Best all time actor War or Combat movies

[Lance Williams]

Great comments by all on this thread, particularly Lance's insight about what 'stars' are supposed to bring to a film, ie Box Office (better known as the Bottom Line). The Big Name--the Name Above the Title--is supposed to ensure the success of the film at the box office; but I'd like to put in a quick 'vote' for the Name BELOW the Title, ie the supporting actors who often 'make' a film one we really remember for an especially good performance.

Tom Sizemore has already been singled out for consistently excellent roles in 'Ryan', 'Pearl Harbor', etc., and he is a good example of a recent actor whose supporting roles really bring an added dimension to a 'war film.' Someone mentioned Van Johnson's star-billing performance in 'Battleground', yet he had a lot of help from supporting actors like James Whitmore as the tobacco-chewing platoon sergeant and Douglas Fowley who was continually clicking his false teeth. Those of you who remember 'Stalag 17' (starring William Holden) and 'Attack!' (starring Jack Palance) will probably recall that both films were really enhanced by the performance of Robert Strauss, who played essentially the same wise-cracking soldier in each of these movies. An unusual but superb inspiration in supporting casting was in the film 'The Best Years of Our Lives' which starred Fredrich March and Dana Andrews. The role of Homer, the armless Navy veteran, was actually played by Harold Russell, a WWII veteran who had lost both his arms in the war. Although not a professional actor, his supporting role was one of the highlights of this Academy Award winning film.

If we were asked to come up with a list of 'top war film' supporting actors, I think we'd likely list some of the foregoing plus others like Richard Jaekel (Dirty Dozen, et al), Nigel Green (Zulu), Victor McLaglen (John Ford's 'cavalry' movies), Sam Elliott (We Were Soldiers, Gettysburg, et al) and all those great supporting actors whose names you can't remember but whose faces you can't forget.

Band of Brothers is a very interesting corollary of this issue in that by casting 'not-very-well-knowns' in virtually all of the roles, what we got was, essentially, supporting actors who carried the entire series. The 'Star Power' in 'Brothers' was really only the directors, Spielberg and Hanks. As was noted in this forum this brilliant move was one of the key ingredients to its outstanding success.

All of the big names listed at the beginning of this thread have made some excellent 'war' films, and we've probably all enjoyed watching most of them over the years. But I just wanted to raise the issue that when we watch a 'war' film (or any really good movie) it was likely the supporting actors whose performances really made the film stand out.

Hey Kevin, here are some "older" names........

 

[Lance Williams]

I think JD has touched on a very important point about how "character" actors enrich a movie. Here are a few more great ones......

Strother Martin....the all time best!
Jack Elam......not too far behind
Lee Van Cleef.....great bad guy
Walter Brennan....three time oscar winner
Arthur Hunnicutt
L.Q. Jones
Ben Johnson
Harry Dean Stanton
Eli Wallach
Slim Pickens
Gavin McCleod
Ward Bond
Bruce Cabot
Woody Strode
Andy Devine
John Carradine
Morgan Woodard
Harry Caray, Jr.
Morgan Shepard

......and some more "older" names.........

 

[Lance Williams]

The Combat link is great. The show has been rerunning on Encore Action channel on satellite or digital cable. I've recorded about 90% of the episodes in the last six months. If you really want a list of great actors, just see who some of the guest stars it had during its five year run......here's a short list

