The Bridges at Toko-Ri
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Image:The Bridges of Toko-Ri.jpg
- Released by Paramount
- Production William Perlberg & George Seaton
- Scenario George Seaton
- Directors Mark Robson & Valentine Davis
- Book James Michener
Contents |
[edit] Cast
- William Holden as Lt. Harry Brubaker
- Grace Kelly as Nancy Brubaker
- Fredric March as RAdm. George Tarrant
- Mickey Rooney as Mike Forney
- Charles McGraw as Cmdr. Wayne Lee
[edit] Film
The Bridges at Toko-Ri is a 1953 novel by James Michener about a Korean War pilot assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges. It was made into a motion picture by Paramount Pictures and won the Special Effects Oscar at the 28th Academy Awards. Despite its production time just after the Korean War and in plain Cold War the film is not a propaganda type movie. It follows faithfully the book bearing the same title emphasizing the human factor during a war that people are obliged to fight. The goal of the mission is set above everything else and the heroes perish as victims of fate.
[edit] Plot
Lieutenant (O-3) of the United States Navy Brubaker (W. Holden) is a pilot that fought during WW2, went back to his civilian job as an attorney, and is now further engaged in the Korean War flying jet planes from carriers. The film starts with him returning from a mission while his plane has to ditch into the cold sea. The rescue helicopter flown by the faithful and eccentric Chief Mike Forney (Mickey Rooney), a man of Irish descent, saves him. The Admiral of the ship, Radm. George Tarrant, has lost his own son in WW2 and Brubaker’s posture and style brings him back many memories of him. When having a face-to-face talk with Brubaker he discovers his pilot fatigue over the war and his wish to return to civilian life and his lawyer career he left behind together with his family. Nevertheless, they both agree that someone has to fight this dirty war as destiny decides.
The new target mission is set : the group of the bridges over the Yalu river from where the communists infiltrate to Korea. Squadron leader Wayne Lee is a man dedicated to his men but Tarrant would rather see him more dedicated to his mission. After an incident he decides not to promote Lee for this reason. Brubaker is told that his wife Nancy and children arrived in Tokyo on an unexpected visit and he is given a 3 days leave to see them. Nancy is more than ever anxious to see his husband back home but is terrified to discover the signs of a man ready to crack from war fatigue. Nancy is deep into blue thoughts about been left a widow and Tarrant will try to support her although he too remembers how his daughter-in-law had almost turned insane after losing her husband, Tarrant's son.
Back to the carrier, Lee presents to his pilots the air photos taken from a low pass over Toko-Ri. The flak is extremely dense and the pilots have to fly very low into the banks of the river while receiving fire from all sides. Brubaker gets sick after this briefing and he thinks his days are numbered. He is ready to write a letter to Nancy pre-announcing his death. Lee visits him into his room and tries to boost the morale asking him to be left behind if he feels he cannot accomplish his mission. Brubaker replies that he will do his duty.
During the day of the attack Lee strikes with two formations the second one lead by Brubaker. The results from the first attack are considered incomplete and he then orders the secondary one with Brubaker to attack. Brubaker's team dashes low and bombs successfully the ammunition dump but his plane receives a small hit that creates a fuel leak. Lee escorts closely Brubaker guiding him on the way back to the carrier but the fuel lost will not allow Brubaker to overcome the last hill before the sea and he belly-lands on these hills. The rescue helicopter and his faithful friend Mike land close to pick him up but Chinese ground troops arrive and machine gun the helicopter. Both Mike and Brubaker try to hide in a small nearby ditch to defend themselves with carbines but are outnumbered and are both killed.
RAdmiral Tarrant is shattered by the news and asks Lee for explanations. He replies that what counts is the success of the mission and not the men who where killed. Tarrant full of sorrow has to accept that Lee has ‘matured’, accepts his promotion finally and the film ends with Tarrant alone wondering where Brubaker and all the others dead or alive could have found the guts to do what is asked from them in such a war.
[edit] Features
An extremely realistic war movie shot over a real carrier (CV-34, the USS Oriskany, a 27,100 ton Ticonderoga class aircraft carrier, built at the New York Navy Yard. Though she was launched in October 1945, construction was suspended in August 1947 and she was completed to a revised design that was also used in modernizing several other ships of the Essex and Ticonderoga classes), including aircraft used on the same missions in the Korean War of real footage. The scenes over the carrier’s deck are well shot and the action is superb. The human characters by all actors are well rendered and the cast is successful. The only very light deviation is that the plane flown by Brubaker according to the novel was a F2H Banshee bomber (an early predecessor of the Phantom F-4) and not a Grumman F9F Panther as in the film. Yet, it is not known what exact planes were used against those bridges during the real attack. It is only known that many different types took part on similar missions
