The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

Set during the Korean War, a Navy fighter pilot must come to terms with with his own ambivalence towards the war and the fear of having to bomb a set of highly defended bridges. The ending ... See full summary »

Director:

Mark Robson

Writers:

Valentine Davies (screenplay), James Michener (novel)

Stars:

William Holden, Grace Kelly, Fredric March

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
William Holden	...	Lt. Harry Brubaker
Grace Kelly	...	Nancy Brubaker
Fredric March	...	Rear Adm. George Tarrant
Mickey Rooney	...	Mike Forney
Robert Strauss	...	Beer Barrel
Charles McGraw	...	Cmdr. Wayne Lee
Keiko Awaji	...	Kimiko
Earl Holliman	...	Nestor Gamidge
Richard Shannon	...	Lt. (j.g.) Olds
Willis Bouchey	...	Capt. Evans (as Willis B. Bouchey)

Storyline

Set during the Korean War, a Navy fighter pilot must come to terms with with his own ambivalence towards the war and the fear of having to bomb a set of highly defended bridges. The ending of this grim war drama is all tension.

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Plot Keywords:

bridge | fear | korean war | navy | fighter pilot | 

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Taglines:

The screen's explosively real drama of love and war! (US 1959 reissue)

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Pontes de Toko-Ri

Filming Locations:

Fujiya Hotel, Miyanoshita, Hakone, Kanagawa, Japan

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the movie, Brubaker (William Holden) and his squadron mates fly the Grumman F9F Panther, but in the book by James Michener upon which the movie is based, they fly a different plane, the McDonnell F2H Banshee. Both planes were used contemporaneously by the U.S. Navy and both flew combat missions in Korea so the use of the F9F Panther in the film isn't at all anarchistic. In all likelihood, the change in aircraft was do either to logistical considerations or possible to the fact the Panther is just a sexier more photogenic jet then the gangly, vulture-like Banshee.

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Goofs

At the very beginning of the movie, an announcement is made that 2 flights will land in 10 minutes. A view of the landing area of the ship is shown full of aircraft. I know those sailors are fast but not fast enough to move all those aircraft in 10 minutes.

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Quotes

[Nestor has just been killed by North Korean troops]
Mike Forney: Poor Nestor. They were going to give him a medal, too.

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Connections

Featured in The Fifties: The Fear & the Dream (1997)

User Reviews

War is Brutal--Heroes they all are.

This is an exceptional picture, which clearly depicts the personal difficulties, particularly which Fighter Pilots must endure in times of combat. Mr Holden and Grace Kelly give fine portrayals of the young married couple, who must overcome the obstacles of a dangerous mission--A certain bombing Raid ( mentioned in the title) As the left behind wife, Kelly does a wonderful job, showing empathy for her husband, concern for herself, etc, and Holden is equally compelling as a troubled aviator in a difficult situation--All in all a fine Movie--good performances all around. T(W) G.