-J.D. Cannon
-Mark Richmond
-Albert Salmi
-Nina Foch
-Chad Everett
-Simon Oakland
-James Whitmore
-Albert Paulsen
-Jermey Slate
-Frank Gorshin
-Lee Marvin
-Claude Akins
-Eddie Albert
-Richard Baseheart
-Robert Walker
-Nick Adams
-Telly Savalas
-Dan Duryea
-Frankie Avalon
-Gary Lockwood
-Robert Loggia
-Jack Lord
-Bill Bixby
-Fritz Weaver
-William Windom
-Lloyd Bochner
-James Colburn
-Roddy McDowell
-Louise Rainer
-James Caan
-Keenan Wynn
-James Best
-Gilbert Roland
-Anjanette Comer
-Beau Bridges
-Peter Haskell
-Dean Stockwell
-Fernando Lamas
-Sal Mineo
-Dennis Weaver
-Buck Taylor
-John Cassavettes
-Tommy Sands
-Joseph Campanella
-Mickey Rooney
-Theodore Bikel
-Bobby Rydell
-Terry Carter
-Robert Duvall
-Tab Hunter
-Warren Oates
-Jeffrey Hunter
-Howard Duff
-Charles Bronson
-James MacArthur
-Tom Simcox
-Robert Culp
-James Francisco
-Tom Skerritt
-Michael Considine
-James Stacy
-Ricardo Montalbon
-Jason Evers
-William Shallert
-Leonard Nimoy
-Paul Burke
-Richard Anderson
-Malachi Throne

Not too shabby a bunch if I do say so myself......Pretty much a "who's who" of 1960's actors. Many in some of their earliest work. Many great directors cut their teeth on this show including Robert Altman. Plus not only was Vic Morrow great in the lead role, he directed many of the best episodes.

...........and a few more.............

 

[Leonidas]

The Duke.

 

[17poundr]

The actor who played Keith Park was Trevor Howard.

Also, talking of The Battle of Britain, I thought Robert Shaw was very good as a squadron commander.

Indeed, he had that 'edgy' feel about him. Yes, Robert Shaw was very good.

By the way, as for actors who were in the war, did James Stewart (Who was a B-24 pilot and commander of a bomber unit) do any war movies?

Also, lesser known I belive that Jack Palance was a ww2 combat vet, he shure looked like it!

Does anybody know of Jack Palance's military career?

p.s. I agree totally on the point given earlier that many early war films have been forgotten. Sink the Bismark was good.
And also the young lions, and Where eagle's dare are pretty good.

 

[Wodin]

Audie Murphy as then man actaully served in WW2 infact he was playing himself so how realisitc can you get.

Not a fan of John Wayne. Sorry to say this but the only film Ive seen where he could act was in The Quite Man.

 

[Marines]

I would have to say Steve McQueen, the man is my hero after all, and I'm only 24. Also, my second nomination would have to go to Donald Pleasence, the man was a RAF officer and was actually shot down.

 

[michammer]

Richard Todd, who played Major John Howard in The Longest Day actually fought at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day.

 

[Mick]

Forgive my vague descriptions but I have only seen this movie once. I thought this movie had GREAT performances from practically everyone in the film. The movie itself I think was highly underrated, overshadowed as it was by Saving Private Ryan.

I have not seen a movie deal with the concept of man's "Heart of Darkness" this intrinsic flaw in man that causes him to make war, and in doing so destroys a part of himself. I loved this movie. It WAS everything Apocolypse Now wanted to be.

I appreciated how your perception of characters evolve throughout the film. The lead character who at first seems like a deserter, slacker and possible coward, guides us through the film shedding light on the souls of other characters that he comes into contact with in almost a divine way.

I liked Sean Penn, the tough Sargent who is hiding his feelings behind a facade and who is slowly losing touch with those more human feelings as the scars of war callous his soul.

And the Platoon or Company Commander (don't remember which) who Nick Nolte is screaming at to take the hill with the MG emplacements on it no matter the cost. He seems totally weak and impotant at first, but we see that he is a thinker who does not want to needlessly sacrifice his men and that he is strong like a gentle caring father.

I also wonder if people who see this movie do not like it's anti war message rather then the traditional guts n glory depiction of soldiers. What I would say to these people is that while few would argue that WWII needed to be fought, the Thin Red Line discusses why man as a species gets himself into these situations to begin with, and how it effects the human heart. It is not an indictment of the individual soldiers who fought or an indictment of WWII.

