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Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 12:35:56 AM   
KG Erwin


Posts: 8981
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From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline 		As a counterpoint, let me offer up this thread. My number one fave is Mel Gibson as Hal Moore in "We Were Soldiers". Next is Damien Lewis as Richard Winters in "Band of Brothers", followed by Frank J. Hughes as Dick Guarnere in the same series. There's also Jurgen Prochnow as the Kapitanleutnant of U96 in "Das Boot", and of course George C. Scott as Patton in the self-titled film.

I deliberately exclude historical characters who have no existing real-life film footage to serve as comparisons.

< Message edited by KG Erwin -- 2/28/2009 12:48:54 AM >
Post #: 1
RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 1:00:16 AM   
Hertston


Posts: 3564
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From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline 		Exclusion noted, but I think Rod Steiger's Napoleon was just superb. 

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 1:11:27 AM   
KG Erwin


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Hertston

Exclusion noted, but I think Rod Steiger's Napoleon was just superb. 


Y'know, I thought about that for a moment, but left it out due to my caveat. A historical note: Rod Steiger joined the Navy in WWII when he was underage (I think he was 16). As he told the story, he basically threatened his mom to make her sign a waiver. I saw the interview in a documentary, and I don't doubt that he was being honest.


< Message edited by KG Erwin -- 2/28/2009 1:15:27 AM >

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 1:40:10 AM   
Hub

 

Posts: 20
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From: Prince George, BC
Status: offline 		Ed Harris in "Enemy at the Gates."

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 2:08:02 AM   
Hertston


Posts: 3564
Joined: 8/17/2002
From: Cornwall, UK
Status: offline 		Does pretty much playing yourself count as 'acting'? If so,



R. Lee Ermey. More seriously, Alec Guinness in 'Bridge over the River Kwai'

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 2:49:03 AM   
Zakhal


Posts: 2494
Joined: 1/4/2001
From: Jyväskylä, Finland
Status: offline 		Larry Thorne in Phantom Soldiers. And Simo Häyhä allthough they never made a movie about him:

http://www.cracked.com/article_17019_5-real-life-soldiers-who-make-rambo-look-like-puss y

EDIT: The forum breaks the last word of the link


< Message edited by Zakhal -- 2/28/2009 2:53:16 AM >

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 2:51:29 AM   
Doggie


Posts: 3244
Joined: 9/19/2001
From: Under the porch
Status: offline 		Here's Val Kilmer on the Vietnam Experience

quote:


[Kilmer] I understand it more. It’s an actor’s job. A guy who’s lived through the horror of Vietnam has not spent his life preparing his mind for it. He’s some punk. Most guys were borderline criminal or poor, and that’s why they got sent to Vietnam. It was all the poor, wretched kids who got beat up by their dads, guys who didn’t get on the football team, couldn’t finagle a scholarship. They didn’t have the emotional equipment to handle that experience. But this is what an actor trains to do. I can more effectively represent that kid in Vietnam than a guy who was there.



So much for that. Then we have actors who were not as skilled at portraying soldiers because they actually went to war.

Those include Lee Marvin, Eddie Albert, James Stewart, Alec Guiness, Donald Pleasance,
Ernest Borgnine, Audie Murphey, and Audrey Hepburn. Yes, Audrey Hepburn.




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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 2:56:57 AM   
Zakhal


Posts: 2494
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From: Jyväskylä, Finland
Status: offline 		Lee Marvin is one of my favorites actually. And Audrey Hepburn too now that I just discovered it.

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 4:01:34 AM   
Missouri Rebel

 

Posts: 121
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Status: offline 		Has anyone mentioned Bill Paxton?


This is from the movie Aliens where our Damsel in Distress (or did) awaits a rescue from Pvt. Hudson. Will Bills gnashing teeth save the day? Tune in next week....







mo reb (closet member of The Bill Paxton Fanclub - Badge# 52897)


ps...nice quote Doggie....Didn't know there were more reasons to dislike the elitist Hollywood actors than the usual. What a joke. Someone might just kick Val in his K rations one day with that kind of mentality.



Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Missouri Rebel -- 2/28/2009 4:09:16 AM >

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We must act... against the Sioux, even to the extermination of men, WOMEN and CHILDREN.The more Indians we can kill this year, the less will have to be killed next year. They all have to be killed or be maintained as a species of paupers.- w.t. SHErMAN

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 4:43:32 AM   
KG Erwin


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From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline 		Doggie, you left out one veteran : Sterling Hayden. He is unique in that while a US Marine, he served as an undercover operative in the Balkans in WWII. In the movies, you may know him as "General Ripper" in "Dr. Strangelove" or as a corrupt cop in "The Godfather Part II." See this : http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/14/AR2008081403224.html

Honestly, Sterling Hayden's WWII exploits could be made a movie. It surprises me that it hasn't been done.

< Message edited by KG Erwin -- 2/28/2009 4:55:11 AM >

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 6:05:43 AM   
Grell

 

Posts: 1064
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Status: offline 		Nobody can outdo "The Duke" John Wayne, even though he never served.

Regards,

Grell

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 2:32:35 PM   
Prince of Eckmühl


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Status: offline 		I don't know if Audie Murphy was a particularly good actor, but he was a fine soldier.

PoE (aka ivanmoe)


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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 4:18:17 PM   
Greybriar


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Status: offline 		There were so many great actors who played in war movies that I'm having a hard time deciding which one I liked best. I liked Lee Marvin in The Dirty Dozen, George C. Scott in Patton, Humphrey Bogart in The Caine Mutiny and oh, so many other famous stars in their various roles.

But I'm way behind the times and haven't been to a movie theatre in years. So I will leave it to the rest of you to decide as I am not at all familiar with the current actors and actresses.

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 4:26:37 PM   
Hertston


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl

I don't know if Audie Murphy was a particularly good actor, but he was a fine soldier.



I thought he was pretty good in 'The Red Badge of Courage'; and he was supposedly even better before the editors butchered it. Casting America's most decorated WW2 soldier (I think?) as the guy who ran away was just brilliant.

(in reply to Prince of Eckmühl)
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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 4:31:44 PM   
leastonh1


Posts: 879
Joined: 2/12/2005
From: West Yorkshire, England
Status: offline 		So many to choose from!!!!!

Damien Lewis as Richard Winters - Band of Brothers
Ed Harris - Enemy at the Gates
Donald Southerland as Sgt. Oddball - Kelly's Heroes
Jürgen Prochnow - Capt.-Lt. Henrich Lehmann-Willenbrock - Das Boot
Anything with John Wayne in it!!!!

Not forgetting Paul Gross as Michael Dunne - Passchendaele - Awesome performance, awesome movie!!!




< Message edited by Jim_H -- 2/28/2009 4:35:03 PM >

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2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 5:01:01 PM   
PunkReaper


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Status: offline 		Tom Hanks in Saving Ryan's Privates

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 6:11:32 PM   
Brigz


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Missouri Rebel

Has anyone mentioned Bill Paxton?


This is from the movie Aliens where our Damsel in Distress (or did) awaits a rescue from Pvt. Hudson. Will Bills gnashing teeth save the day? Tune in next week....







mo reb (closet member of The Bill Paxton Fanclub - Badge# 52897)


ps...nice quote Doggie....Didn't know there were more reasons to dislike the elitist Hollywood actors than the usual. What a joke. Someone might just kick Val in his K rations one day with that kind of mentality.



Wow! Julie Adams. One of the finest looking actresses ever.....Oh....back to the thread....

Don't forget Steve McQueen and James Coburn. Both in "Hell is for Heroes" and Coburn for "Cross of Iron".

Julie Adams....what a babe!

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 6:32:05 PM   
leastonh1


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Dave Briggs
Julie Adams....what a babe!

Agreed. She was a stunner when younger. Incidentally, she also appeared in an episode of Lost a while ago!

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2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.

(in reply to Brigz)
Post #: 18
RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 6:33:28 PM   
Prince of Eckmühl


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Status: offline 		All the best actors in war movies are British.








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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 6:49:40 PM   
leastonh1


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From: West Yorkshire, England
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl
All the best actors in war movies are British.

