and The Bridges at Toko-Ri showing actual contact between combatants as to opposed by the hundreds that show similar action in WWII.  There are a few others but these are some of the most accessible Hollywood movies at present, all available on DVD.

The Bridges at Toko-Ri stars William Holden as an American naval aviator stationed aboard the aircraft carrier Savo Island in 1952, actually the USS Oriskany CV-34.  I was surprised at the upgrade in equipment, particularly the jet fighter planes (Grumman F9F Panthers) launched from the catapults on the flat top so soon after the multitudes of propeller driven fighters had been retired from WWII duty less than a decade prior.  It is interesting to note that full support was given to the filmmakers and the equipment and flying sequences are state of the art with actual naval flyers including a rumored future astronaut Alan B Sheppard doing the flying except for close-ups.

The movie was based on a popular novel by James Michener who had written the story from his experiences on the carrier USS Essex and had met Neil Armstrong, an actual member of the flying squadron depicted in the movie.  There is no indication that future astronaut Armstrong was a character in the story, however.

The titular bridges are four bridges over very rough mountain terrain that allows supplies to move from the North down to the attacking forces in southern Korea.  The mission is to destroy those bridges and thus interdict the flow of supplies to the Communist forces.

William Holden stars as a re-activated WWII aviator (Lt Brubaker) who has been uprooted from his civilian law practice in Denver and his beautiful wife (Grace Kelly) and 2.5 children. Why me? is his question.  The movie uses this unpopular war to hold forth on some views that although sounding a little trite bring out the ironies front and center: It's always the wrong war in the wrong place and we fight it because we are here - The admiral (Fredric March) is usually the spokesman for the film's viewpoint and William Holden, bad boy that he was, grudgingly goes along with the program acting with heroism above and beyond the call of duty.

Although Grace Kelly only provides window dressing and a minor whiff of femininity the rest of the cast is testosterone-laced with Charles McGraw, Mickey Rooney, Earl Holliman, and Fredric March playing the major support for William Holden who does a good job as he usually does with his reluctant hero bit.

William Holden's Brubaker is a young pilot whom the admiral secretly admires like a son as his own son was a pilot killed in WWII. We follow Holden with his carrier-based mission and see him fished out of the drink as his Grumman F9F augers into the waves, out of fuel after a mission. Mickey Rooney is the leprechaun-like helicopter pilot (complete with green top hat and scarf) who fishes Holden out of the drink with the aid of his crew chief Earl Holliman.  Gruff voiced Charles McGraw (The Narrow Margin) is the commander of the air squadron of 12 planes that Holden is a member of. We see the male bonding between these characters that will cause them to go far out on a limb for each other, much farther than protected people ever know - the things that provide the soil where heroism grows.

So Holden gets a three day pass in Japan with Grace Kelly and the kids and then it's back to the ship and the mission that is hanging over all their heads - those freakin bridges!  I won't tell you the ending but realize it is a down ending and you are left with new admiration for our fighting men as depicted here.

The flying sequences are top notch and made with full cooperation of the Navy so great footage will appeal to aviation buffs as well as movie fans and history buffs. The old flat top carriers with the straight landing deck are fully depicted as opposed to the newer ones with the angled flight deck.  There are lots of good things to note about this Technicolor production.

The Paramount DVD is presented in 4x3 full-screen format, as shown in theaters in 1954. The TechniColor imagery looks brand new and will be a big hit with folks who like antiques like all the equipment is here shown up close and personal.  There are no extra features other than the trailer, subtitles, and a couple of language choices.

At the end the admiral asks himself "Where do we get such men?" as if on behalf of the audience who are probably wondering the same thing.  Highly recommended.

Also about the Korean War

Pork Chop Hill

Fixed Bayonets

Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Good for a Rainy Day