Released in 1951, “The Desert Fox” stars James Mason in the title role of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. While he fought on the side of Nazi Germany against the British and Americans, Hollywood chose to tell his story only six years after the war ended. Rommel served in the German Army during WW I, winning Germany’s highest award for bravery. […]
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U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was the only enlisted man in World War II to receive the nation’s two highest awards for valor. Credited with almost single-handedly saving the Allied assault on Guadalcanal, he earned the Medal of Honor for his heroics on the island, and he perished while earning the Navy Cross and Purple Heart for his […]
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Based on the James Michener novel and released in 1957, this critically acclaimed romantic drama won four Academy Awards, including best supporting actor (Red Buttons) and best supporting actress (Miyoshi Umeki). With an all-star cast including Marlon Brando (nominated for best actor) and James Garner, the movie is set in 1951 Japan. It deals with American servicemen forming relationships with […]
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The 2008 feature “American Son” stars Nick Cannon as Mike, a 19-year-old who joins the Marines to escape a life of dilapidated bungalows, broken cars, dysfunctional families, a drug-addicted older brother and a group of friends who are going nowhere. With his training completed and his unit set to deploy to Iraq, he is given 96 hours to return home […]
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A few weeks ago, Steve Corbo reviewed the movie “Gardens of Stone,” Francis Ford Coppola’s somber exploration of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment known as The Old Guard, which stands watch over Arlington National Cemetery. We were delighted to learn that Retired U.S. Army Colonel Dan Baggio was a 1st Lieutenant and the Executive Officer of Charlie Company (Company C) […]
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Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this seldom seen 1987 release stars James Earl Jones, James Caan, Anjelica Huston, D.B. Sweeney, Dean Stockwell, Mary Stuart Masterson and Laurence Fishburne. Despite its all-star cast, the film was released on a limited basis and received mixed reviews, though it earned the admiration of Chicago’s very own Roger Ebert for its unflinching look at […]
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Based on a John Steinbeck story and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, this 1944 drama was nominated for three Academy Awards. It centers on the occupants of a lifeboat, all of whom survived a German U-boat attack on a passenger ship in which both vessels were destroyed. The film stars Hollywood legend Tallulah Bankhead as Connie Porter, a wealthy journalist, and […]
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Based on actual events, this 1956 spy thriller stars Clifton Webb as Lt. Commander Ewen Montagu, author of the book by the same name. It’s 1943 and the Allies are about to invade Sicily. British Intelligence develops an ingenious plot to fool the Germans into thinking the invasion will take place elsewhere. Using a recently deceased corpse, they create a man who never existed, with […]
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Based on a book by the same title, this 1944 film follows the unprecedented 1942 bombing of the capital of Japan during WW II. It stars Van Johnson as Lt. Ted Lawson, author of the book and a pilot on the mission, and Spencer Tracy as Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle. The film won an Oscar, was nominated for another and […]
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This inspirational 1980 film stars Robert Urich as standout Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rocky Bleier and Art Carney as Steelers owner Art Rooney. Considered too small and slow to play in the NFL, Bleier proved the critics wrong by making the Pittsburgh Steelers roster. While in his rookie season, he was drafted into the Army, served a tour of duty […]
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