The Bridges At Toko-Ri
Not every pilot can guide his aircraft from a wave-tossed deck, seek out targets over unfamiliar Korean terrain, then return to what looks like a speck in the sea. Naval Reservist Harry Brubaker (William Holden) can.
This masterful story of a war-weary World War II veteran who must leave his family to fight again combines moving drama with surefire, bombs-away aerial action. Also starring Grace Kelly as his loving luminescent wife.
Member Reviews
One of the better Korean War films - bbould
I found this James Michener story about the reluctant warrior (William Holden) to be engaging, with a tragic ending. Personally, I liked Mickey Rooney as the little tough guy willing to trade punches at the drop of a sailor's hat. Earl Holliman is earnest as Rooney's helicopter crewman. The only dull part of the movie, in my opinion, is section that includes the beautiful but wooden Grace Kelly. I always fast forward through her scenes, which makes viewing The Bridges at Toko-Ri an entertaining experience.Uninspired and Uninspiring - revsdd
This is a strangely dull story about a Naval Reserve pilot (William Holden) called reluctantly back to service during the Korean War. This is largely (and the movie admits it in its opening tagline) a Cold War propaganda piece intended to make the U.S. Navy look good. There's nothing wrong with that, except that one would have expected a better story to accomplish the purpose. I thought that the plot lacked any real excitement or drama, and found the acting to be plodding for the most part (and I must say that Mickey Rooney seemed to be to be totally miscast as a brawling, hero helicopter pilot.) The other thing about the movie that I found strange was that, despite the title, the importance of the Bridges at Toko-Ri was never really explained. Admiral Tarrant (Frederic March) makes the bold statement that if those bridges are destroyed, the Communists would realize that the Allies were serious and they'd give up, but I never really understood why he would have thought those bridges were THAT important. Overall, I found this movie both uninspired and uninspiring. It wasn't awful, it was just awfully boring!
Member Reviews
Read All...
One of the better Korean War films - bbould
I found this James Michener story about the reluctant warrior (William Holden) to be engaging, with a tragic ending. Personally, I liked Mickey Rooney as the little tough guy willing to trade punches at the drop of a sailor's hat. Earl Holliman is earnest ...Uninspired and Uninspiring - revsdd
This is a strangely dull story about a Naval Reserve pilot (William Holden) called reluctantly back to service during the Korean War. This is largely (and the movie admits it in its opening tagline) a Cold War propaganda piece intended to make the U.S. Navy ...