My favorite WW2 Movies Part 1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battle of the Bulge

An American film released in 1965, "Battle of the Bulge" is historically inaccurate in almost every way, from the terrain to the equipment used by both the German and US armies. I still like the movie, as it is one of the first war movies that I was allowed to watch when I was a child. The film stars Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, and Telly Savalas.

Answer: Sink the Bismarck!

Released in 1960 and starring Kenneth More, Dana Wynter, Carl Mohner, and Michael Hordern,"Sink the Bismarck!" is a fairly accurate depiction of the hunt for the German battleship by the British fleet. The film contains some excellent naval warfare scenes.

Answer: The Guns of Navarone

Based on Alistair Maclean's 1957 novel, "The Guns of Navarone" is a classic tale depicting one of the kinds of mission undertaken by the British commandos in World War II, albeit fictional and ambitious in the extreme. The film stars Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, and Anthony Quayle.

Answer: The Big Red One

Samuel Fuller's semi-autobiographical film about his experiences as a rifleman in the US Army, from landing in North Africa through liberating Nazi concentration camps in Europe. The movie stars Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, and Bobby DiCicco.

Answer: Stalag 17

Based on the Broadway play, "Stalag 17" is a dark, gritty story of a group of American prisoners of war in a German prison camp run by the Luftwaffe (Air Force). Enduring inadequate rations, head counts in the freezing cold, and an informer in their barracks, the men still manage to carry on. The film stars William Holden, Otto Preminger, and a very young Peter Graves.

Answer: Patton

General George S. Patton Jr. was one of the most famous, or to many people infamous, American commanders of World War II. This entertaining and fairly accurate movie features a brilliant performance by George C. Scott, supported by Karl Malden, Edward Binns, and Michael Bates.

Answer: Midway

The 1976 version of "Midway", starring Charlton Heston, Glenn Ford, Toshiro Mifune, and James Coburn, is an action-packed film which chronicles the desperate American efforts to stop the Japanese from invading Midway Island, a small American outpost. As in most Hollywood war films, the basic story is accurate, but some of the equipment depicted is wrong, and fictional characters and events are mixed in with the historical ones.

Answer: Inglourious Basterds

This 2009 offering from Quentin Tarantino is complete fiction, but it is one of my guilty pleasures to watch. Featuring over-the-top performances by Brad Pitt and Christoph Waltz, the film has some comical moments interspersed with the violence, and the story is satisfying to anyone who loathes the Nazi regime.

Answer: Von Ryan's Express

Frank Sinatra stars in this fictional tale of Allied (mostly British) prisoners escaping from an Italian POW camp after the Italians surrendered and the camp guards fled. The men try to evade the Germans, but are recaptured and sent on a train to Germany. The POW's commandeer the train and try to flee to Switzerland. The film also stars Trevor Howard, Sergio Fantoni, and Wolfgang Preiss.

Answer: Tora! Tora! Tora!

This very accurate film depicts both the military and diplomatic events surrounding the Japanese attack on the American base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941, which brought the USA into World War II. Featuring an all-star cast, including Martin Balsam, Joseph Cotten, and E. G. Marshall, as well as Japanese actors So Yamamura and Tatsuya Mihashi, the film gives a balanced portrayal of the actions of both sides.

Answer: Valkyrie

I must admit that I was skeptical when I heard that Tom Cruise was starring in this film, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good a film it turned out to be. There are the usual Hollywood mistakes, eliminating historical characters and changing some aspects of the story, but overall, the movie is fairly accurate and very watchable.

The film also stars Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, and Tom Wilkinson.

Answer: The Bridge at Remagen

Released in 1969, "The Bridge at Remagen" gets the main historical events right, with the expected actor portrayals for dramatic effect. George Segal is good as the tired American officer tasked with taking the bridge no matter the cost, while Robert Vaughn is almost pitiful as a German officer trying to defend the bridge without adequate resources, with unclear orders, and with the threat of SS death squads who execute officers that fail.

Answer: The Longest Day

The 1962 blockbuster film, "The Longest Day", with an international cast too massive to list here, is an accurate portrayal of the June 6, 1944 Allied landings in the Normandy region of France. The filmmakers were advised by many men who had fought in the battle on both sides, and captures the feelings of fear, confusion, and shock experienced by the combatants.

Answer: Cross of Iron

This 1977 film, told from the German side, depicts a battle-weary infantry unit whose new lieutenant craves the Iron Cross medal and is willing to sacrifice his men to obtain it. Featuring great performances by James Coburn, Maximilian Schell, James Mason, and David Warner.

Answer: Battleground

The 1950 film, "Battleground", a portrayal of a unit in the American 101st Airborne Division during the December, 1944 Siege of Bastogne, is one of those war movies that I have seen so many times that I can't remember the first time. The men maintain their camaraderie and unit cohesion despite appalling conditions, deprivation, and death of friends and comrades.

The film stars Van Johnson, Ricardo Montalban, and James Whitmore.