Anyway just thought I would thow this out there as I really enjoyed the performaces in this rarely talked about movie.
I also enjoyed the performances of almost everyone on the list. It was very hard to choose a favorite so I refrained from voting.

Yes "A line red line" is a good movie....I remember when it came out in my city....just after SPR and a lot of people didn't like it because it didn't scare them or make them sick or what ever! I heard a lot of "that was crap" and "I didn't do this or that!" IMO the film was more of a "thinking war movie" or an "anti-war film" I would put it with "All quiet on the western front(1933)" IMO one of the best anti war films ever.
Other reasons I like this movie was that it was filmed on one of my mate's father's farm in north Queensland and having been on that hill (where the attack took place) that was kind of cool...the only thing I didn't like was the arty.....a piss poor job on that (they should of used 4Fd regt instead of 1Fd Regt(Bloody Cocco's)the recoil from those guns was a big thumbs down).

As for my vote....it was for Eric Banana....why well he is an Aussie of coarse!
However he did a great job of playing "Hoot" in BHD. I did hear a story on the grape vine that he got some special help from some special people to play that role.....to get him into the mind set of how a real SF bloke acts....sort of a acts like a cowboy but fight like an indian type....none of that rambo killing a divsion with a pocket knife and a M60 BS.

 

[creeping death]

Yes "A line red line" is a good movie....I remember when it came out in my city....just after SPR and a lot of people didn't like it because it didn't scare them or make them sick or what ever! I heard a lot of "that was crap" and "I didn't do this or that!" IMO the film was more of a "thinking war movie" or an "anti-war film" I would put it with "All quiet on the western front(1933)" IMO one of the best anti war films ever.
Other reasons I like this movie was that it was filmed on one of my mate's father's farm in north Queensland and having been on that hill (where the attack took place) that was kind of cool...the only thing I didn't like was the arty.....a piss poor job on that (they should of used 4Fd regt instead of 1Fd Regt(Bloody Cocco's)the recoil from those guns was a big thumbs down).

As for my vote....it was for Eric Banana....why well he is an Aussie of coarse!
However he did a great job of playing "Hoot" in BHD. I did hear a story on the grape vine that he got some special help from some special people to play that role.....to get him into the mind set of how a real SF bloke acts....sort of a acts like a cowboy but fight like an indian type....none of that rambo killing a divsion with a pocket knife and a M60 BS.

I to voted for Eric Bana, because I also agreed he played the role so well. And you are correct in saying he had help in his role. Actually on the multi disc DVD version of Blackhawkdown you get to see some of the training he and fellow actors went through, they actually worked with some former Special Forces guys. It is pretty cool and I highly recommend getting it if you like the movie.

CD

 

[17poundr]

I would have to say Steve McQueen, the man is my hero after all, and I'm only 24. Also, my second nomination would have to go to Donald Pleasence, the man was a RAF officer and was actually shot down.

Really! I never knew that Donald was in the Raf, has anybody got info on, Donald,Richard Todd, Jimmy Stewart and Jack palance, as they were war vet's???

yep, as I think I stated before I thought that 'black hawk down' was good, inspite of the meddling of the pentagon (they gave help in making the movie, but then insisted on some of the real events to be removed, like when a friendly fire took place, AND I dont think that it was very serious, what sissies the pentagon are not to allow such a realism plusser into the film). Another film where I belive special forces came to help to get into character was Tears of the sun, which I liked, it goes into the reasons of why does the west allow the Ruanda's and Dalfur's to occur. A modern thought process seen in 'the thin red line' for example, all above mentioned were good imho, spr, was good, exept perhaps for the end, where it turned slightly into a fantasy, the germans would never have driven two Tiger's (which they didnt have against the americans until about d-day plus fourteen), and a company attacking a re-inforced squad, with two heavy, two light armour, plus a 20mm, well, I think that would the 'Das Reich' been there on (I think the film Implies that the event take's place on d-day plus four, the order to go and find ryan was given on d-day plus three, and they spend one night on their trip to the village with ryan in it), and I know that the second SS, didn t come to harass the Americans on d-day plus four...

