War Movie Theatre | for Fans of Classic War Films and Cinema History

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA! Yes, all July, we're marking 250 years of gratuitous Americans by watching the most gratuitously American war movies we can find, and no war movie is as gratuitously American as The Patriot, in which Mel Gibson oozes love of country from every pore.

How is this film so long? How come Mel is running the one Southern plantation with no slaves? And do flags really matter that much? Join us for the answers to this and much more.

Next week: Gettysburg
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This week, an early Technicolor classic war movie. One of six - six! - adaptations of AEW Mason's 1902 novel of cowardice and courage, it stars Ralph Richardson in a competition with John Clements to have the stiffest upper lip ever.

Covered in the episode: how much was this film influenced by TE Lawrence, and how much did it influence Lawrence of Arabia? How often did defensive squares break in the 19th century? And, somehow, more poetry.

Next week: The Patriot
See our prospective movie list! Buy merch! Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.com

Help us out by doing our listener survey: http://bit.ly/warmovietheatre-survey

Suggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.
Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website.
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The 1945 film that exemplified stiff upper lips like nothing else, The Way To The Stars was written by Terrence Rattigan, based on his own experiences of the air war, and tells the story of the ground lives of a bomber station. Starring John Mills and Michael Redgrave but most of all Rosamund John, it's a tale that would have resonated with audiences at home who had lost friends and lovers to the war. It was recut and released as Johnny In The Clouds in the US.

Most of all though, as far as Rob and Tom are concerned, it's a film that was shot in Bedale, jewel of North Yorkshire's market towns.

Next week: The Four Feathers (1939)
See our prospective movie list! Buy merch! Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.com

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Suggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.
Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website.
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It's the World Cup, which means it's time for Rob and Duncan to Escape To Victory! Again! It's the only prisoner of war film to feature three different World Cup winners, and the only war movie to be decide by a bicycle kick. Michael Caine is too old and Sylvester Stallone knows too little about football, but thanks to a bunch of extras from Ipswich Town, the movie has become a classic. Particularly because it sees the Nazis organise a football match that is somehow less dodgy than anything FIFA touches.

This week, they're joined by World War 2 historian Alan Allport, who spends his days trying to explain European history to Americans through football. Will he disappear at half time, or score a last-minute equaliser?

Next week: The Way To The Stars
See our prospective movie list! Buy merch! Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.com

Help us out by doing our listener survey: http://bit.ly/warmovietheatre-survey

Suggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.
Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website.
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Their egos writing cheques that their bodies can't cash, Rob and Duncan are joined by Top Gun superfan Marina Hyde to mark the 40th anniversary of the greatest film about naval aviators ever made. It's the movie that confirmed the status of Tom Cruise as a star, and also as a man who has no chemistry with his female co-leads. Is that because his real sparks were with Val Kilmer? Are Anthony Edwards and Meg Ryan the secret sauce?

Plus Marina takes us through the five hottest men in the film. You may be surprised by who isn't in there.

Next week: to mark the World Cup, we're going to Escape To Victory (again).
See our prospective movie list! Buy merch! Visit our website: https://warmovietheatre.com

Help us out by doing our listener survey: http://bit.ly/warmovietheatre-survey

Suggestions? Comments? Drop us a line at warmovietheatre@gmail.com.
Visit us at facebook.com/WarMovieTheatre or on Bluesky and Twitter or at our website.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.