WWII Spy/Espionage Movies?

[warrenss2]

I know this is not directly related to WWII miniature warfare but I can think of no better place to ask this question than amongst the FAF's collective genus data base...

I like WWII Spy/Espionage/Special Ops/Mission type films.

Two of my current favorites are The Dirty Dozen & Where Eagles Dare.

Can you all recommend others for me to check out and possibly add to my budding collection?

Many Thanks,
Warren

[Westfalia Chris]

Can you all recommend others for me to check out and possibly add to my budding collection?

Enigma, which is admittedly more about code-breaking and domestic counter-espionage. Not that much action, but a lot of nice eye-candy, and good acting. I think they did a good job of translating the comparably dry, but interesting novel.

Eye of the Needle, which is about a German spy in Britain in the months leading up to D-Day.

Operation Crossbow, about Allied spies trying to infiltrate the V-Waffen-Programm. Very pulpy, that one, especially the end.

The Heroes of Telemark, Allied commandos in Norway trying to disrupt "Heavy Water" production for the German Nuclear Project.

[Plynkes]

Carve Her Name With Pride is a true story about SOE Agent Violette Szabo. Not pulpy at all, as might be expected considering the subject.

Odette is a rather similar film about another SOE Agent, this time Odette Sansom.

Both end up in Ravensbrück concentration camp. One has a happy ending, the other doesn't. I won't say which is which, in case you don't know your SOE history and hate spoilers.


Neither film is in the Dirty Dozen/Eagles Dare mould - they are a bit more how it was really like I imagine, i.e. much less fun. Nonetheless they are rewarding films, worth a watch.

[Plynkes]

Ooh, I just remembered The Man Who Never Was.

Another based-on-a-true story one involving an elaborate plot (Operation Mincemeat) by British intelligence to convince the Nazis that the Allies are planning to invade Sardinia and Greece rather than Sicily in 1943. They persuade a grieving father to allow his son's dead body to be used in the service of his country. He is dumped into the sea to wash ashore on the coast of Spain carrying all the "top secret" plans for the invasions. They figure the Spanish will share this intelligence with their fellow facists... and they are right.

The Germans are suspicious and so send IRA agent Stephen Boyd to England to investigate whether the top-ranking corpse was legit... MI5 have to somehow dupe him into believing the story.

Never gets particularly good write-ups in the listings magazines, but I really like it. It manages to tug on the heart-strings more than the average spy flick, and is also very tense in places.

[Red Orc]

Oh there's a one were James Garner is kidnapped in Morocco by German Intelligence and taken to a camp in Germany which is run by "Americans" and he's told it's 1947 and he has amnesia... he's supposed to not reveal the details of the Normandy landings. But I can't remember what it's called, which is apt, because it's all about a man who can't remember things.

Not so much of the old ski-ing across Norway blowing things up, more hanging around a hospital wondering if they know you know that they know that you don't know that they know you know they don't know, kind of thing.

Oh, and Guns of Naverone of course, which is kinda like Heroes of Telemark in the sun (it's set in Greece). Richard Burton, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quail and some other geezers have to blow up a German gun emplacement, lots of sneaking about in the dark, assassinations, backstabbing (literal and metaphorical) and sumptuous action.

[Westfalia Chris]

Oh, and Guns of Naverone of course, which is kinda like Heroes of Telemark in the sun (it's set in Greece). Richard Burton, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quail and some other geezers have to blow up a German gun emplacement, lots of sneaking about in the dark, assassinations, backstabbing (literal and metaphorical) and sumptuous action.

There´s a sequel to that one called "Force 10 from Navarone", but it´s poorer in almost all respects and has no real connection apart from the name and some concepts being recycled. It´s about an Allied commando troop trying to sabotage a bridge in Yugoslavia. The plot isn´t that elaborate, script is average, but it´s got great production values, nice tricks, AND it features Barbara Bach in a supporting role (if you can´t get Caroline Munro...    )

[Gundamentalist 5.56]

Can you all recommend others for me to check out and possibly add to my budding collection?

Play Dirty - Michael Caine in behind enemy lines dirty tricks in North Africa

Charlotte Gray - good but understated SOE based film, which I seem to remember gets the details right

The Train - Burt Lancaster's Resistance must stop a train load of art leaving France

13 Rue Madelaine - James Cagney is a little unbelievable as spy master but the story and doublecrosses are good

The Eagle has Landed - More Michael Caine goodness!

[Plynkes]

I prefer Barbara Bach to Caroline Munro, as it happens.



Both were in The Spy Who Loved Me, and so was Richard Kiel, who plays a Yugoslav Partisan version of his Bond villain character in Force 10 from Navarone, too (only without the metal teeth - well there is a war on!). 

[warrenss2]

Caroline Munro wore way too much eye makeup... looked like a raccoon at times!



Still good eye candy, though.

[flooglestreet]

Morituri starring Marlon Brando and Yul Brenner. It has a number of plot twists and turns, makes it hard to keep up with the plot. Basicly Brando is a German working for allied intelligence, rather reluctantly, aboard Yul Brenners German freighter.

[n815e]

Black Book is a good recent one.

[Westfalia Chris]

I prefer Barbara Bach to Caroline Munro, as it happens.

I´ll happily admit that they are both of equal actressoral stature (nudge nudge wink wink) and I only lean towards Ms. Munro by a smidgen of a degree of personal preference.

And Richard Kiel is terrifically campy in his role in "Force 10". In a good, "70s camp" way.

[Plynkes]

My uncle took me to see Force 10 at the pictures when it came out, I was about eight. I absolutely loved it at the time. Now I find it a tiny bit on the shit side. But it does have Robert Shaw and Edward Fox, two actors that I never tire of watching.

For fans of Spagetti Westerns, Django is in Force 10, too!



Plus Indy and Apollo Creed! What more could you want? 

[Arlequín]

Escape to Athena.

It's sort of 'Dirty Dozen' meets 'Where Eagles Dare' crossed with 'Operation Crossbow' ... but in  crap way. Roger Moore plays a 'good german', Anthony Valentine a bad one. Telly Savalas, David Niven, Claudia Cardinale and 'Shaft' also star.... as does Sonny Bono! Interesting plot twist is that they all begin the film as POWs rather than a picked SF team.

*Further vote here for Ms Bach btw* 

[Schogun]

Oh there's a one were James Garner is kidnapped in Morocco by German Intelligence and taken to a camp in Germany which is run by "Americans" and he's told it's 1947 and he has amnesia... he's supposed to not reveal the details of the Normandy landings. But I can't remember what it's called, which is apt, because it's all about a man who can't remember things.

Not so much of the old ski-ing across Norway blowing things up, more hanging around a hospital wondering if they know you know that they know that you don't know that they know you know they don't know, kind of thing.

36 Hours
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0057809/

A great movie! One of my favorites. I see it's finally out on DVD.