The War Lover

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The War Lover

The War Lover
Directed by Philip Leacock
Produced by Arthur Hornblow
Written by John Hersey
(novel)
Howard Koch
(screenplay)
Starring Steve McQueen
Robert Wagner
Shirley Anne Field
Michael Crawford
Music by Richard Addinsell
Cinematography Robert Huke
Editing by Gordon Hales
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
British Lion Films (UK)
Release date(s) 1962
Running time 105 min
Language English
IMDb profile

The War Lover (1962) is a black and white war film directed by Philip Leacock and written by Howard Koch loosely based on the 1959 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The War Lover by John Hersey, altering the names of characters and events but retaining its basic framework. It stars Steve McQueen, Robert Wagner, Shirley Anne Field and a young Michael Crawford.

The war itself is not the most important element of the film. Instead it focuses on the character of Buzz Rickson (McQueen) and his determination to serve himself and get what he wants - in the process antagonizing everyone.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Buzz Rickson (Steve McQueen), a B-17 pilot stationed in England during World War II, is hated by his crew for his egocentric attitude. The only person who accepts him is his co-pilot Lt. Ed Boland (Robert Wagner). Buzz takes many risks and enjoys combat - and he's good at it. Buzz and Ed come into conflict over a girl, Daphne Caldwell (Shirley Ann Field). Knowing that she'll never mean anything to Buzz, she chooses to go with Ed.

The "war animal" is then awakened in Buzz and he attempts to rape her. He has thus lost the tolerance of the last person in his group, his co-pilot Ed. Buzz rather enjoys his victory but on the next missions he seems less sure on himself as by instinct he realizes that not everything is allowed even to a cynic like him. On a bombing mission Buzz' B-17 is badly crippled. Ed proposes to abandon it, but Buzz wants to prove that he can be a winner once more. He lets all bail out into the English Channel, forcing Ed to go, and he tries to bring her back to base by himself, only to crash on the cliffs at Dover.

[edit] Cast

As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified)[1]:

Actor Role
Steve McQueen Capt. Buzz Rickson
Robert Wagner Lt. Ed Boland
Shirley Anne Field Daphne
Gary Cockrell 2nd Lt. Marty Lynch
Michael Crawford Sgt. Junior Sailen

Actor Warren Beatty turned down the role of Capt. Buzz Rickson.

[edit] Production

The War Lover was filmed in England at RAF Bovingdon in Hertfordshire, RAF Manston in Kent, around Cambridgeshire, and at Shepperton Studios in Surrey.[2]

Three Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers formed the main aerial component in the film and were composed of one B-17G and two postwar PB-1W Coast Guard rescue aircraft located in the United States. After extensive modifications, the three warbirds flew the arduous trans-atlantic crossing to England.[3] Martin Caidin, who would later write the novels on which the TV series The Six Million Dollar Man and the movie Marooned were based, was one of the pilots who flew the B-17s for the film.

The War Lover was shot in 1961, and released in the United States on 25 October 1962[4] The film opened in London in June 1963.[5] Some short but rare footage of actual air combat is included – especially the attacking Messerschmitt Bf 109G armed with 20 mm cannons firing at the B-17s.

[edit] Film reviews

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "The War Lover (1962) - full credits." IMdB. Retrieved: 20 February 2008.
  2. ^ IMDB Locations
  3. ^ The War Lover (1962)
  4. ^ IMDB Release dates
  5. ^ TCM Notes

[edit] Bibliography

  • Dolan Edward F. Jr. Hollywood Goes to War. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-229-7.
  • Harwick, Jack and Schnepf, Ed. "A Buff's Guide to Aviation Movies". Air Progress Aviation, Volume 7, No. 1, Spring 1983.
  • Oriss, Bruce. When Hollywood Ruled the Skies: The Aviation Film Classics of World War II. Hawthorne, California: Aero Associates Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-9613088-0-X.

[edit] External links