I was just being modest on the part of our Brit actors, but yes, you're quite right. To be fair, there were a few decent Yank actors who did one or two reasonable bit parts, like John Wayne for example. But, you can't beat British

_____________________________

2nd Lt. George Rice: Looks like you guys are going to be surrounded.
Richard Winters: We're paratroopers, Lieutenant, we're supposed to be surrounded.

(in reply to Prince of Eckmühl)
Post #: 20
RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 7:12:34 PM   
gunny

 

Posts: 995
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Status: offline 		Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder........

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 7:31:00 PM   
Grell

 

Posts: 1064
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From: Canada
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: gunny

Robert Downey Jr in Tropic Thunder........


LOL! My wife bought me that movie, I think Downey Jr. is a great actor.

Regards,

Grell

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 7:38:14 PM   
Marauders

 

Posts: 4428
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Status: offline 		All the Brit actors in A Bridge Too Far.

... and the Band of Brothers guys.

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 8:26:44 PM   
Sarge


Posts: 2841
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Charles Durning

Landing on Omaha in first wave he somehow managed to walk off the beach as the only survivor of his squad. On the move inland stepped on a mine in Les Mare des Mares sending him to England for months only to be rushed back to the front lines during the Ardennes where his unit was promptly steamrolled.
Durning was found and captured by the Germans suffering from several bayonet wounds inflicted in the previous nights hand to hand fighting but somehow still managed and escape only to find out later some of his unit captured where found at Malmedy.

Three Purple Hearts and Silver Star

I’d say that ranks

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 2/28/2009 8:30:40 PM   
Missouri Rebel

 

Posts: 121
Joined: 6/20/2008
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Prince of Eckmühl

All the best actors in war movies are British.




Everything the Brits do is cool. They can make a conversation about lawn fertilizer absolutely fascinating.

This redneck remembers laughing his rear off on some Brit show that has come on a few times. I think its called Keeping Up Appearances. Loved it. Is there something wrong with me?

mo reb

ps...leave it to Briggs to highlight the hot chick in the pic. Man you are right though. She is a babe.

pps. I also liked Dwight Yokum in his role in When Trumpets Fade. He was such a _ _ _ _!

< Message edited by Missouri Rebel -- 2/28/2009 8:51:25 PM >

_____________________________

We must act... against the Sioux, even to the extermination of men, WOMEN and CHILDREN.The more Indians we can kill this year, the less will have to be killed next year. They all have to be killed or be maintained as a species of paupers.- w.t. SHErMAN

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Post #: 25
RE: Best War Movie Actors - 3/2/2009 4:10:10 AM   
mbatch729


Posts: 537
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From: North Carolina
Status: offline 		Hey, don't forget Sir Sean Connery in The Longest Day...

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FC3(SW) Batch
USS Iowa

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Post #: 26
RE: Best War Movie Actors - 3/2/2009 5:00:35 AM   
KG Erwin


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From: Cross Lanes WV USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: mbatch729

Hey, don't forget Sir Sean Connery in The Longest Day...


Sir Sean was also very good in "A Bridge Too Far" in his role as the CO of the British 1st Airborne Division. He played it in a deliberately understated and sometimes humorous way, and it worked well.

(in reply to mbatch729)
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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 3/2/2009 5:10:03 AM   
KG Erwin


Posts: 8981
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From: Cross Lanes WV USA
Status: offline 		Let me add that Ken Watanabe did a great job portraying Gen. Kuribayashi in "Letters from Iwo Jima". I also liked Watanabe in "The Last Samurai".

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 3/2/2009 6:28:49 PM   
anarchyintheuk

 

Posts: 3921
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Status: offline 		Bob Mitchum and Curt Jurgens in Enemy Below. Good actors.

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RE: Best War Movie Actors - 3/2/2009 9:12:23 PM   
Fred98


Posts: 4430
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From: Wollondilly, Sydney
Status: offline 		Clint Eastwood in Kelley's Heroes.

Eastwood is on record saying it could have been a great war movie but the producer sent the movie the "wrong way".

-



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