The War Lover (1962)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Philip Leacock

Writers:

John Hersey (novel)
Howard Koch (writer)

Release Date:

25 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

John Hersey's Major Novel of World War II

Plot:

Buzz Rickson is a dare-devil World War II bomber pilot with a death wish. Failing at everything not involving flying...

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Bomber | Bomber Pilot | Courage | Airplane

Cast

Steve McQueen	...	Capt. Buzz Rickson
Robert Wagner	...	1st Lt. Ed Bolland
Shirley Anne Field	...	Daphne Caldwell
Gary Cockrell	...	2nd Lt. Marty Lynch
Michael Crawford	...	Sgt. Junior Sailen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ed Bishop	...	Col. Vogt (as Edward Bishop)
Bernard Braden	...	Flight Surgeon Randall
Tom Busby	...	Sgt. Farr
Charles De Temple	...	Capt. Braddock
Louise Dunn	...	Hazel
Robert Easton	...	Sgt. Handown
Bill Edwards	...	2nd Lt. Max Brindt
Arthur Hewlett	...	Vicar
Chuck Julian	...	Lamb
Bob Kanter	...	2nd Lt. Haverstraw
Sean Kelly	...	Capt. Woodman
Richard Leech	...	Maj. Murika
Justine Lord	...	Street Girl
Neil McCallum	...	Sully
George Sperdakos	...	Sgt. Bragliani
Jerry Stovin	...	Col. Emmet
Viera	...	Singer
Al Waxman	...	Sgt. Prien

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X

Filming Locations:

Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, UK

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Steve Mcqueen had a stand up row with wardrobe mistress Wyn Keely after a blouse worn by Shirley Ann field didn't rip during there kissing scene on the first take.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The short life vests the bomber crews wear are clearly post-war issue, not World War II-era "Mae Wests."

Quotes:

Daphne Caldwell: Have you ever been in love, Captain? I'm serious, have you?
Captain Buzz Rickson: In wartime you don't fall in love, you make love. You know what I mean?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School (2005)

"When you've built a bomb big enough to kill Rickson, come back and blow up the world"

World War II has always been a treasure trove of some of the finest moments of heroism known to Hollywood. For this offering, tinsel town selected a novel by John Hersey and made a movie called, "The War Lover." The late Steve McQueen, was very proud of his role as Capt. Rickson, during the filming. Added to that was the cast and crew from his co-star Robert Wagner as Lt. Ed Bolland, to the supporting actors, Gary Cockrell as Lt. Marty Lynch, Michael Crawford as Sgt. Junior Sailen and multi-talented Robert Easton as Sgt. Handown enhance this fine war time saga. The well written story about the war, it's effects on the characters and their ability to cope with it is what makes this movie a classic. Occasionally some pearls of wisdom are uttered which makes one think, such as the phase spoken by the Flight Surgeon Randall (Bernard Braden) who said, "I consider war to be a complete cession of rational thought." That is true, not to mention memorable. Like the tale itself which zeros in on the men, their loves and their own mortality. All in all, a worthy Classic from the Greatest generation. ****