And IF they had, they would have had mucho more tactical experience (bar the Rangers, but the para's are relatively green 101 div troopers, with only four days exp behind them), so the ending get's a bit fairy tale stylish.

Nick nolte's, performance as the careless (about his men's live's) commander, who wastes a 105howizer limited barrage, and alerts the japanese, nothing else, and his callous comment 'I know the arty doesnt do the jap's any harm, but it give's the boys the impression the japs are hurt). 'Or something to that effect... The performance is brilliant! Nick did a good job, perhaps the best of the film, neck to neck with sean penn...

 

[Lance Williams]

Also, lesser known I belive that Jack Palance was a ww2 combat vet, he shure looked like it!

Does anybody know of Jack Palance's military career?

Nelson, here you go. Palance served with the US Army Air Corps and he required facial reconstruction from the injuries received when his B-17 crash landed in Britain.

The Combat website has a great link about actors in WW II.........

http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/military/actors_in_wwii.html#P

 

[17poundr]

Nelson, here you go. Palance served with the US Army Air Corps and he required facial reconstruction from the injuries received when his B-17 crash landed in Britain.

The Combat website has a great link about actors in WW II.........

http://www.jodavidsmeyer.com/combat/military/actors_in_wwii.html#P

Thanks Lance! A truly interesting site, although, I was dissapointed they didnt give Mr Palance's 'career' report in the USAAF. Guess, I'll try go google it...

I remember Rod Steiger telling about his ww2 experience, he took part in Midway, and was in a smaller vessel screening the taskforce.

They stumbel on something that must have been a smaller Japanese fast boat, on recon duty, and he said, they didnt feel good about it, but they had to gun the helpless Japanese from their vessel (Destoyer)? So as not to give away the secret of two American Aircraft carriers lurking to git Yamamoto!

If anybody has similar stories of any movie stars, please share them...

Mr Poundr.

 

[Sgt. Oddball]

I chose Caine("The Man Who Would Be King" is awesome with my runner up Sean Connery)---wasn't he in "Zulu" as well? I also enjoyed most of Lee Marvin's war movies. The guy was a marine grunt that was on a few of the island hopping battles in the pacific in WWII.

 

[Lance Williams]

I chose Caine("The Man Who Would Be King" is awesome with my runner up Sean Connery)---wasn't he in "Zulu" as well? I also enjoyed most of Lee Marvin's war movies. The guy was a marine grunt that was on a few of the island hopping battles in the pacific in WWII.

As you can tell by my avatar I think highly of Mr. Marvin too. As you mentioned he served in the Pacific and was wounded on Saipan.

 

[17poundr]

As you can tell by my avatar I think highly of Mr. Marvin too. As you mentioned he served in the Pacific and was wounded on Saipan.

TOUGH MEN INDEED! NOW dont ge this wrong, I do not think that tom selleck is particualry bad or good, but his IKE film, was a disgrace! Just go one up, into ww2, and see my thread on him, and the IKE film, that was awful

 

[coltshooter1]

Gotta go with the Duke. Connery would be the next choise.

 

[J P]

No Stewart Coburn in Cross of iron? no vote from me then!!

 

[creeping death]

Sorry limited space

For all of you coming up with all these other actors ( some famous some not so famous) there is limited space for votes and I was looking for leads and popular names. Some of the names being tossed around are people 99% of the world has never heard of.
Maybe next time I make a poll with Stallone, Shwarzenegger, Vin Diesel, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean Claude Van DUH.

 

[saddaminator]

have to go with the guy on band of brothers, the one who played the lieutenant who killed the german prisoners. how could you forget R. Lee Ermey? the most gung ho devil dog in the corps?
also sgt. Johnson from HALO, but that would fit into the character catagory, not actor.
Bruce Willis was good in "tears of the sun".