War in Movies

Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

The “Colonel Bogey March”, or “theme from the Bridge on the River Kwai” as it’s occasionally mistakenly called, began life in 1914, when it was pseudonymously written by Lieutenant F. J. Ricketts, inspired by a golfer and military man who would apparently give a two-note whistle in place of shouting ‘fore!’. Those two notes provide the beginning of each line of the melody. (more…)

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

There was a great deal of interest right from the start in making a film of Herman Wouk’s 1951 novel The Caine Mutiny. Several studios tried to get a project off the ground, but always came up against the same stumbling block: the US Navy. (more…)